Reading in the sun

Danette Goulet

Lunch at Davis Elementary School is gobbled down quickly by students

eager to spend more time in the “Starlight Cafe.”

Despite its name, there is no eating in the cafe. It is a open courtyard

at the heart of the campus, with bright blue tables adorned with matching

umbrellas and flashy yellow benches.

During lunchtime and recess, carts and wagons laden with books are rolled

out along with a sign proclaiming the area the “Starlight Cafe.”

The cafe’s purpose is simple -- to provide a place where students can go

to quietly read or do homework. Teachers can also book the area for

birthdays or special events for their classes.

“After the things that have happened at schools like Columbine, our

principal’s philosophy is a place for every kid on campus. And it

promotes literacy,” said Gail Routledge, one of the teachers responsible

for the installation and upkeep of the cafe, which opened late last

month.

Students in the Instructional Specialist Program, which is run by

Routledge and Christine Hill and provides extra help for students who

qualify for special education -- used to spend their lunch hours in the

classroom reading. So when Routledge saw an article about a project

similar to the Starlight Cafe last year, they presented the idea to

several of her students.

Three of them -- Corey Sandler, Thomas Nichols and Shane Kline, who are

now sixth-graders -- were enthralled by the idea, Routledge said, and

poured over the magazine article to get ideas for a project of their own.

“Know what they call me in class? Mr. Reader or Mr. Book,” 11-year-old

Corey said proudly. “All I do during recess is read.”

The boys began planning the cafe immediately, picking out tables and

benches, deciding on a name and helping to create the three rules of the

cafe -- be quit, be tidy and be a Davis star.

Meanwhile, the staff took the idea to the Davis PTA, which provided

almost $7,000 to make the boys’ vision a reality.

PTA co-presidents Linda Sneen and Barbara Dinsdale said they chose the

cafe as their big project for the year because it helped tackle the

literacy issue and benefited the students.

Although Shane has transferred to another school, Thomas and Corey meet

in the cafe every day. They are certainly not the only students who enjoy

the new area. The courtyard contains 20 to 30 children each day after

lunch, Routledge said.

The reading material varies widely. Kati Tennant, 9, said she visits the

cafe a couple times a week to read her favorite Nancy Drew mysteries.