School library gets summer visits

Who goes to school on summer vacation when they don't have to?

A small but steady stream of students, siblings and parents at Cornelius Elementary are stopping by on Wednesday afternoons to read, use the school iPads and take Accelerated Reader tests. No one's getting paid to open the school library during vacation,  but media specialist Pam Lilley and literacy facilitator Annalee Taylor are coming in anyway.

They join countless educators, community groups and families doing their part to avoid what Lilley calls  "the summer slide" that happens if kids spend their vacation vegging in front of TV sets or video games.  Summer break can also be tough on middle-aged education reporters who miss being around cute kids,  which is why I headed north to serve as a guest reader.

The visit was reminder of all the things educators do,  often on their own time and their own dime,  to support their students.  It also reminded me that schools defy easy labels.  Cornelius is known for being home to some of the county's most affluent lakeside neighborhoods.  But as Lilley told me,  the suburban school also serves students who don't have computers at home and might need a little help to make sure they've got books to read.