proofreading activity ks3

Proof-Reading Booklet

Click on the link above to access a booklet that contains ten proof-reading tasks on the texts below.

• The Road , by Cormac McCarthy
• Cider with Rosie , by Laurie Lee
• The Two Towers , by J. R. R. Tolkien
• The Handmaid’s Tale , by Margaret Atwood
• Small Island , by Andrea Levy
• The Company of Wolves , by Angela Carter
• The Song of Achilles , by Madeline Miller
• NW , by Zadie Smith
• All the Pretty Horses , by Cormac McCarthy
• Wide Sargasso Sea , by Jean Rhys

The format’s really simple: there’s a single literacy error on each line of each extract, so all students need to do is identify and correct them.  The tasks are probably most useful for GCSE English Language work – for starter activities and so on.  Like with the   literary snapshots booklet , the extracts will hopefully provide students with an introduction to some really interesting and diverse literary fiction that they might not have encountered before.

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Review Task Booklet on An Inspector Calls

Adapted Narrative Writing Anthology (AQA, Paper 1, Section A)

GCSE English Literature Review Booklet

Click on the button above a review booklet for four GCSE English Literature components:

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Proof reading for functional english.

Seven proof reading exercises that can be used as warm ups or as a main teaching focus. Each text includes spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Two of the exercises also include paragraphing practice.

The different exercises are designed to expose students to a variety of text formats, giving them an idea of the kind of contextual content and the tone of formality or informality to use and include. Discussion on these points can be used to prime those who are unsure of what to include in their own writing work. Text types include two formal letters, a report, emails and more.

With Functional English mapping and answer sheets.

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KS3 English - Reading Comprehension Lesson & Plan - 06, "White"

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

7 November 2023

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KS3 Read & Respond 06 - White

A bright, detailed and vividly planned lesson that aims to test KS3 students with their ability to read, comprehend and respond to a stimulating short story.

A part of the reciprocal reading scheme of work . Enjoy two FREE examples of the lessons here and here .

For a great discount on ten more reciprocal reading lessons, be sure to check out the reciprocal reading bundle .

The lesson has four steps:

Starter - Pre-contextualise the material with a fun warmup activity Read - Read through the material as a group with the help of bold images and vocabulary prompts Understand - Summarise the material and reflect upon its impact on the reader Respond - Continue the story, exploring it from various narrative perspectives to understand how the events took place

This lesson focuses on the short story “White” and asks students to evaluate the impact that the story’s twist ending had on the reader, as well as to consider the author’s intent when writing the story.

This lesson includes a detailed lesson plan, a PPT full of images, worksheets, questions and examplars, as well as containing a printable version of the short story itself to read with the class.

It bakes crucial GCSE skills into the plan, preparing students to meet AO objectives, and teaching them to consider the use of quotations to back responses. This lesson focuses on the impact that narrative perspective has on story, and author intent and reader response.

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A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

KS3 English - Reading Comprehension SOW

KS3 Read & Respond: A 10 lesson, fully planned SOW centered on reading comprehension. In the bundle are 10 carefully planned lessons that aim to push KS3 students' reading, comprehension and essay/creative writing skills. For 10 more fantastic comprehension lessons, be sure to check out the [2023 reciprocal reading bundle](https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ks3-reciprocal-reading-scheme-of-work-12935597). Each lesson focuses on a unique short story (all selected from the BBC 500 word contest) and includes a host of activities to guide learning, bolstering reading, comprehension and critical thinking/metacognitive skills. Each lesson follows four steps: **Starter** - Pre-contextualise the material with a fun warmup activity **Read** - Read through the material as a group with the help of bold images and vocabulary prompts **Understand** - Summarise the material and reflect upon its impact on the reader **Respond** - Produce either an essay, creative writing piece or other planned response to the short story. This SOW includes a detailed lesson plan for each of the 10 lessons, PPT's full of images, worksheets, questions and examplars, as well as a printable version of each short story to read with the class. This SOW bakes crucial GCSE skills into the plan, preparing students to meet AO objectives whilst teaching them to consider the use of quotations to back responses.

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Tornadoes tear through the southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead

The Associated Press

Greenville, Ohio, resident Brenda Pollitt wipes the tears from her eyes as she removes papers from her bedroom on Wednesday. Pollitt and her children were home at the time of the strong storm that hit Tuesday evening. She and her family ran downstairs and were all safe. Marshall Gorby/AP hide caption

Greenville, Ohio, resident Brenda Pollitt wipes the tears from her eyes as she removes papers from her bedroom on Wednesday. Pollitt and her children were home at the time of the strong storm that hit Tuesday evening. She and her family ran downstairs and were all safe.

COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could march through parts of the South early Thursday, after storms a day earlier spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail, leaving two dead in Tennessee and one dead in North Carolina.

The storms continue an outbreak of torrential rain and tornadoes that has cut across the country this week, from the Plains to the Midwest and now the southeastern U.S. At least four people have died in storms since Monday.

Amid Wednesday's storms, the National Weather Service continued issuing tornado warnings that stretch past midnight in North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Missouri and Kentucky. Parts of Arkansas and Mississippi were also under a tornado watch through the pre-dawn hours.

Why it feels like tornadoes are becoming more common, according to an expert

One storm that rumbled across northeastern Tennessee on Wednesday brought high winds that knocked down power lines and trees. Bob Brooks, the sheriff in Claiborne County about an hour north of Knoxville, said a 22-year-old man was in a car when he was fatally struck by one of the trees.

A second person was killed in the city of Columbia in Maury County, where the National Weather Service said a likely tornado had touched down. Columbia is just south of Nashville.

Homes were damaged and people injured, according to Lynn Thompson, assistant director of Maury County 911. Thompson told The Associated Press that he could not provide any further details: "We're getting overloaded right now."

Rita Thompson, a spokesperson for Maury Regional Health, said the hospital had received five patients, including the person who died. Another was in serious condition and three had injuries that were not life-threatening, she said.

The storms also prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a temporary ground stop at Nashville International Airport and the National Weather Service to issue a tornado emergency — its highest alert level — for other nearby areas south of the state's capital, including Chapel Hill and Eagleville.

Utility workers survey storm damage along Cothran Road on Wednesday in Columbia, Tenn. George Walker IV/AP hide caption

Utility workers survey storm damage along Cothran Road on Wednesday in Columbia, Tenn.

Meanwhile, torrential rain and thunderstorms led to water rescues northeast of Nashville.

"Do not attempt to travel unless you are fleeing an area subject to flooding or under an evacuation order," the National Weather Service warned when it issued a flash flood emergency.

In North Carolina, a state of emergency was declared Wednesday night for Gaston County, west of Charlotte, following a large storm that toppled power lines and severed trees, including one that landed on a car. One person in the car was killed and another was taken to a hospital, officials said.

The storms rolled into the region Wednesday after parts of the central United States were battered Monday by heavy rain, strong winds, hail and tornadoes, including a deadly twister that ripped through an Oklahoma town and killed one person. Then, on Tuesday, the Midwest took the brunt of the bad weather.

The National Weather Service said tornadoes touched down in parts of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana on Tuesday.

In Michigan, tornadoes swirled through the southwestern part of the state, in and around Kalamazoo County, according to the National Weather Service. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for four counties.

Kalamazoo County's Portage area was hard hit as a FedEx facility was ripped apart, leaving about 50 people temporarily trapped inside because of downed power lines.

Storm damaged mobile homes are surrounded by debris at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich., on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Neil Blake/AP hide caption

Storm damaged mobile homes are surrounded by debris at Pavilion Estates mobile home park just east of Kalamazoo, Mich., on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

Travis Wycoff ventured out Tuesday night after seeing on radar that a tornado had touched down in the Portage area, and he said he helped an elderly couple out of their partially collapsed home and freed a service dog from another home.

"There were a lot of people running through the streets trying to find people and their pets," Wycoff said. "It was just a lot of chaos."

In the adjacent Pavilion Township, more than a dozen homes were destroyed in a mobile home park and 16 people were injured, said Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller.

Samantha Smith clutched a box Wednesday afternoon outside her mother's partially wrecked home in Pavilion Township. Inside the box were her grandmother's ashes. Being able to recover the most cherished of items offered Smith a rare moment of relief amid the storm's devastation. She said her parents and brother were injured during the storm but survived.

"I have thanked God probably a billion times since this happened yesterday," she said. "My kids are healthy and good. We just gotta make back up what we lost."

Tornadoes were also confirmed in Pennsylvania just outside Pittsburgh, in central Arkansas and in northern West Virginia. The West Virginia twister was at least the 11th tornado this year in the state, which sees two tornadoes in an average year.

Both the Plains and Midwest have been hammered by tornadoes this spring.

• National Weather Service

33 arrested as D.C. police clear George Washington University encampment

Police moved on the encampment hours before the D.C. mayor and police chief were set to testify on Capitol Hill about it. The hearing has since been canceled.

