Dear Surfside Families,
Summer is just around the corner! It is time for fun in the sun and leisure!! Though this is all
true, I would like to take a moment to encourage you to make summer reading a fun and
leisurely activity too!
There is a staggering amount of research that tells us that students who do not participate in
some sort of reading program or make reading a daily activity will experience the "summer
slide" a loss of academic skills that are imperative to your child's educational journey. Without
summer reading students can take a month or two to catch back up to where their reading level
at the end of the previous school year.
What can you do to prevent the summer slide? Make summer reading a daily habit. Reading
for 20 minutes a day can help improve vocabulary, comprehension and even writing skills. As a
side bonus it generates creativity and reduces stress.
Attached is a summer reading log for your child. The front of the reading log is for logging books
that your child reads over the summer. Each student in grades K-2 who reads 10 or more books
this summer will earn an ice cream party in the fall. Each student in grades 3-6 who reads 8 or
more chapter books will also earn their spot in our fall ice cream party. The back of the
challenge just encourages fun ways and places to read.
In addition to the log Surfside is introducing something new this summer. We will have the
media center open for student check out each Tuesday from 10-11 am beginning on June 10th
with the last media center check out date July 22nd . Students must be accompanied by an adult
and will be allowed to check out one book at a time for summer reading.
If you have any questions or need further assistance please do not hesitate to email me or
contact the front office. I hope to see many of you this summer and happy reading!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Herman
ELMS, Surfside Elementary
Herman.kathryn@brevardschools.org