Reading, fun abound at Aurora festival
Read first, then have fun.
These were the directions kids received during El Dia de los Ninos, or The Day of the Children, a literacy-themed family festival held Saturday afternoon in Aurora.
And 10-year-old Mandy Saucedo of Batavia played it perfectly by the book, breezing through a half-dozen literacy stations staffed by volunteer teachers in about 10 minutes’ time.
“They were pretty fun,” Mandy said of the reading, writing and spelling challenges.
For her linguistic conquests, Mandy got to choose a free book from more than 3,000 donated by area schools. Looking for something to catch her eye, she browsed through reading material in English and Spanish.
“I thought it was a good idea that they’re giving the kids an opportunity to do some activities and work for a book,” said Mandy’s mother, Rosa Saucedo, an administrative assistant to the director of bilingual services at East Aurora School District 131.
The event wasn’t all books. Mandy and hundreds of other kids, both Latino and non-Latino, bounced around in inflatables, threw pies at the face of a volunteer from Aurora Township youth services, invented rhythms on snare drums, and enjoyed tacos, popcorn and cotton candy.
Visitors also enjoyed performances by school choir groups, a magician, a cheerleading group and the colorful dancing ensemble Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl.
Partnerships with school districts, community organizations and sponsors helped keep the event as busy and vibrant as in the past, but on a smaller budget, said Diana Torres, chairwoman of the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board, which organized the event.
Superintendents from Aurora school districts 129 and 131 and Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner spoke, as did Weisner’s wife Marilyn, who told the children in Spanish that they are important because they represent the future of the world. She encouraged kids in the crowd of about 500 to try the literacy stations and have fun. And judging by the smiles as teachers quizzed them on vocabulary flash cards or helped them play bilingual bingo, they did.