• ParkBulletinCover - The Park School

Summer reading.
For me, the words conjure up
images of relaxing in a hammock
with a thick book and a glass of
iced tea. Or, maybe sitting in a
beach chair with my toes in the
sand. It’s summer and the reading
is easy.
In this issue, we look at what
people are reading at Park in the
summer of 2009. What do students
read over summer vacation And
what about their teachers We
even hear from an English teacher
who tackled War and Peace for
graduate school.
Perhaps you’ll tuck away some
of these titles for next summer—
or perhaps you’ll find some time
In our modern era of 24/7 technology, Twitter
blasts, Facebook, instant messaging, Xbox
360, and all the rest, sitting down with a good
book may seem archaic and passé. Yet, Park is
charged with teaching students about the English
language, celebrating learning, and—possibly—
inculcating a love of reading.
Park students are expected to read over the
summer, even though kids’ summer lives have
changed over the decades. “They don’t have as
much free time now,” clarifies English
Department Chair Kathy Coen. “It seems that, as
a whole, kids aren’t that comfortable with
reading—they see it as a chore. With camps and
sports and other sorts of commitments, parents
started complaining about how much time
summer reading was taking. So, we’ve made
some accommodations.” Instead of requiring
students to complete scores of books each
summer, the English Department, working closely
with the School’s librarians, have compiled
annotated lists of books that are sorted by genre
and grade level. Students must read two books,
and are encouraged to read more.
Summer reading provides a wonderful
opportunity to have a common conversation in
the first week of school. The assignments are
designed to be a fun way to talk—and get the
kids talking—about reading. “It’s a good way for
us to assess the students,” Kathy says. “Did they
read the book Did they get it” The discussions
and activities analyze the material in ways that
are appropriate for each grade level.
this fall. . . .
Kate LaPine
editor
24 The Park Bulletin | Fall 2009