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Calendar: Tuesday, Jan. 20 ... Chris Honoré: The Lewis Glacier on Mount Kenya — an elegy ... Ashland author an Oregon Book Award finalist ... Calendar: Tuesday, Jan. 20 ... Chris Honoré: The Lewis Glacier on Mount Kenya — an elegy ... HELMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Students to 'Read More For Jack Dorr' Principal will spend day on roof if pupils reach reading time goal of 20 minutes a day Comment By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 6, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 6, 2014 @ 12:01 am » RELATED CONTENT • Fun, fundraising and art at Helman Elementary School • Helman Art Walk set for Wednesday • Memorial scheduled Saturday for Jack Dorr • Lithia Park memorial set for Jack Dorr • Wish granted • Ashland High School raises money for child battling cancer • Community rallies around cancer-stricken boy » Social News Rebecca Mizera vividly remembers the woman and the reading room that inspired her to become who she is today. The woman was a reading specialist. Her office was a safe, quiet nook into which children could fall down a rabbit hole, explore a faraway planet or charge into battle, all while tucked against the arm of a comfortable sofa and under the gentle illumination of a reading lamp. Mizera was a 23-year-old teacher in Buffalo Grove, Ill., and fell in love with the idea of introducing kids to the power of their imagination through literature. Nearly 20 years later, Mizera, now a reading specialist herself at Helman Elementary, is still passionate about teaching kids to read, which is why she has teamed up with fourth-grade teacher Trish Dorr to create an incentive for Helman students to read more. The school kicked off its “Read More for Jack Dorr” program with a short presentation in the cafeteria Friday morning. The concept is simple. Once the student body reaches a reading goal of 16,500 hours — that amounts to each student reading 20 minutes a day, five days a week for 36 weeks — Helman Principal Glenna Stiles will spend an entire day sitting in a chair on the roof of the school, reading. “I want to create a culture of literacy at Helman where we’re all reading,” Mizera said. “That’s one of the reasons for a project like this. I hope the kids who are already reading on a regular basis will influence and encourage those who don’t to develop a love for it.” The program is named after Trish Dorr’s son, who was an avid reader before he died in May at age 10 after a year-and-a-half battle with brain cancer. Jack Dorr loved fantasy epics such as the Redwall series and "Lord of the Rings," but he also enjoyed the "How To Train Your Dragon" books as well as the Percy Jackson series. The key to raising children who love to read, Trish Dorr says, is to begin reading to them at a very young age then make it a habit. Every day, if possible. How do you convince a child to put time and effort into a book when there are so many distractions only the tap of a button away? “I have an answer to that and it’s inspired by my son,” Trish Dorr said. “We want whole families to put aside their devices and TVs and pick up a book together. Let’s set aside 20 minutes together, just sitting side by side reading. Because kids love it, they love sitting down with their parents and reading.” The Read More for Jack Dorr program is Mizera’s first big reading push since she was hired by Helman over the summer. Though Mizera has known what she wanted to do for a long time, the path to her dream job included a 16-year detour as she scratched another itch by becoming a stay-at-home mom. She decided to return to the workforce last year and was hired as an educational assistant at Bellview Elementary. As Helman’s reading specialist, Mizera is responsible for assisting struggling readers and to promote literacy. That’s easier said than done, but Mizera, whose three daughters have been reading since age 4 and have become avid readers themselves, has strategies at her disposal. For one, the "IPICK" formula, which was developed to help kids select a book that’s appropriate for their reading level. That’s I for Interest; P for purpose; I for “why do I want to read it?”; C for Comprehension; and K for “do I Know most of the words?” “You have to make it fun,” Mizera said. “Keep it interesting and keep it fun and let kids see that there really is something amazing to gain from reading. Whether that means creating a friend in a book, it’s something that can unleash their imagination like nothing else.” Now, young readers at Helman Elementary can unleash those imaginations while simultaneously working toward a worthy goal, seeing their principal being hoisted onto the roof while members of the Ashland Fire Department stand by to make sure everyone’s being safe. Whatever it takes to convince kids that reading is worthwhile, says Mizera. And as the students work toward their goal and the days turn to weeks and weeks to months, Mizera will continue to help pass on her love of reading. In fact, the room she calls her office isn’t much different than the one used by another reading specialist two decades ago in Illinois. “I have a lamp, but no sofa,” Mizera said. “Beanbag.” Joe Zavala can be reached at 541-776-4469 or [email protected].   By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 6, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football DraftKings Fantasy Guide for Packers vs. Seahawks Jan. 16, 2015 at 10:00 am DraftKings Fantasy Guide for Colts vs. Patriots Jan. 16, 2015 at 10:00 am League Guide to Conference Championship Weekend Jan. 16, 2015 at 7:26 am Best FanDuel, DraftKings Championship Lineup Advice Jan. 16, 2015 at 7:00 am Early Fantasy Predictions for Packers vs. Seahawks Jan. 14, 2015 at 7:00 am Fantasy Outlook for Jaguars Stars Jan. 14, 2015 at 3:40 am calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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