From the Editor

Charlotte Jewish News August 2022

Shalom Park Freedom School and the Summer Slide

Shira Firestone, Editor CJN

Those of us who prefer physical books over e-books often hinge our preference on the completely subjective, distinct smell we associate with reading. Though the smell is most likely the result of cellulose decay, I prefer the romantic description a team of chemists used as if describing a fine wine: “a combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness.”

When summer comes, another memory comes to my mind — following my mother and brother into our community library, grabbing my little corner of carpet off a stack, and staking my claim to a small space on the floor for story time. My mother may have in part been looking for refrigerated relief from the hot, sticky, Texas summer afternoons, but more likely, she was doing what she did our entire childhood, providing plenty of opportunities to be surrounded by reading, year-round. When it was my turn to be a mother, I read to my children every chance I had, and on the first day of summer we would trudge to the library to pick up our summer reading log and set our summer reading goals.

The “summer slide” is a term used to refer to significant loss of knowledge in reading and math that students experience over summer break — as much as 20% of their school-year gains in reading and 27% of their schoolyear gains in math, according to research Scholastic, Inc reports. Though all schoolchildren can experience this loss, students from low-income and at-risk families are disproportionately affected.

Reading over the summer can be critical to minimizing those losses. For this reason, summer literacy programs abound, provided by public libraries, public and private schools, bookstores, community centers, and more. One such program, Shalom Park Freedom School, has the support of our Jewish community through the partnership of several Jewish organizations at Shalom Park.

Since 2011, Shalom Park Freedom School has been a collaborative effort of Temple Beth El, Temple Israel, the Levine JCC, The Charlotte Jewish Day School, Jewish Family Services and The Foundation of Shalom Park, and Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte through an annual allocation and the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library.

Freedom Schools were created by the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington, D.C., and supported by Freedom School Partners in Charlotte. The sixweek program provides oneon-one reading support and enrichment opportunities and even sends home free books for its participants.

In July, I had the pleasure be a guest reader at the opening session, Harambee, where they begin their day with high-energy, positive songs, dance, cheers, and chants. The kids were attentive as I read about an ant begging a little boy to be kind and not squash him, doing my best to mimic what I thought an ant might sound like!

I was inspired. The kids were engaged. I won’t deny that I actually cried when they broke into an empowering rendition of “Something Inside So Strong.” Clearly this was about more than literacy and summer slide.

This year’s program at Shalom Park ended in July, but it is in tremendous need of fresh faces to serve on the steering committee so that it can continue to thrive here. If you are interested, contact Margaret Musa at mmusa@carolina.rr.com.

Though Shalom Park Freedom School is over for the year, the summer is not. It’s not too late to help the young people in your life retain the skills they learned during the last school year. Come visit the Levine-Sklut Judaic Library where an exciting collection of books for children of all ages await. The only thing lacking is the musty smell.

Shira