GOSHEN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Students at Marr/Cook Elementary School who read at least 30 books over the summer broke out cups and spoons Friday afternoon for a Kona Ice truck reward, part of the school’s “Readers Are Leaders” summer reading push, according to Goshen Local Schools.
Students who hit the 30-book mark received a certificate and a goodie bag in addition to the shaved ice treat, the district said in a Facebook post announcing the event. Marr/Cook Elementary serves preschool through second-grade students in the Goshen Local School District, one of two elementary buildings in the district.
Summer reading incentive programs like Marr/Cook’s are designed to keep young students engaged with books during the break, when research has long shown reading skills can slip without regular practice. Schools nationwide have turned to outside vendors such as Kona Ice to give the reward a festival-like feel that gets the whole student body outside together.
Kona Ice, the shaved ice truck brand seen at the event, was founded in 2007 by Tony Lamb in Boone County, Kentucky, and began franchising the following year. The Florence, Kentucky-based company has grown into one of the largest mobile food truck franchises in the country, with more than 2,200 trucks operating across all 50 states and Canada, and says it has raised and donated more than $200 million to schools and community organizations through its fundraising partnerships.
“Readers are leaders,” the district said in its announcement, thanking students for their work over the summer.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Goshen Local Schools.