Highland County Public Schools

MONTEREY — Things are getting batty over at Highland Elementary School.

HES is hosting a variety of special activities during October to promote literacy, with a theme of “Bats at the Library.”

“We are collaborating with members of our wonderfully supportive community, Highland High School faculty and students, as well as the families of our children to provide an exciting month of memorable events centered about literacy skills,” said Lynne Botkin, Title I reading specialist. “I have so much support from the community, the high school, and the teachers. It’s become a communal activity,” she said.

“Our students are reading about bats, visiting caves, listening to storytellers, observing live bats, engaging in bat-related science activities, reciting batty poetry, writing batty essays, creating batty crafts, and earning rewards throughout the month,” Botkin said, describing some of the events.

While the month is geared for elementary students, Botkin and other staff have involved high school students in planning and preparation. They helped create a bat cavern on the cafeteria stage for exploration and learning events. It will culminate in a literacy evening from 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 24. “It’s sort of a celebration of a whole month of activities,” Botkin said.

“I think the cardboard cavern on the stage will be the star of the show,” she said, but there will be plenty of batty activities. “Ginny Neil has volunteered to run the Batapalooza in the gym.

“Culinary class in the high school made neat shortbread cookies in the shape of bats,” she said. “We’re going to have a huge table of bat-themed snacks.”

The book fair will also be open during the Batapalooza so families can purchase books to add to their home libraries.