It was a gorgeous fall evening in October 2013 when Bradford Area School Board member Shane Oschman read the classic children’s book “Owl’s Moon” by Jane Yolen over the loudspeaker at Parkway Field.
You could hear a pin drop as families huddled closely together to enjoy this bedtime story, thus starting a family tradition that has become a favorite in the Bradford community for the past decade.
The 12th Annual BASD Reading Under the Lights event will take place 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. Friday at Parkway Field. All families in the Bradford community with children from infants through grade 12, are welcome to attend this free family activity. There is no preregistration required. Families are encouraged to bring their own blankets and books from home to read on the field.
A few years ago, members of Bradford’s Era’s Less Fortunate (ELF) Fund approached the school district about a partnership, as the event aligns nicely with the organization’s mission. “The district feels so fortunate to once again have this event sponsored by the ELF Fund,” said Heather Bell, fifth-grade teacher and event organizer. “All children will be able to choose one free book from the book table to add to their home libraries, in addition to the whole group read aloud bedtime story.”
This year’s read aloud is “Ish” by Peter H. Reynolds. A creative spirit learns that thinking “ish-ly” is far more wonderful than “getting it right” in this gentle fable from the creator of the award-winning picture book “The Dot,” which was the family read-aloud at Reading Under the Lights in 2018. This year’s “bedtime story” will be read aloud by Superintendent Katharine Pude. “Mrs. Pude was instrumental in launching this family event so many years ago, and with her retirement at the end of the school year, she is the perfect person to lead us in our reading,” Bell said.
“First and foremost, we want to thank the ELF Fund,” Bell stated. “We would not be able to have this event if not for their continued partnership and support. It is one of our most well-attended events year after year, so we are very grateful for their willingness to join us on our literacy mission.”
Bell said the secret to the event’s success lies in its simplicity. While easy to organize and execute, it delivers one of the most important messages teachers hope to impart to the community: The importance of reading at home with children.
“Reading Under the Lights is simply getting the family together to read,” Bell continued. “If you have never attended the event, I can tell you, it truly is magical when you look out on the field and see all of those children snuggled up with their families, under the bright field lights, with the words of a book echoing through the hills. I have organized this event since the beginning and I still get chills when the families all fall silent to listen to the bedtime story.
“As we all know, the importance of reading cannot be underestimated. When families read together it strengthens relationships, provides new experiences and can help develop lifelong readers and learners. As educators in the school district, we want nothing more than to foster that love for books and family time.”
