11/02/12 Last week Riverside Intermediate School students were gathered in the gymnasium for a convocation to skype with retired NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal .
Sixth grade students annually write business letters as part of their language arts standards. They write soliciting items for a reading auction that is held at the end of the school year. Sixth grade student Sidney Richar wrote a letter to Shaq asking him to send something. Shaq’s father called sixth grade teacher, Patty Welch, to ask what would be appropriate for them to send. After talking to him a couple of different times, it was decided to set up a skype conversation.
Just prior to fall break nearly 600 students gathered in the gym and roared when superstar appeared on the supersize screen. He had fun answering questions from the kids and encouraged them to read.
At the conclusion of the convocation Beth Styers from Teachers Credit Union awards one fifth-grade student and one sixth-grade student who earned outstanding achievement on Achieve 3000, an online reading program designed to improve students’ reading levels. The non-fiction reading requires students to answer questions. Those with a 75% rating or better receive a ticket to enter into the drawing for a Kindle. Last week Hailey Boal, and Catelyn Becker were the lucky winners.
