A Las Cruces elementary school encourages reading

Jornada Elementary School has opened a new space administrators are calling a reading café to encourage members of the community to listen and read with students to foster a lifelong love of reading.

According to the school, reading mostly took place in hallways or outside during recess. Creating an indoor space dedicated to reading came out of a partnership between Jornada Elementary School and the Children’s Reading Alliance.

 “You’re always stronger as a team,” said Jornada Elementary Principal Colette Martinez. “Here at Team Jornada, we like to make connections with other people, so we connected with the Children’s Reading Alliance and asked them for human capital, if they had the ability to help us gather some volunteers who could come in during lunchtime or during the day to read with children and listen to children read.”

School staff and community partners turned a former classroom into a reading sanctuary. The room contains soft seating, cozy reading nooks and a “whimsical teepee” where students can lose themselves in a good book.

The space is stocked with books donated by staff, volunteers, local authors, and partners who all have a role in the Jornada family.

A volunteer reads with a student at Jornada Elementary School’s new reading room.

Courtesy of Jornada Elementary School

Beyond literacy support, the Reading Café is part of a broader effort to improve student well-being. Jornada Elementary is working with the district’s Attendance for Success program and social workers to help students who have multiple tardies or are hesitant to attend school.

Jornada Elementary is also working with district social workers to provide emotional support and engagement to students using assisted interventions and therapy dogs. According to Laurel Arriza, a licensed master social worker with the Attendance for Success program, the presence of therapy dogs provided through assisted interventions also offers emotional support, helping to reduce anxiety and boost students’ confidence.

Martinez says having furry friends to read to also helps students feel excited to come to school. Students also participate in “Reading Buddies,” a peer mentorship program where 5th graders read with 2nd graders, building leadership and literacy skills for both age groups.

The Reading Café is now open every morning and aims to expand during recess periods. To grow the program, Jornada Elementary is actively seeking volunteers who are passionate about books and making a difference in a child’s life. To learn more or volunteer, contact Jornada Elementary School at 575-527-9536.

A “whimsical teepee” in the new reading room at Jornada Elementary School provides space for students to read in the new reading room.

Courtesy of Jornada Elementary School