- April 26, 2024
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Performance artist Banks Helfrich poses for a photo with Lourdes Vazquez. Photo by Sierra Williams
Amar Shah signs a copy of his first published book, The Hoop Con, Joseph Rosa, 7. Photo by Sierra Williams
Performance artist Banks Helfrich. Photo by Sierra Williams
Amar Shah talks about his first published book, The Hoop Con. Photo by Sierra Williams
Performance artist Banks Helfrich and his volunteer, Joseph Rosa, 7. Photo by Sierra Williams
Siblings Adam, 9, and Mila, 7, Mendes with their temporary tattoos. Photo by Sierra Williams
Angelina Manjarres places a temporary tattoo on Adam Mendes, 9. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Indian Trails Middle School Problem Solvers hosted a bake sale to bring awareness to help bring awareness to the adult degenerative disorder Alheimer's. Photo by Sierra Williams
Indian Trail Middle School's Future Problem Solvers at Flagler Reads: Katelyn Castello, Priya Vargas, Anthony Demaio and Bella Glasco. Not pictured is ITMS Future Problem Solver Mackenzie MacDonald. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Matanzas High School National Honor Society hosted a craft table at the Flagler Reads event. Photo by Sierra Williams
Nicki Hollis, Annabelle Machado and Isaiah Jack volunteered at Flagler Reads for the Flagler Palm Coast High School Student Government Association. Photo by Sierra Williams
Kristia Frank and Louise Bossardet with Flagler Schools handed out free books to families who attended Flagler Reads. Photo by Sierra Williams
A poster of The Hoop Con's cover, made by Buddy Taylor Middle School 8th grade students Audrey Sehan and Javiera Navarrele Diaz. Photo by Sierra Williams
Flagler Schools hosted its first annual Literacy Night at Town Center to help promote reading in Flagler County.
Literacy Night was, in part, held to celebrate the school system's media center specialists, said Celeste Ackerman, the Flagler Schools supervisor of media and the secondary English Language Arts curriculum specialist. The March 7 event was a joint effort with input of all of the schools in the district as part of Read Across Flagler, which promotes reading in Flagler County, she said.
She hopes it is the first of many Literacy Nights to come.
"We wanted to ... offer an opportunity for families from across our district, community members to come out and join us," Ackerman said. "...This is a great way to showcase all the amazing things [media specialists] do and bring in reading and make it a district-wide thing."
The event held multiple tables from the county's schools and local clubs, and Flagler Schools also handed out free books to families, as well as a show from a performance artist Banks Helfrich, known as the Jiggleman, a presentations from Orlando-based author Amar Shah.
Shah was present at Literacy Night to talk about his first published book, "The Hoop Con," and what it is like being an author. "The Hoop Con," published by Scholastic Inc. on March 5, is the first in a trilogy that Shah is writing.
The book follows the story of Raam Patel, who wants to prove himself after failing to get on his middle school's basketball team, according to the book's synopsis.
Shah said he's always wanted to be an author, and he decided to write a story that children in the middle grades could relate to, and that his own children would like to read.
His book, he said, teaches kids that nothing is impossible, so long as they keep trying.
"The most important thing is to continue at it, you are going to face rejection, you're going to face anguish and disappointment, but it's about continuing to persist," he said. "You have to believe in yourself.
The sequel, "Take the Shot," comes out in October.
Several of the tables at Literacy Night showcased student works or organizations, including the Indian Trails Middle School Future Problem Solvers, which held a bake sale.
The bake sale to both help raise awareness about dementia and the neurodegenerative disorder Alzheimer's disease and to raise money for their trip to Orlando on March 11 and 12 for a state-wide Future Problem Solvers competition. The group managed to raise $350, according to Nicole Castello, mother of one of the students.
The group of five students — Katelyn Castello, Priya Vargas, Anthony Demaio, Bella Glasco and Mackenzie MacDonald, who was unable to attend Literacy Night — chose their project because of its personal impact. Vargas said her, MacDonald and their teacher have family with Alheimer's.
They've visited multiple care facilities as part of their project, Glasco said. The students said they were excited for the opportunity to spread awareness and teach others more about the illness.
"It's definitely very personal to us and we're actually really excited about this project," Vargas said.
