Oak Knoll School sponsors a summer reading program for all grades to promote the joys of recreational reading. The program has been combatting summer learning loss for over two decades. 

The Lower School program has a specific theme each year. This year, it was aptly named Growing Readers for 100 Years. “In June, the students received a packet that included a blank reading log and a blank oak leaf,” explained Lower School Librarian Betty Castello. “Throughout the summer, students completed the log and wrote their favorite book on the oak leaf, which is displayed on the library bulletin board. Prizes are awarded based on the number of books and pages read.” Castello will include the results of this year’s program in her Fall newsletter at the end of September.

Before leaving for summer break, students in grades seven to twelve select a title from an extensive, annotated list to read during summer vacation. Additionally, students read an assigned grade-level book.

Upper School Librarian Elinor Takenaga organizes the event. “Upon returning to school in the fall, the students participate in small friendly group discussions about their chosen books with students across grade levels who have also chosen that book for free voluntary reading. Faculty members and administrators, who have also read the respective books, moderate the various discussions,” explained Takenaga. 

The program seeks to reaffirm the school’s commitment to the importance and pleasure of reading. By offering a wide range of choices and then convening in groups to discuss their summer reading, the school hopes students will explore new fields, make new friends, and support existing interests.

These opening-day book discussions also allow Upper School students to interact in multi-aged groups in an academic setting. The groups also allow faculty members and administrators to interact with students in situations different from their usual interactions.

Summer learning loss is a well-documented phenomenon. Research supports the assertion that summer reading programs diminish this effect, especially when students have the freedom to choose from an extensive list of books in addition to their assigned reading. Moreover, these friendly discussions are an excellent opportunity to ease back into relationships with classmates across grade levels and have open discussions between students and adults.

Senior Abigail Cirillo ’25 has been joyfully consuming summer books and participating in opening-day discussions since grade seven. “I like that we get to choose which book we want to read based on what resonates,” she said. “In the discussions, people open up to their thoughts on the book, its meaning, and we touch on important topics.”

Junior Alexandra Ryan ’26 chose the non-fiction work What Made Maddy Run. The book chronicles the secret struggles and tragic suicide of an All-American athlete attending an Ivy League school.

“I appreciated how this book explains how she communicated with her friends one way while putting a different version of herself online,” explained Ryan. “Deep down, you never know what other people are going through. Every book we read this summer was influential and impacted our school’s culture.”

“We’ve been reading the story about Maddy ever since 2017,” said discussion group moderator and Athletic Director Kelly Childs. “It usually results in a very robust conversation about mental health, about the pressures young people face, about comparison culture, and about a lot of issues that you see in teen culture. Students selected this book by reading the inside cover and they knew the type of conversations we were eventually going to have. I think the purpose behind summer reading is a space for students to share ideas and interact without the pressure of a grade or exam.”

After their respective discussions, students completed a reflection paper based on prompts about their book. All at Oak Knoll cherish this opening day activity as an excellent opportunity to bond as a community after spending what was hopefully both a fun and productive summer break.