Students from Newport Middle School recently traded their usual classrooms for a literacy field trip to Yaquina View Elementary School, where they served as reading role models for younger students.
The bi-annual field trip is part of the AVID program at Newport Middle School and was created and coordinated by AVID and Humanities teacher Cody Rosenthal. Now in its fourth year, the experience has grown from a small classroom visit into a school-wide event that reaches every classroom at Yaquina View, including preschool.
During the visit, groups of three to four middle school students were assigned to individual classrooms, where they read stories and assisted teachers. This year, students added a creative component by writing and illustrating their own children’s books, which they then shared with younger readers.
For many students, the experience offered a opportunity to build relationships across grade levels. “I liked bonding with the kids because I don’t usually get an opportunity like that,” said Mario, an eighth grader at NMS. Gails, a seventh grader also enjoyed the experience. "I like that we get to go down to the littler kids and teach them how to read."
After reading their stories aloud, the middle school students stayed to volunteer in classrooms, supporting teachers. The field trip takes place twice each year, once in the winter and once in the spring, and continues to grow in popularity.
“The learning truly comes to life when students are in the field connecting with younger readers,” said Michelle Cottrell, Lincoln County School District’s Media Specialist, who has volunteered as a chaperone since the program’s first year. “It fosters leadership, literacy, and a love of reading as younger students see older students modeling the importance of stories.”
The experience ended with several Yaquina View students asking if they could keep the books the middle schoolers had written. Cottrell said the young authors happily donated their stories, proud to know their work would be read again and again by the younger students who admired them.
“This field trip is a great example of how living in a small community allows us to connect younger and older students in ways that align perfectly with educational goals,” Cottrell said. “It also highlights the dedication of educators like Cody, who consistently go above and beyond to create meaningful opportunities for students.”