Grace College students host a literacy carnival with games and prizes for families at Literacy Night at Washington STEM Academy. Photos provided by Warsaw Community Schools.

News Release

WARSAW — Washington STEM Academy will host its third annual Literacy Night from 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23. This year’s event will feature new opportunities for the community to experience, including digital literacy and financial literacy.

Washington students Corwin and Caroline Beers learn more about what the Warsaw Community Public Library has to offer.

“We know how important literacy is in our community and want there to be one spot that works well to find resources, but we also want this to be a reminder that reading is fun,” said Washington parent-teacher organization president Julia Porter. “Students may not have access to books or even time to read them, so it’s important to us to highlight the importance of reading. There are so many aspects we wanted to incorporate this year, so we have added a STEM Showcase and a financial literacy component to further support Warsaw students and their families.”

Literacy remains an important aspect of Washington’s PTO mission. Each year, the PTO ensures that every student at Washington receives one free book at the Scholastic book fair, and there will be opportunities at the event to contribute toward this effort.

KEYS Club member and Warsaw Community High School student Lilliana Rak and Washington student Brooklyn Wurtzel pass out free books to families.

Families can also enjoy crafts with art teacher Miranda Hall, as well as lettering activities with Aynsley Patton of Blue Sky and Violets.

The STEM Showcase will include hands-on activities with science, technology, engineering and math instructional coach Derek Pike, Washington’s Girls Who Code Club and Robotics Club. Families will also have the chance to connect with the Kosciusko County Soil & Water Conservation District to learn more about their work and impact on local students.

“It is so vital that students are proficient in navigating digital literacy in a constructive way to access online resources for learning and research,” said Pike. “One component of STEM integration encourages teachers to provide opportunities for students to access online information as a part of their projects.”

This year’s financial literacy focus will include the Kosciusko County Foundation and KEYS Club sharing details about their new Piggy Possibilities program, as well as Heartwood Planning Group providing resources on saving for the future.

As in years past, the Warsaw Community Public Library will help students sign up for library cards and share resources, while The Wordhouse Bookstore and Pages A Plenty will have books available for purchase. Grace College’s Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society will host a literacy carnival with prizes, and the Washington library will be open for families to explore and pick up free books. New this year, the Wagon Wheel will also share information about its conservatory program.

“Washington is excited to host Literacy Night and the STEM Showcase so that we can bring students and families together with our community to celebrate the love of reading,” said Washington Principal Cheri Sleighter. “Seeing others celebrate reading contributes to our students’ excitement to continue to learn through literacy.”

Outside, families can purchase food and treats from Kona Ice and Rocksteady Pizza, soda and cookies from The Sweet Exchange.

Follow Washington STEM PTO on Instagram and Facebook for more updates about the event.