After resisting repeated pleas from George Washington University to clear a pro-Palestinian encampment from the school’s grounds, D.C. police on Wednesday became the latest department in the country to forcibly remove such campus protesters, as officers swept through a tent city erected blocks from the White House.

Moving in before dawn, members of the department’s civil disturbance unit arrested 33 people and skirmished with some demonstrators, police said. Officers fired pepper spray three times at people they said tried to push through a line of officers on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, just off the Foggy Bottom campus, according to police.

The 3 a.m. sweep came hours before Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and Police Chief Pamela A. Smith were set to testify on Capitol Hill about why they had declined to take action. The mayor and chief said there was no connection between the operation and the scheduled hearing, at which they stood to be grilled by Republicans who have asserted that D.C. is unable or incapable of controlling its streets.

Demonstrators protesting Israel’s war in Gaza have roiled college campuses across the country, forcing cancellations of commencements and causing classes to be shifted from in-person to virtual.

Over the past two weeks, police departments have responded to requests from school officials with force, including Columbia University in New York and the University of California at Los Angeles. In exchanges aired on TV news and in videos widely disseminated online, officers in riot gear have deployed chemical irritants to disperse crowds. These were images that D.C. officials said they wanted to avoid. More than 2,300 protesters have been arrested nationwide, according to a tally by The Washington Post.

Until Wednesday, the D.C. police force had been an outlier, resisting pressure from George Washington University and largely Republican members of Congress to act. Some demonstrations on campuses nationwide have included hateful or antisemitic speech appearing sympathetic to the Palestinian militant group Hamas. At GWU, demonstrators had chanted for the school to cut ties to Israel and for the end of the Jewish state.

College protests over Gaza war

The encampment at GWU began April 25 and university officials had asked D.C. police to clear it from their private property, declaring its occupants to be illegal trespassers.

But Bowser said the encampment had remained largely peaceful until Thursday. Smith said conditions deteriorated over the weekend, when she asserted that authorities “began to see an escalation in the volatility of the protests.” Smith said police learned of items that could be used as weapons and uncovered evidence that demonstrators were planning to occupy a campus building, similar to what happened at Columbia. Police said investigators believed demonstrators involved in the protest there had come to D.C.

Smith said she concluded Monday that “we needed to change our posture.” She and the mayor said safety concerns, not the looming congressional hearing, drove their decision. The hearing was canceled, and Republican leaders quickly claimed credit for forcing D.C. police to end the demonstration

Those leaders cast the initial refusal of the city to act as a failure combat antisemitism. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said that “it should not require threatening to haul D.C.’s mayor before Congress to keep Jewish students at George Washington University safe.”

At the same time, representatives of pro-Palestinian groups accused Bowser of bowing to pressure from Republican lawmakers, citing Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, which had called Bowser and Smith to the hearing. “Comer is a Republican bully and Muriel E. Bowser is, too,” said Nee Nee Taylor, executive director of Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, a local Black-led mutual aid and community defense organization. “Fighting for human rights is not antisemitic.”

Gathered at Freedom Plaza outside the city’s Wilson Building, supporters of the demonstrators also criticized GWU President Ellen M. Granberg and D.C. police.

“The tactics used last night were disgusting, shameful, but not at all surprising,” said the Rev. Dayna Edwards, who had been providing spiritual support to students in the encampment. “[D.C. police] raided the encampment while students slept, escalating unprompted into a full assault.”

Later, Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) spoke in front of the U.S. Capitol, where GWU students shared their experiences in the encampment and during the police raid. “They think they can intimidate and erase the overwhelming voices for peace and justice,” Bush said. “They think they can jail dissenters and silence the wide consensus among people in this country that there should be an immediate and permanent cease-fire.”

D.C. Council member Robert C. White Jr. (D-At Large) called the police action a “stain on the city and on democracy.” He described the encampment as peaceful and said his talks with demonstrators revealed “they made space for multiple truths at the same time,” including the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and the more than 30,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip during the war that followed.

Officials at George Washington said Wednesday that the school “is open and operating normally,” with final exams proceeding and commencement on schedule for May 19. They said that D.C. and campus police will maintain a presence at University Yard, the site of the encampment, which will be closed until after graduation, and that further demonstrations will require a reservation and be restricted in other ways, such as a ban on sound amplification.

D.C. police and university officials were unable by Wednesday afternoon to say how many of the 33 people arrested are students at the school. Their names were not immediately released. Police and the university asserted that the demonstration had been co-opted by outsiders.

