ALL ABOUT LITERACY — Pupils at Pugliese West Elementary School kicked off its “One School, One Book” literacy initiative Oct. 1. The event runs through the end of the month, with a literacy night planned from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the school. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — Pugliese West Elementary School began a new chapter in its annual reading program, kicking off its “One School, One Book” literacy initiative Oct. 1.

More than 400 pupils gathered in the school’s gymnasium to highlight this year’s selection, “Sideways Stories from Wayside School,” by Louis Sachar. The book tells the tale of teachers and students in a 30-story schoolhouse.

“We have a reading schedule where students read two to three chapters a night,” stated instructional coach Krystal Yourkovich, who organizes the activity with educator Chris Ballato. “And each day, they answer trivia questions. The answers are entered into a drawing. The winner gets a token for a book from our book vending machine.”

Preschool through fourth-graders participate at school, while adults and older siblings read to the pupils at home. Children then complete classroom activities related to the story. All of this culminates into a literacy night event, scheduled from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

The event will include food trucks, vendors selling T-shirts, crafts and candles in the gymnasium, and weather permitting, outdoor games such as giant Jenga and Yahtzee. A “jack patch” for pupils to carve their own pumpkins will be among the activities, as well as classrooms activities which pertain to the book.

“Last year, we did a Battle of the Books,” Yourkovich said. “A lot of families missed the program and literacy night. So, we brought it back.”

The event’s goal is to inspire parent engagement in activities and to promote the importance of reading.