Every seat in the Pomona Elementary library was filled with parents of kindergarten students for the school’s recent Family Library Morning. Families leaned in as Library Media Technician Summer Somera shared strategies to make reading fun and interactive. 

“Ask questions!” Somera encouraged. “How is the character feeling? How can you tell from the pictures? What colors do you see? What animals are on the page?” 

As the parent presentation concluded, students entered the library for story time. Parents observed as their children joined in, eyes wide and hands raised with excitement. As the story unfolded, the library came alive with laughter and eager answers to questions about the characters and plot. Children named colors and types of animals and counted together out loud, proudly showing what they observed.

After the story, students eagerly browsed the shelves to choose a book and proudly received their very first library card. Six-year-old Clarissa exclaimed, “I was excited to get my first library card today — it’s red! I checked out ‘The Very Impatient Caterpillar’!”

After checking out books, students and their parents sat together to read, with parents practicing the strategies they had just learned. While libraries are usually quiet, the room buzzed with a vibrant hum of conversation and a few giggles, giving parents a chance to experience the joy their children feel when reading.

For one parent, Robert, the event brought a new perspective. “Today I learned that reading isn’t just about the words. It’s about noticing details and asking questions. I can ask my daughter questions to get her thinking more deeply about what she’s reading,” he said. He recalled a moment from the story: “When the librarian read about a chameleon who tried on an elephant head and couldn’t eat an insect, one of the students said, ‘That’s because elephants don’t eat insects!’ For a first grader to understand that concept was pretty amazing.”

Under the leadership of Principal Cindy Pedroso, Pomona Elementary has transformed into a model of early learning and family partnership. As a designated community school, Pomona offers families expanded support and resources that go beyond the classroom, including a literacy grant that funds a Teacher on Special Assignment dedicated to improving early reading skills and family engagement.

“We’re helping our little learners and their families make big connections,” Pedroso said. “When families are part of the process, students see that learning doesn’t just happen at school — it happens everywhere. The partnership between home and school is what helps our students learn and grow. Events like this also show them that learning is fun!”

Many other events are planned on campus for later this month to further support the school with interactive reading stations and parent-led activities guided by teachers. Every book checked out, every question asked, and every moment a parent spends engaged with their child strengthens not only literacy skills but also the connections that make school a community. As Pedroso said, “Every time we open our doors to families, we open another opportunity for a child to succeed.”