Shown are participants in East Palestine Elementary’s second annual “The Masked Reader” Family Engagement Night. (Submitted photo)

EAST PALESTINE – The mystery has been solved and the masks have come off at East Palestine Elementary School. EPES recently hosted its second annual “The Masked Reader” Family Engagement Night, drawing a large crowd of families, students, and staff for an evening dedicated to the joy of reading.

Building on the success of previous literacy initiatives, the event — dubbed “The Masked Reader 2” — challenged students to guess the identities of mystery staff members who performed readings while disguised in elaborate costumes. The gymnasium was filled with excitement as the secret readers were finally revealed to the cheers of the audience.

The evening’s featured story was “The Big Cheese” by Jory John and Pete Oswald. To foster a love of reading at home, the district gave every family in attendance a copy of the book to add to their personal library.

“The night was a huge success,” school officials noted. “We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the families who took the time to join us and a special shoutout to our dedicated staff members who stepped out of their comfort zones to make this event so memorable for our students.”

Events like “The Masked Reader” are part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the bond between the school and the community, ensuring that East Palestine students have the resources and encouragement they need to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.