William Penn SD holds first Reading Olympics; district plans larger event next year

Miss Tockely, a district curriculum staff member, told the Education Committee that William Penn hosted its first Reading Olympics on April 9, 2025, and the district plans to expand the event next year.

"On April ninth of this year, 20 25, right before our spring break, we hosted William Penn's very first reading Olympics," Miss Tockely said. She credited reading coaches Miss Rossi (Cowen), Miss Thompson (Evans) and Miss Talise (East Lansdowne) with organizing the event and said she chose 15 titles from a roughly 30-title list produced by Delaware County.

Students in grades 4 through 6 formed teams; schools used Title I funds to purchase one or two copies of each selected title. Miss Tockely described the competition format: teams answered level‑1 recall questions (for example, "what color were the eggs?") and advanced by reaching a set point total, with teams huddling to decide answers and captains reporting responses.

Board member Miss Roberts asked whether students whose school was not participating could join. Miss Tockely said she did not yet have a formal process but hoped principals and coaches would identify interested students, and she said the goal is to have each school represented as the program grows. Miss Hall asked about cost; Miss Tockely said the cost for coaches and books for participating schools was "less than $1,000," and added options such as library loans or shared copies to reduce expense.

Organizers propose expanding participation beyond the initial three schools, hosting the event at Pennwood High School for more space and parent attendance, and holding a future Reading Olympics on the Wednesday before spring break in 2026. No formal vote was taken; this presentation recorded the event's success and plans to broaden participation.