At a news conference Wednesday, Bowser said an earlier D.C. police presence around the encampment had allowed people with varying viewpoints to have their say. She said that for the most part, “as tensions have escalated on campuses across the country, our community has been measured with our words and actions.”

But university officials had pleaded with the Bowser administration to send in police as early as April 26, a day after the encampment began. At that point, city officials described the demonstration as small and relatively peaceful. City officials said police had massed to clear the demonstrators but that Smith called them off at the last minute.

The university then tried other measures. It offered an alternative place to demonstrate, then barricaded the encampment, allowing people inside to leave but no one to enter, hoping it would fizzle out.

Then the university suspended several students. Days later, people in the encampment tore down the barricades and merged their group with other demonstrators on H Street NW, a public street not in control of the university. The tent encampment grew to about 200 people.

On Friday, Bowser praised the city’s response in a statement, supporting the chief’s decision to delay police action as members of Congress — including at least one Democrat — and university officials continued to ratchet up pressure on the city to move against the demonstrators.

On Sunday, Granberg issued a statement saying the school was running out of options. She noted repeated pleas for D.C. police to help and called the encampment “not a peaceful protest.” She said that it “has grown into what can only be classified as an illegal and potentially dangerous occupation of GW property,” and that demonstrators had intimidated students “with antisemitic images and hateful rhetoric.”

Early Tuesday, GWU’s Student Government Association released a statement saying its members “firmly stand behind our students and their right to free speech, assembly, and peaceful protests.” Demonstrators disputed Granberg’s assertions as “deeply misleading” and said she had rejected requests to meet with them, according to the school’s student newspaper, the GW Hatchet.

In her statement, Granberg said the university police force, whose officers have arrest powers, were “not equipped” to manage the demonstration.

Meanwhile, Smith said her officers were keeping a close eye on the encampment. Hints of trouble began Thursday, she said, when a demonstrator assaulted a university police officer by ripping an object from her hand. Later that weekend, she said, a counterprotester reported being assaulted. On Tuesday night, demonstrators marched to the university president’s residence.

Early Tuesday, Smith said officers issued six warnings to disperse from the encampment on private property, and many people did. Smith said 30 people remaining in the encampment were then arrested, 29 on charges of unlawful entry and one on a charge of assaulting a police officer.

Smith said a second group of demonstrators from outside the encampment tried to reach the people being arrested, and officers used pepper spray three times on those who were pushing or punching officers. Three people in that group were taken into custody and charged with assaulting police, for a total of 33 arrests, authorities said.

Granberg also issued a statement Wednesday night, calling the past two weeks “some of the most profoundly challenging times in our community’s shared history.” She said administrators “recognize that many people in our community on all sides are hurting right now,” but she also said “it is unfortunate that the behavior and actions of many protesters ultimately required significant police intervention, and GW will continue to pursue accountability for those involved.”

After the police operation concluded, Bowser told reporters that she had spoken with Comer about the hearing, scheduled for 1 p.m. She said that Comer “expressed his interest in making the sure the city and the chief could focus on this ongoing operation” and that she thought the hearing was unlikely to happen.

The lawmaker — who visited the encampment on May 1, along with other Republican representatives — confirmed the cancellation but said in a statement that “it took the threat of a potential Oversight Committee hearing for Mayor Bowser to finally act.” He said that before the hearing had been scheduled, “it was apparent that the D.C. police force was not going to do their job.”

Martin Weil, Meagan Flynn and Michael Brice-Saddler contributed to this report.

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Solar Storm Intensifies, Filling Skies With Northern Lights

Officials warned of potential blackouts or interference with navigation and communication systems this weekend, as well as auroras as far south as Southern California or Texas.

By Katrina Miller and Judson Jones

Katrina Miller reports on space and astronomy and Judson Jones is a meteorologist.

A dramatic blast from the sun set off the highest-level geomagnetic storm in Earth’s atmosphere on Friday that is expected to make the northern lights visible as far south as Florida and Southern California and could interfere with power grids, communications and navigations system.

It is the strongest such storm to reach Earth since Halloween of 2003. That one was strong enough to create power outages in Sweden and damage transformers in South Africa.

The effects could continue through the weekend as a steady stream of emissions from the sun continues to bombard the planet’s magnetic field.

The solar activity is so powerful that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which monitors space weather, issued an unusual storm watch for the first time in 19 years, which was then upgraded to a warning. The agency began observing outbursts on the sun’s surface on Wednesday, with at least five heading in the direction of Earth.

