ROME, GA—The full cast of characters from the Wizard of Oz, pirates from the high seas, all the colors of a standard box of crayons, a few of the beloved Care Bears and even a unique rendition of the Spice Girls could all be found in one place on Saturday Oct. 23, as Rome City Schools hosted the first annual Howl-O-Ween Literacy Festival.
With heavy Halloween spirit and a whole lot of compassion for families, literacy and student success, RCS pulled out all the stops for the inaugural event. Each school within the Rome City system was represented with themed, costumed booths, each with a goal of supplying families with a few sweet treats and a bounty of books for grades Pre-K through nine.
Howl-O-Ween was the brainchild of the RCS federal programs department and proved to be an ideal culmination of three important factors.
Director of Federal Programs Dr. Leslie Dixon explained, “We were able to write a grant for Toys for Tots to receive 4,400 books for our students ranging from Pre-K to ninth grade. The timing of this grant coincided with the creation of our Parent Resource Center (PRC) in South Rome. We wanted to give away the books, talk to parents about literacy at home and introduce the community to the Parent Resource Center. With Howl-O-Ween, we were able to do all of that at one time!”
Dixon stressed that RCS consistently strives to improve literacy rates among students and while it’s important that the students acquire the skills necessary to become good readers, it’s paramount that they also enjoy reading.
“Creating a fun and engaging event where we can put high-interest books in kids' hands was something my team and I have strived to do for the past four years,” she added.
The field at the new PRC (200 Hardy Ave.) proved a perfect location for the day’s festivities. Tours of the PRC were also available to families.
Dixon explained that the goal is to have the PRC open at specific hours throughout the week, staffed with volunteers as well as current RCS staff members such as Parent Mentors and the RCS Family Engagement Coordinator, Karla Hernandez.
Hernandez, dressed as the crushed red pepper of the “Spice Girls,” greeted families at the festival with a smile, a sign-in sheet and a special bag for books and candy. As families arrived, they signed in with their names and which school their children attend.
From her post, Hernandez also offered families an English Language Arts information sheet that provided fun and simple examples of activities that parents and caregivers could do with their children to encourage reading and promote healthy development.
In every direction, members of the RCS family were bursting with seasonal spirit and engaged in full support of the attending families. Members of faculty, administration and staff distributed free candy and books with wide smiles, students volunteered behind booths in colorful costumes, and every so often a dance mob would form in the center of the field.
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” played over the speakers as kids enjoyed big bouncing inflatables from Just Have Fun Inflatables, sponsored by Oliver Robbins. A temporary tattoo station allowed kids to adorn themselves with festive bats, jack-o-lanterns and stars. From howling wolves and one-eyed monsters to painted pumpkins and creepy crawly spiders, original art by the Aspire students from all the RCS elementary schools was on display. Drinks and refreshments were supplied by two local food trucks, D & B Sweet Like Me and QB's Vending.
Event sponsor, Amerigroup, brought the beats to the bash with DJ Corey. “It’s very important to support an event like this that is free, safe and open to the community where children can have fun,” Jenyfer Navichoque, community relations and marketing with Amerigroup, said. “It’s what Amerigroup is all about, family and connecting.” Amerigroup Community Care serves Georgia families through Medicaid health care as well as other low-cost health plans.
Manning the Care Bear booth, in a Cheer Bear T-shirt, Director of Social Work Kirsten Thornante explained that RCS understands that families are stretched thin and are all just trying to do their best with what resources they have.
“This is a great way to remind families that we want to be part of their team,” she said. “It’s a fun event, offering resources, but also just humanizing all of us – we’re all just humans, out here to enjoy ourselves with our families.”
Dixon explained that they are currently working on creating three separate spaces within the PRC. Those spaces will include a classroom for parent workshops, a computer lab where parents can get information about obtaining a GED, complete job searches, or learn more about how to help their children with homework and classwork. That space will also have a lending library with parenting books and educational resources that families can check out to use at home. The last space, she explained, will be used as both a food pantry and clothing closet for families in need. There are also future plans to install a washer and dryer for families who need that resource.
“The most important goal of the PRC for both our department and Rome City Schools is to connect with families and meet their needs so that their children can thrive,” Dixon said. “We have an abundance of resources in our community, but sometimes parents just need help navigating in order to find what they need. We want families to feel comfortable reaching out to us because we truly want to be partners with them in their children's education.”
Dixon confirmed that Howl-O-Ween hosted over 100 families, many of whom brought more than one child. With each student receiving at least 10 books that matched their reading level, more than 3,000 books were given away!
As long as the generous supply of books, candy and compassionate volunteers are able to be maintained, Howl-O-Ween will return every October.
The list of people who offered their hands and their hearts to ensure the success of the event is a long one.
“This event would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the ladies in our Federal Programs Department -- Sunday Stephens, Karla Hernandez, Sarita Brock, and Felisha Jackson,” Dixon said. “Our RCS maintenance department has worked tirelessly to renovate the PRC, and we are especially grateful to our schools and departments who took time from their weekend to hand out candy and books. Students in RHS National Honor Society and the Early Childhood Education pathway at Rome High also helped us out tremendously!”
In addition, Dixon expressed gratitude for Superintendent Dr. Eric Holland, the Rome-Floyd Commission on Children and Youth, Atrium Health Floyd as well as the Floyd County Sheriff's Department.
“I think I speak for RCS teachers, administrators, and all staff when I say that we want to help stand in the gap for our students and families in any way that they need,” Dixon added. “We want to identify and eliminate any barriers that could be impeding our students' academic success. It's important that our students know that they are supported on all sides so that they feel safe and ready to learn.”
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