Building Bridges Through Reading
Fifth- and first-graders grow together through a new LJCDS mentorship program.
“It’s how we start our day that sets the tone, the intention, and the energy of our work.”
For Grade 5 English Educator Miranda Katz, that belief now comes to life before the school day officially begins. Through the new Reading Mentor Program, fifth graders arrive early to read with first graders, offering encouragement, practicing literacy skills, and building relationships across divisions.
The program began as a collaboration between Mrs. Katz and Head of Lower School Briony Chown, who saw an opportunity to connect two important moments in a student’s LJCDS journey: the early years of learning to read and the fifth-grade transition into Middle School.
As someone who began her own LJCDS career in the Lower School before moving into Middle School, Mrs. Katz felt personally connected to the idea of building stronger ties between divisions. “I’ve always said we’re better when we do things together,” Mrs. Katz said. “I think this program not only builds trust and relationships with students, but also between faculty and staff across divisions.”
“There are so many reasons why cross-divisional work is important,” Ms. Chown said. “Younger students look up to the fifth graders so much. It provides responsibility and leadership opportunities for the fifth graders while still keeping them connected to Lower School.”“First graders need regular opportunities to practice reading out loud, and that can feel vulnerable when reading is still new,” Ms. Chown said. “But when they’re reading to someone they think is really cool, like a fifth grader, they rise to the occasion. They want to impress them. They bring their best effort.”
In October, 23 fifth graders applied to become reading mentors. After two before-school training sessions, they began meeting with first-grade students after fall break. What started with simple shared reading quickly grew into something deeper. Mentors listened, asked questions, helped students sound out words, and celebrated small wins.
The first graders noticed. Some began hurrying their parents out the door in the morning so they would not miss time with their mentors. “The children practically skip into school because they’re so excited to read with the fifth graders,” Chown said. “The students are eager to get to campus early.”
The fifth graders felt the impact, too. During a trout-release hike later in the year, Mrs. Katz asked a few mentors how the program was going. One student’s answer stayed with her: “You know what gets me out of bed on Monday mornings? My first-grade readers.”
For Mrs. Katz, that moment captured the heart of the program. Yes, students were building literacy skills. But they were also building accountability, confidence, empathy, and connection. “I think participating in that healthy, uncomfortable space of leadership was really beneficial for our fifth graders,” Mrs. Katz said. “And really beneficial for our first graders to see what they can become.”
Camille, one of the fifth-grade mentors, said she loved returning to the Lower School and watching the first graders grow. “I have been watching all of the first graders read throughout this program, and I love seeing how much they are improving and how their confidence grows. Every time I walk in, all the first graders greet me, and I love all the positive energy.”
For new students, the program also became a way to feel more connected to LJCDS. “This is my first year at LJCDS,” Lainey said. “Reading mentors has helped me make a deeper connection with this school. It has been an honor to watch all of them grow.”
Hazel described the experience as both meaningful and motivating. “It really helped me bond with the first graders,” she said. “It makes me believe even more that students in this school can do anything they set their minds to.”
Hailee, also new to LJCDS, said the program helped her feel connected to younger students as she watched their reading improve.
Dezmond shared a similar sense of pride: “It makes me smile when I see them improve and learn to be even better readers.”
Mrs. Katz is credited with turning the idea into a strong, student-centered program. Ms. Chown shares, “I’m incredibly grateful to Miranda because she took a kernel of an idea and made it a reality. Before I knew it, she had a timeline, trainings, spreadsheets, and all the organizational structures in place to make it successful.”
Ms. Chown added that one of the program’s greatest strengths was the way Mrs. Katz encouraged students to step confidently into leadership roles. “Miranda created something that truly empowered our fifth graders. She was constantly supporting students, collaborating with teachers, and staying 10 steps ahead. Her leadership made the challenges of working across divisions melt away, and everybody benefited from it.”
That student leadership is what makes the program especially powerful. In this collaboration, fifth graders are not simply participating. They are showing up for younger students, practicing responsibility, and learning what it means to be trusted by others.
“I think our fifth graders gained communication skills, confidence, and the experience of doing something that isn’t always easy,” Mrs. Katz said. “But our first graders gained confidence too, not only as readers, but in reading out loud to someone new.”
The Reading Mentor Program will continue to grow next year, with plans to extend the partnership as students move from first to second grade and fifth to sixth grade.
For Mrs. Katz, the program reflects what makes LJCDS special: students learning with and from one another, across ages and divisions.
“The way we begin our day often becomes the energy we carry into the world,” she said. “I feel deeply honored to start my mornings alongside students and teachers who are building both big and small bridges every single day.”
