Discover Englewood 2023
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1491872
By Elaine Allen-Emrich W hen Blaise Castellano heard students weren't reading at their grade level, he asked how he could help teachers. The answer was to open a reading recovery library at Englewood Elementary School. However, it was costly. Castellano, the owner of Castle Air Cooling & Heating, didn't care about costs. He wanted students to have the tools needed to improve reading skills. He and his wife, Kathy, met Cathy Monda, reading recovery teacher at Englewood Elementary, along with principal Curt Schwartz to give them a check from Castle Air for $10,500 to replenish the library. "The books are designed for students who are at different reading levels," Monda said. She said the program helps teachers learn how to observe children's behavior, build on their strengths, and offer one-to-one instruction to allow students to accelerate their learning and meet grade-level standard. "The program helps track a student's reading level from one grade to the next," Monda said. "For example, the fifth-grade teacher doesn't have to guess each student's reading level in the beginning of the school year because the fourth-grade teacher has worked with each student and the reading level and progress is documented." Monda showed the Castellanos how the program works and showed the books students are given for their reading level. She said it's helpful when students don't have to share books, and that there's not one book the entire class has to read regardless if they understand it or not. The program helps students learn at their own levels. "My office is across the street from Englewood Elementary School," Blaise Castellano said. "I see these children every day. I wanted them to learn to read at their grade level. I didn't want Stocking a special library Reading Recovery, Buddy Benches a boost for students It Takes a Village Left, Kathy Castellano and her husband, Blaise, give a $10,500 from their business Castle Air Cooling & Heating recently to Curt Schwartz, Englewood Elementary School principal and Cathy Monda for a children's reading recovery program. them to have to do car washes to raise money for a reading program." Castellano has been in business in Englewood for 32 years. He was instrumental in bringing yellow Buddy Benches made of recycled plastic to Englewood Elementary School after he helped with them at Vineland Elementary School and LA Ainger Middle School through the Rotary Club in Englewood. "The Buddy Benches are important because a student can sit on it and a teacher will come over and find out what's going on in the child's life," he said. "The child may be a victim of bullying and want to hurt themselves or have lost a loved one or might just be new to the school and need a friend. It's a good communication tool for children. It helped with students who were experiencing suicidal thoughts." Castellano had specialty lunch tables made for the school so children or adults in wheelchairs could still sit together instead of along a wall during meals at the elementary school. "Englewood is a very giving community and give for the love of the people who live here," Castellano said. Top, Englewood Elementary reading recovery teacher Cathy Monda shows o the special library at the school to help children read at their own level. Discover Englewood 2023 22