With much “enthusiasm,” Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter and the Bernie L. Bates Foundation, Inc., conducted its “Third and Final Read-Aloud” session of their Reading for Success program at Riverside Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia. On May 27, 2022, the Brothers, known affectionately as “The Sirs,” supported six third-grade classes with a total of 100 eager students. The program consisted of our third of three read-aloud sessions and adding one additional book to the students’ individual libraries.
For our third reading, we chose the book “The Last Minute” by Sasha Griffin. The book tells the story of a girl named Katy who waited until the last minute to complete her book report. She had one week to prepare her report but was distracted as she learned a valuable lesson in the process. We were welcomed by the students and teachers and their excitement continues to convince us that we are making quite an impact on their reading skills and vocabulary. The Third Grade Team Lead was somewhat surprised as we arrived on time in spite of the severe storm just before our session. It seems our “perseverance” was appreciated.
Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter was represented by nine brothers who served as reading mentors. Brothers Philip Benjamin; Aaron Braxton II; Ray Buckner; Bradford Caldwell; Maurice Cogdell; Chester Keller; Frank Matthews; and Basileus W.J. Williams, Jr. Coordinating this program was the chapter’s Social Action Chairman, Brother Kenneth Younger.
“The Sirs” are pleased about the fact that we donated 100 books today during our Third and Final Read-Aloud session. Also, we are proud that our program’s eight-year legacy now has reached students who are currently in the 10th Grade. The brothers of Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter continue to do their part to inspire these young readers and have been asked to return for the 2022 -2023 School Year.