Teachers join in the fun with a group photo at Carey Stadium.
By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Ahlanah Kelly, a third grader at the Ocean City Primary School, held an oversized children’s book in her tiny hands. The title was “My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World.”
“I’m going to take it home and read it with my mom and sister,” the 8-year-old Ahlanah said in a soft voice.
Ahlanah and about 140 of her classmates from the second and third grades got a jump on reading “My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World” and other children’s stories during an event Monday morning that could be loosely described as the Super Bowl of reading competitions.
Called READBowl 2022, the excitement unfolded on the Carey Stadium field at Ocean City High School. Members of the high school football team and their coach Kevin Smith handed out copies of children’s books to the second and third graders to inspire them to read.
“This is fun. Hopefully, they’ll come here one day to play football and to read,” the football team’s kicker, Brendan McGonigle, said of the primary school kids eventually becoming high school students.
Ocean City High School placekicker Brendan McGonigle kicks off to get READBowl started.
McGonigle, a 17-year-old senior, got READBowl underway by kicking off to the second and third graders while they were lined up on the artificial turf close to midfield. The kids scrambled for the football in a mass scrum.
“I liked how aggressive they were going after the ball,” Smith joked when asked whether he spotted any potential young talent for his high school football team among the primary schoolers.
On a serious note, Smith, a history teacher at Ocean City High School, explained that the football team has had a long, productive partnership with the primary school to encourage kids to read.
“It’s been a really cool relationship between the high school students and the youngsters,” he said.
Smith’s Red Raiders went 12-1 during the 2021 season, the first time the Ocean City football team ever won 12 games. They also claimed the West Jersey Football League’s Independence Division title and qualified for the NJSIAA South Jersey championship game for the third straight year.
READBowl organizer Erin Porter and high school football coach Kevin Smith share a laugh on the Carey Stadium field.
However, the football team wasn’t the only champion in the Ocean City school district. Last year, Ocean City Primary School teacher Erin Porter’s second graders grabbed the conference championship in New Jersey during the READBowl reading challenge. Porter said she and her students are determined to defend their coveted title.
“Oh, yeah, we are definitely going to be the winner,” she said, laughing.
Porter, who organized the READBowl event Monday at Carey Stadium, wore a pair of decorative glasses that spelled out the word “Read.”
As a teacher, Porter said she hopes that her enthusiasm for reading rubs off on her students.
“I try to get the kids excited to read,” she said. “I think the attitude of the teacher gets them pumped.”
All of the kids at READBowl seemed excited. The teachers did, too. Jennifer Eget, a third grade teacher, led the students in a reading cheer.
“Why are we here?” Eget chanted to the kids.
“To read!” the students responded.
“What do we want to do better?” Eget said, continuing her chant.
“To read!” the kids replied again.
Some of the students sit on the field to read copies of "My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World."
Teacher Erin Porter leads her second grade class off the field.
Teachers join in the fun with a group photo at Carey Stadium.
Ocean City Primary School students begin arriving at the high school for the READBowl festivities.
