Reading is Magic (RIM) is a free summer intensive reading program for 2nd to 8th grade students in the Santa Fe Public Schools. It is a collaboration between our school and Reading Quest, a nonprofit organization dedicated to children’s literacy. Rayna Dineen, Reading Quest’s founder and executive director, started Reading is Magic when she was the principal of Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences in 2012. Reading is Magic offers three, two-week long camps during which our own Middle School students are trained to be reading tutors.

Heading into its 11th year, Reading is Magic has had consistent and remarkable outcomes – students gained, on average, one year’s growth in reading after the two-week summer interventions.

COLLECTIVE IMPACT

COLLABORATION WITH READING QUEST AND OPPORTUNITY SANTA FE

We understand that the problem of low literacy is an adaptive problem. It is complex, and the systemic answers are not completely clear. Even if they were, no single organization has the resources or the authority to bring about the systemic changes needed to turn the curve on 3rd grade reading proficiency.

In the spirit of modeling service and providing meaningful service opportunities for our students, Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences is committed to Reading is Magic and our role in advancing a collective impact solution to the problem of low literacy in our community.

After years of coordinating and conducting Reading is Magic camps as a volunteer and principal of Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences, Dineen expanded the success of the Reading is Magic program to reach more students. Our school is excited to see Reading Quest plant the seeds of Reading is Magic’s success all over Santa Fe and West Las Vegas. Arts & Sciences will continue to run Reading is Magic as a summer lab school on our campus, while Reading Quest grows and reaches more students around the city during the school year.

For more information, please call Rayna Dineen at 505-920-9709 or Perli Cunanan at 505-438-8585 or perli@santafeschool.org

SCHOOL SERVICE

At Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences, students, families and teachers value service as a core value. Service is how we have been able to build and sustain our school, becoming a joyful learning community where students become life-long learners. Reading is Magic evolved out of Hooked on Books, a middle school expedition community service project that involved bookshelves around our community and reading contests.

Reading is Magic offers our own Arts & Sciences students the opportunity to learn valuable skills as tutors and student assistant teachers. Arts & Sciences alumni (in high school, college and post college) are also central to the program and quite a few work with Reading Quest as Reading Specialists and tutors, both during the school and in the summer. Older peers help the younger kids discover the joy of reading! Over the years, some of our Reading is Magic camp alumni have been able to receive financial aid scholarships and attend our summer camps and regular school program.

In May 2017, the Reading is Magic students in the afterschool program wrote appreciations and reflections about their experience in the afterschool program.

Here are examples of what they shared:

“Before Reading is Magic, I hated reading. Now I enjoy reading. When I first started I was really behind, but now I am way ahead.”

“I appreciate my tutor Micah who is my best friend. He helped me out with new words and now I am getting better grades on my school work.”

“When I grow up I will be a book seller, and I will save money to buy a nice home for me and my family and I will buy books for Reading is Magic.”