Summer Reading Fun for Finley Students

Reading can be an awful lot of fun. Many J. Taylor Finley Middle School students already know this truth. Huntington UFSD hopes it will be a widespread accepted fact this summer as teachers and administrators are encouraging everyone at Finley to read often throughout July and August.

“This summer will provide time for your child to enjoy the pleasures of reading and we are happy to present several opportunities for this endeavor,” wrote Assistant Superintendent Beth McCoy in a letter to parents. “Spending time reading will give your child structure during the day and will maintain reading as a priority as we transition to the new school year.”

From students entering seventh grade in September to those moving on to eighth grade, exciting choices are available at the link below. Short summaries of the recommended books can be found at this link:

https://sites.google.com/hufsd.edu/jtfms-summer-reading-2024/hpl-summer-reading

“The recommended books, as well as others of interest to students, can be found on the Finley library platform Destiny or in the Huntington Public Library’s collections,” Mrs. McCoy said.

Students will need a library card to access books at the public library. The cards are available at the library’s village or station branches. Finley librarian Carmen DiBartolomeo can also assist students in acquiring a card.

Another option for students is to use Newsela to read articles. They are accessible through Clever on the Chromebook. Articles can be searched by grade level and interest.

Students completing the summer reading program are invited to respond in writing. This summer work will enable students to receive up to three points added to their first quarter English grade in the fall.

There’s a link on the grade page of the Finley Middle School Summer Reading site detailing requirements for the written response.

“This assignment applies for a book read or a set of articles from Newsela,” Mrs. McCoy explained. “Students can elect to write this reaction to the book for credit or their reading of the book or articles can be for pure enjoyment with no written requirement.”

Another alternative is to participate in the Huntington Public Library’s summer reading program. A link to the program is provided on the Finley Middle School Summer Reading site as well.

“We are very happy to be working alongside our public library, which offers so many services to our community,” Chairperson of Humanities Joseph Leavy said.

Send a message to Mr. Leavy at jleavy@hufsd.edu for more information about Finley’s summer reading program.