In an effort to improve literacy, the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools are holding a March Mayhem reading competition.
The event places third graders in all of the district’s 29 elementary schools in play to be crowned the 2020 reading champion.
March Mayhem kicked off on Friday, Feb. 28, at Edison Elementary School with a special assembly. The competition coincides with the Big 12 basketball tournament and the NCAA basketball tournament. The Harmon High School band played for the launch of the reading program today.
“Children’s motivation and level of academic achievement improves when parents are involved in their education. March Mayhem provides a fun and unique opportunity to encourage parents to help their child build confidence in reading skills,” said Dr. Charles Foust, superintendent of the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools, in a news release. “While the reading tournament is planned to coincide with the excitement centered around college basketball, it emphasizes that literacy enhances a person’s quality of life. The tournament also highlights the importance of community members serving as partners and advocates for early literacy education.”
The total minutes read by a single school will determine their placement in the tournament. Highest scoring schools will advance to the Sweet 16, the Elite Eight and then the Final Four. A special event will be held for the Final Four schools at Memorial Hall in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, on Friday, April 3, where the championship school will be announced.
In addition, the top three readers in the district will also be awarded. Schools that advance each week will also be announced on the district’s Facebook page and live on KPRS Hot 103 Jamz! The winning third grade class will be rewarded with a pizza party and ice cream bar sponsored by the Kansas Speedway.
“We’re thrilled to be able to partner with the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools on their reading program, which will benefit third graders throughout the district,” Kansas Speedway President Patrick Warren said. “It’s important to develop a passion for reading at an early age, and I look forward to seeing how many hours the students read throughout this program.”
The top three students with the highest minutes read will receive a prize provided by the Kansas City, Kansas, Foundation for Excellence. The prize will be revealed at the grand finale event to be held at Memorial Hall.
- Information from the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools