Teachers, please join us for New Haven Reads’ Summer Teacher Open House on Saturday, May 21st from 11 AM to 3 PM. The Book Bank will be closed to the public so that you can browse to select free books for your students for summer reading.
***Please note that you MUST RSVP to attend. We no longer have a time limit for teachers, but we will have a limited capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions, so we cannot allow anyone inside the building without a ticket.***
We are excited to announce our 2021 Emcee and Word Pronouncer! For our 10th NHR Spelling Bee we have our host Ray Andrewsen of The Greater New Haven and Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce and Word Announcer Shana Schneider of Fitstyle by Shana.
For event info and registration about our Spelling Bee, click here!
Ray Andrewsen is the Executive Director of the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce and formerly Director of Membership Services for the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce engaged in business development, partnerships benefits satisfaction, and community outreach. Previously he had been the General Manager and local morning radio voice on Quinnipiac University’s WQUN in Hamden for over 22 years. Ray has interviewed thousands of local and national guests. Under his direction WQUN served over 400 local advertisers, community and government organizations, religious and educational institutions, and non-profit groups every year. It was voted the New Haven area’s Best Radio Station as recently as the 2018 CTNow reader’s poll.
Ray has extensive civic experience having served on the board of directors of the Connecticut Broadcasters Association, Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce, Christian Community Action, Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, Schooner Inc, and he is a past PTA president of Ridge Hill elementary school in Hamden. Ray is currently the president of the advisory board of the Salvation Army of New Haven, serves on the board of Clifford Beers Clinic, operations committee of the Ulbrich Boys and Girls Club, member of the New Haven Rotary, and panelist on the Hamden Juvenile Review Board. Ray received the Hamden Citizen of the Year Award from the Hamden Elks, Notable Citizen of the Year Award from the Hamden Chamber of Commerce, Community Impact Award from the Quinnipiac Chamber of Commerce, and the Arnold Dean Award for Connecticut Broadcasting from the Franciscan Life Center in 2019. He has been a regular presence around the area having served as a moderator, interviewer, and emcee at numerous local events.
Shana is the founder of Fitstyle by Shana and the creator of the FITS.T.Y.L.E. Your Life™ approach to fitness, which helps you find time for fitness in your everyday life. As a workshop + class leader, fitness educator and author, Shana has been featured in national magazines, websites and fitness blogs and is seen regularly on WTNH News 8. Prior to working on Fitstyle by Shana full time, she worked for over a decade holding several leadership positions at Yale University. She is an AFAA certified group fitness instructor and personal trainer and is licensed to teach Zumba Fitness. Shana serves as the VP of the Board of Directors for the New Haven Free Public Library, holds a B.A. from Yale University and is known for doing leg lifts in line at Starbucks.
In the 2020 Summer Lecture Series, New Haven Reads invited participants from various disciplines, including sociology, linguistics, architecture, and early childhood education. These guest speakers brought numerous different perspectives and research on language, learning, and literacy. You can explore these past lectures on our website. The 2020 series explored the myriad of factors that impact educational access and success, with the goal of enriching our collective understanding of critical and intersectional issues in education and literacy.
This year NHR reached a HUGE milestone: for the first time EVER, 600 students enrolled in the tutoring program! This week we’re celebrating our community’s accomplishments by taking a look back at some other highlights from the school year.
The Tutoring and Pre-K/Kindergarten Programs
By March 2019, 608 students were attending 762 tutoring hours EACH WEEK.
All 608 students were supported by 454 amazing tutors.
Approximately 25% of students in the tutoring program took this year’s CORE test. Of those students, 72% improved at least one grade level (or more) in their independent reading level!
In addition, 46 more students participated in 10 Pre-K and Kindergarten classes.
A student concentrates on her workbook, hugging her “reading buddy” Pikachu.
The Book Bank and Field Trip Programs
The Book Bank distributed 116,176 books to the greater New Haven community.
Of those books, 11,676 went to 2,013 students who visited us from 36 different schools through the field trips program.
A volunteer works behind the scenes in the Book Bank, sorting books.
Community Events
In October 2018, the Board of Alders honored NHR with the Mentorship Award, given to individuals and organizations making an impact in New Haven.
Executive Director Kirsten Levinsohn accepts the Mentorship Award from the Board of Alders’ Black and Hispanic Caucus.
In April 2019, the New Haven Alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority honored NHR with the 2019 Youth Development Community Award.
Executive Director Kirsten Levinsohn poses with members of the local Delta Sigma Theta chapter after accepting the 2019 Youth Development Community Award.
Finally, in June NHR staff participated in the Freddy Fixer Parade for the 2nd year in a row. This year we created our very first float, and we gave out more than 1500 books!
Science Park Site Director Audra Clark gives out free books at the 2019 Freddy Fixer Parade. (Photo taken by the New Haven Independent.)
As we look ahead, we’re excited to continuing growing and serving even more students with the support of parents, volunteers, and other community members.
New Haven Reads’ Summer Teacher Open House will be held on Saturday, June 8th from 3:30-6:30 PMand Sunday, June 9th from 11 AM-2 PM at the Book Bank (45 Bristol St).
We host this teachers-only event before the end of the school year so that you can select unlimited FREE books for your students’ summer reading! (Or your own…)
Note that you do not need to RSVP to attend, but doing so will expedite your check out process.
This Saturday is Read Across America Day, a nationwide celebration that takes place annually on March 2nd, Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Check out this awesome slideshow featuring the ways we’ve celebrated over the years here at NHR! Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
One of our awesome students poses with her “Fox in Socks” book and a big smile
Science Park highlighting Dr. Seuss and his legacy
One of our students dressed up like the Cat in the Hat! How awesome!
Is that the Cat in the Hat?!
“Would you like them in a house? Would you like them with a mouse?”
Books on display at our Dixwell location
One of our students participating in Wacky Wednesday for Dr. Seuss Week
BIG THANK YOU to the Study at Yale for donating tons of Dr. Seuss books to us!
Awesome volunteers from the Study at Yale read to NHR students
Books on display for our students to read
Tutors, staff and students dressed in green for “Green Eggs and Ham” day