The celebration of reading, held in late April and May, capped a yearlong series of events The Consortium supports to focus on literacy as the most important building block for learning readiness, success in school and lifelong learning.


A door decorating challenge was just one of many activities at Clairton Elementary School to celebrate Reading Rocks! Week.

The door decorating took place at Clairton Elementary Center, where students created posters listing names of the school’s “Olympic Readers.” Seniors from Thomas Jefferson High School read stories to their district’s elementary school students and, at McKeesport Area School District’s Centennial Elementary School, Captain Book (a.k.a. David Pribish, Program Coordinator of the Consortium’s Literacy for Life initiative) shared art and stories about pirate captains with students in pre-K through 3rd grade.

Captain Book dubs a Centennial Elementary student “First Mate” for fictitious Captain Hook.

For the Centennial students, Captain Book’s visit was just the beginning of a week of activities to engage students in reading. Others included story hours with the school librarian, and a pirate-themed ride aboard a Gateway Clipper ship.

Reading Rocks enjoyed broad-based community support, including five municipal proclamations signed by mayors James Brewster of McKeesport, Edward J. Lyons Sr. of Belle Vernon and John F. Karichko of Whitaker; and Councilwomen Tammy Fird of Lincoln and Joan Beckowitz of Elizabeth Twp.


Maggie, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School, was one of many students to visit Gill Hall Elementary of West Jefferson Hills School District, to read to an entire classroom.