By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend Reading Initiative kicked off on Jan. 6 and reached its conclusion earlier this week with a bang. Or at least some fire. The GB Reads program was an effort by USD 428 to promote reading and family togetherness in all its schools. On Monday and Tuesday, Jetpack Jason with Kansas City-based Mad Science presented at all the elementary schools in Great Bend. Holly Tittel, media specialist and librarian in the district, said it was a great way to cap off the initiative.
"Jetpack Jason was phenomenal," she said. "He is truly one of the best presenters they have. Any time you can get science and somebody that's that enthusiastic to keep a crowd of K-6 students engaged the entire time, yeah, he was just phenomenal."
Jetpack Jason uses several household items in his experiments, from acidic liquids like hydrogen peroxide and vinegar to dry ice. The show reached its fiery conclusion with corn starch. Several students from each of the schools joined Jetpack and his dragon on stage for the experiments. The book "Zoey and Sassafras Dragons and Marshmallows" was a key component of GB Reads, which was a success district-wide.
"We had a really good turnout," Tittel said. "The kids were super excited. Even at the middle school, we had great participation in our book bingos. The kids were super excited about the different activities. At the elementary level, the kids really enjoyed the book, they enjoyed the characters. They've even been checking out different books in the series and just continuing on with the reading, which is what we love to see."
The initiative promoted family engagement with the social media tag #GBReads. Families shared photos of pets, kids playing with the floor as lava, and making s'mores. GB Reads truly wrapped up Friday with three prize baskets handed out at each school. Each basket contained games, snacks, and Pizza Hut gift cards to further promote family togetherness.
And there's even more good news. Jetpack Jason will return to Great Bend for a program at the public library this summer. Assistant Director Amy Mayhill helped get Jetpack into the schools.
"We've always collaborated with the public library, the Wetlands, the 4-H program, and Animal Medical Center this year just all came together this year on different ideas," said Tittel. "Amy brought Mad Science to the table, and we are super excited she did because it was a phenomenal presentation for our kiddos."