LAURINBURG — Despite school being out for the summer, Scotland County Schools are still working to keep young minds active.
This past week and this upcoming Monday through Thursday, the school’s mobile feeding site “Wheelie” is at I. Ellis Johnson Elementary. After the students eat lunch inside IEJ, they have the opportunity to come out to Wheelie and not only get a book but also spend some time learning.
The bus has been upgraded since last year and features eight digital tablets for students with various apps that allow them to choose from learning to draw to watching how to make slime to having actors read stories to them. The technology was added with the help of the literacy grant that has been given to the school system.
“The grant has provided an opportunity to hire two reading facilitators so they’re doing reading lessons,” said Sharon Castelli, literacy program director. “We’re going to have some authors come this summer just like we did at the schools… It’s more than just books it’s learning apps and just being able to get them out of the house.”
Wheelie will be at IEJ from 11 a.m. to noon until June 2, then will operate as a mobile feeding site from July 8 to 31 then will operate again at IEJ from Aug. 5 to 16 Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to noon.
“They’re enjoying it, some have been out here well over an hour just hanging out and having a good time,” said Sharon Castelli, literacy program director. “IEJ is a good spot for it because the kids can just walk over and it gives them an opportunity to go home with a different book each day.”
While Wheelie is moving around the STEM bus is at the Laurinburg Learning Center on Stewartsville Road offering classes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays until Aug. 12.
The classes are for children from birth until grade five and will include picture books with readings and hands-on activities.
“The lessons that we’re going to be doing at the learning center will be like getting back to school,” Castelli said. “We’ve got a robot activity, we’ve got a liquid, solid and gas activity with Popsicle sticks. We’re trying to make it as fun as we can.”
The school district is also opening all media centers in the elementary and middle schools on Wednesdays from 2 to 5 p.m. until Aug. 14 and the district’s digital library is up and running all students need to do is go on their school’s webpage for log-in and password.
The Little Libraries are also up throughout the county for students to get free books from and many are stocked with an array of books thanks to donations from the community. Castelli added that if anyone would like to donate any age-appropriate books to the libraries to contact her at [email protected]
Reach Katelin Gandee at 910-506-3171 or at [email protected]
