May 22, 2009

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students,

Summer soon will be upon us with all of the traditional fun and excitement we associate with it. We hope our students will also spend some warm, lazy afternoons reading a good book. With this hope, we are continuing our required summer reading program.

Students attending Pikesville Middle School for the 2009-2010 school year are required to read two books from the appropriate grade level list and complete one project for each book read. The students may also choose any Newberry Award and Coretta Scott King Award winning books. We are offering students a choice of three projects, and they are attached. Both projects (one for each book) must be submitted to the student’s language arts teacher no later than September 30, 2009.

Extra copies of this packet will be located in the school office over the summer. Copies of this book list will be available at the Pikesville Public Library, Barnes & Noble (in Pikesville) and are also posted here on our website (see right-side panel).

We appreciate the encouragement of our Pikesville parents and guardians as we challenge our students to read beyond the classroom. Students who read regularly receive the tremendous advantages of increased vocabulary and improved comprehension. The summer reading books will also count toward students’ 25 book goal to be reached by June 2010. Please join us in making reading a rewarding part of your child’s summer.

Sincerely,
Mia Talarigo, Principal