Jewish Federation of Howard County Establishes Reading Program at Stevens Forest Elementary School

December 10th, 2015

In a new partnership, Stevens Forest Elementary School will collaborate with the Jewish Federation of Howard County to implement a reading program for first-grade students. The partnership was formalized with an official partnership signing on Friday, December 11, 2015 at the Sheraton Columbia Waterside Restaurant in Columbia, Maryland.

Under the terms of the agreement, Jewish Federation of Howard County representatives will volunteer monthly at the school to read aloud to first-grade students. The Federation will also donate books to classroom libraries. This partnership supports Vision 2018 strategies to embed the development of critical thinking into the instructional program and enrich the school environment through volunteer opportunities.

Howard County Board of Education Vice Chairman Ellen Flynn Giles, Howard County Board of Education Member Ann De Lacy, HCPSS Deputy Superintendent Linda Wise, Stevens Forest Elementary School Principal Ernesto Diaz and First Grade Team Leader Yvette Custis will join Jewish Federation of Howard County Executive Director Michelle Ostroff, Director of Adult Programming Sophie Novinsky and volunteer Susan Lower signed the formal partnership agreement at the December 11 event.

The Jewish Federation of Howard County meets the human needs of the local Jewish community and of fellow Jews in Israel and worldwide. In addition, the Federation works to strengthen ties with the broader local community.

The Howard County Public School System’s Partnerships Office unites businesses and community organizations with schools to enhance the educational experience. Partnerships benefit schools, businesses and the entire community by leveraging the resources of all participants. Partners may commit human or financial resources or other support.

For more information, contact Partnerships Office Manager Mary Schiller at 410-313-6655 or mary_schiller@hcpss.org.