Yokota Middle School hosts student literacy celebration Jan. 29

Yokota Middle School hosts its annual Genre Initiative celebration Monday, Jan. 29 starting 1:45 p.m. The event is not open to the general public. Parents of the 83 students who earned invitations to the event are encouraged to come enjoy the festivities. The bi-annual program has been one of Yokota Middle School's most successful tools to improve student literacy and foster a love of reading.

Each semester students are tasked with reading 5-10 books which fall into that semester's assigned genres. Students research the genre then choose the books they want to read. To earn credit for completing the book, they must then take a quiz testing their knowledge and recollection of events in the book.

At the end of the semester, school Librarian Annette Holladay and Education Technologist Cheryl Johnson, who created the program years ago, transform parts of the school to reflect a literary theme. This year's theme is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which will seem Yokota Middle School transform into the fabled Hogwarts Academy, for one afternoon.

Many teachers will dawn costumes in-line with the Harry Potter theme. There will be potion stations sponsored by school science teachers, wand building with art teachers, a hogsmeade station for treats, and a quidditch competition in the school gym.