'Ashland Reads' children's literacy event held at Ashland High School

ASHLAND, Ore. – All of Ashland’s first graders gathered at Ashland High School to celebrate the joy of reading today.

Ashland Reads is an annual event put on by the Rotary Club of Ashland and the Rotary Club of Ashland Lithia Springs. It’s the ninth year this children’s literacy event has been put on.

First graders from Walker, Helman, Belleview, Willow Wind Community Learning Center, and the TRAILS Outdoor School attended the event.

The students were greeted by cheering rotary members and a colorful display of balloons. Inside the Ashland High School’s auditorium, students watched a performance full of light-hearted storytelling and songs. A local author, Tish McFadden, even read aloud her book, “The Song of the Redwing.”

Each performance focused on a different aspect of grammar or reading. Earlier in the year, five books were selected for students to choose from and read with their teacher. In their goody-bags Wednesday, the students were each gifted a personalized hardcover copy of their chosen book. After the performance, a few Ashland firefighters and law enforcement officers showed up to prepare a barbecue lunch for the kids.

Kristin McKean, Ashland Reads Foundation co-chair, says first grade is a core year when kids learn how to read proficiently, and that this event celebrates that achievement.

“It’s just a really heart-warming event. The community loves to participate, our rotarians love to participate, and it seems like the first graders have an amazing time,” McKean says.

The event couldn’t have been put on without the help of over 50 rotarians, as well as coordination with community partners and the Ashland School District.