Written by: Ainsley Hall and published in The Martinsburg Journal on March 5, 2025, link to the article HERE
GERRARDSTOWN — Mountain Ridge Intermediate School celebrated Reading Across America week by inviting Berkeley County Youth Fair Queen Hayley Silkworth to come read to students on Wednesday.
Groups of students took turns hearing from Silkworth, asking her questions, and learning more about the fair.
Read Across America Week is a special celebration that focuses on promoting literacy and encouraging people to love reading. Schools throughout the area are finding special ways to celebrate and get students reading.
Caroline McIntosh, library media specialist at Mountain Ridge Intermediate, helped organize different themes each day throughout the week as a fun way to get students engaged.
As she was planning the event, McIntosh saw that Silkworth was looking for schools to visit for read-aloud events. McIntosh thought it was a great opportunity, and since it fit with Wednesday’s theme, “Kick Off Your Boots and Read,” she decided to reach out.
Since she had limited space in the library, she had classes sign up to participate. In the end, 13 different classes got to meet with Silkworth and read with her.
Silkworth was excited to visit with students, read with them, and share more about the county fair. She started participating in the Berkeley County Youth Fair when she was only 9 years old. Ever since then, the fair has become an important part of her life.
After being crowned queen, Silkworth knew that she wanted to get into the schools and share that passion with children.
“It was my dream to step foot in every school I could,” Silkworth said. “After all, the Berkeley County Youth Fair starts with the youth. So, I wanted to talk about the fair and get them interested.”
During her visit, Silkworth read “Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type” by Doreen Cronin. She then talked about the fair and explained some of the things kids can do if they participate.
Silkworth shared that one of the highlights during her visit was explaining the process of market animals and how that works.
“I told them how kids raise their animals and can choose to sell and slaughter it or keep them,” Silkworth said. “Seeing their reaction was priceless.”
Silkworth hopes she inspired some of the students to get involved in the fair and learn more about what people do there. She plans to continue using her time as the fair queen to promote agriculture and encourage kids’ interest in farming.