Rotary Club of Longboat Key reads to Tuttle Elementary School students

The Rotary Club of Longboat Key visited more than a hundred students of Tuttle Elementary School on March 25 and gave them a gift they can open day after day — a book. 

First and second grade students listened with (mostly) rapt attention as three Rotarians brought the books to life before their eyes. First graders heard "The Wolf Who Learned to be Good" with a performance by Jack Rozance as the wolf, Ellen Greenberger as the little girl and Philippe Koenig as the narrator. Rozance donned a wolf mask and Greenberger brought the little girl's signature pink beret to add to the performance. 

Afterwards, before heading back to class, each student got to take a copy of the book home to practice their reading. This was the third reading event in a six-month-long program called "Books 4 Kids" at Tuttle, and by the end of the school year, the club will have donated more than 1,200 books. 

The club had to take a break from reading to classes due to the pandemic, but returned in 2022. Starting in January, a group of Rotarians visited Tuttle Elementary School and read a book to groups of first and second graders. Next month, in keeping with the school's mascot, the club will bring a book about turtles — much to the delight of the Tuttle Turtles in class.