Sophia Berni wins national award for reading progress

The Times-Reporter
·2 min read
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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt chose Claymont High School student Sophia Berni as one of their top-performing Read 180 students in the nation. Read 180 helps students improve their reading achievement.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt chose Claymont High School student Sophia Berni as one of their top-performing Read 180 students in the nation. Read 180 helps students improve their reading achievement.

UHRICHSVILLE ‑ Claymont High School students in the English classes of teachers Jessica Klingler and Nicole Sankey had the opportunity to celebrate freshman Sophia Berni with a catered lunch from Hog Heaven of New Philadelphia.

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Berni, a freshman, was selected by textbook publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt as one of their top-performing Read 180 students in the nation. Read 180 helps students raise their reading achievement. Her hard work and success won a catered lunch, sponsored by the publisher, for her family and all of her classmates.

“I've been working on the program every day since the beginning of the school year," Berni said. "When I was told I got the award I was in complete shock and was proud of how far I've gotten. I've seen so much growth in my reading scores and the way I comprehend it. One thing I have to say for the incoming freshman is do your best and always try hard even if you don’t like the work or the class and to always remember there is always a reward to everything in life.”

Klingler said she is proud of Sophia’s accomplishments.

"Her dedication and perseverance to improve her reading skills are beyond impressive, and her growth as a reader and writer can easily be seen in and out of the classroom," she said. "Sophia serves as a role model for all students to keep striving for growth and achievement.”

“When Sophia saw the growth that she made from her first assessment to her second, she became wide-eyed and flashed a huge smile," Sankey said. "She was immediately proud of herself. The look of recognition of her accomplishment on Sophia’s face is something I’ll never forget.”

Jacob Hedtke, Audrey Parrish and Reese Salyers were also nominated for the award for their work and dedication demonstrated in class.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Sophia Berni wins national award for reading progress