HERKIMER — Herkimer Elementary School kicked off its Pick a Reading Partner program for this school year with an assembly on Monday, March 20, that featured storyteller Regi Carpenter and this year’s PARP theme, ‘Let’s taco ‘bout books.’

PARP for the Herkimer Elementary School will last until Monday, April 3. Students are asked to read with a partner for at least 20 minutes on at least five out of seven nights during both of the two weeks, said Jennifer Olds, Herkimer Elementary School library media specialist.

Students also received timesheets to track their reading each day. Principal Renee Vogt said PARP’s goal is to inspire reading and encourage children to want to read.

To go along with the PARP theme, elementary students will all be making “Let’s taco ‘bout books” crafts and reading the book “Dragons Love Tacos.”

There will also be a PARP Family Fun Night from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 30 at Herkimer Elementary School.

If Herkimer Elementary School students all combine to read a total of 50,000 hours during the two weeks of PARP, Vogt and Assistant Principal Cristi Paragi will participate in a Principals’ Challenge during an assembly on Thursday,
April 6. The challenge would involve Vogt and Paragi trying to break a piñata while blindfolded.

The class that reads the most hours of books would then receive the candy from the piñata.