“What we’re expecting over the next couple of days should be more significant than what we’ve seen certainly so far,” Mike Bettwy, the operations chief at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, said at a news conference on Friday morning.

For people in many places, the most visible part of the storm will be the northern lights, known also as auroras. But authorities and companies will also be on the lookout for the event’s effects on infrastructure, like global positioning systems, radio communications and even electrical power.

While the northern lights are most often seen in higher latitudes closer to the North Pole, people in many more parts of the world are already getting a show this weekend that could last through the early part of next week.

As Friday turned to Saturday in Europe, people across the continent described skies hued in a mottling of colors.

Alfredo Carpineti , an astrophysicist, journalist and author in North London, saw them with his husband from the rooftop of their apartment building.

“It is incredible to be able to see the aurora directly from one’s own backyard,” he said. “I was hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of green on the horizon, but it was all across the sky in both green and purple.”

Here’s what you need to know about this weekend’s solar event.

How will the storm affect people on Earth?

A geomagnetic storm watch or warning indicates that space weather may affect critical infrastructure on or orbiting near Earth. It may introduce additional current into systems, which could damage pipelines, railroad tracks and power lines.

According to Joe Llama, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory, communications that rely on high frequency radio waves, such as ham radio and commercial aviation , are most likely to suffer. That means it is unlikely that your cellphone or car radio, which depend on much higher frequency radio waves, will conk out.

Still, it is possible for blackouts to occur. As with any power outage, you can prepare by keeping your devices charged and having access to backup batteries, generators and radio.

The most notable solar storm recorded in history occurred in 1859. Known as the Carrington Event, it lasted for nearly a week, creating aurora that stretched down to Hawaii and Central America and impacting hundreds of thousands of miles of telegraph lines.

But that was technology of the 19th century, used before scientists fully understood how solar activity disrupted Earth’s atmosphere and communication systems.

“That was an extreme level event,” said Shawn Dahl, a forecaster at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. “We are not anticipating that.”

Unlike tornado watches and warnings, the target audience for NOAA’s announcements is not the public.

“For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

The goal of the announcements is to give agencies and companies that operate this infrastructure time to put protection measures in place to mitigate any effects.

“If everything is working like it should, the grid will be stable and they’ll be able to go about their daily lives,” Mr. Steenburgh said.

Will I be able to see the northern lights?

It is possible that the northern lights may grace the skies this week over places that don’t usually see them. The best visibility is outside the bright lights of cities.

Clouds or stormy weather could pose a problem in some places. But if the skies are clear, even well south of where the aurora is forecast to take place, snap a picture or record a video with your cellphone. The sensor on the camera is more sensitive to the wavelengths produced by the aurora and may produce an image you can’t see with the naked eye.

Another opportunity could be viewing sunspots during the daytime, if your skies are clear. As always, do not look directly at the sun without protection. But if you still have your eclipse glasses lying around from the April 8 event, you may try to use them to try to spot the cluster of sunspots causing the activity.

How strong is the current geomagnetic storm?

Giant explosions on the surface of the sun, known as coronal mass ejections, send streams of energetic particles into space. But the sun is large, and such outbursts may not cross our planet as it travels around the star. But when these particles create a disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field, it is known as a geomagnetic storm.

NOAA classifies these storms on a “G” scale of 1 to 5, with G1 being minor and G5 being extreme. The most extreme storms can cause widespread blackouts and damage to infrastructure on Earth. Satellites may also have trouble orienting themselves or sending or receiving information during these events.

The current storm is classified as G5, or “extreme.” It is caused by a cluster of sunspots — dark, cool regions on the solar surface — that is about 16 times the diameter of Earth. The cluster is flaring and ejecting material every six to 12 hours.

“We anticipate that we’re going to get one shock after another through the weekend,” said Brent Gordon, chief of the space weather services branch at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

Why is this happening now?

The sun’s activity ebbs and flows on an 11-year cycle, and right now, it is approaching a solar maximum. Three other severe geomagnetic storms have been observed so far in the current activity cycle, which began in December 2019, but none were predicted to cause effects strong enough on Earth to warrant a watch or warning announcement.

The cluster of sunspots generating the current storm is the largest seen in this solar cycle, NOAA officials said. They added that the activity in this cycle has outperformed initial predictions .

More flares and expulsions from this cluster are expected, but because of the sun’s rotation the cluster will be oriented in a position less likely to affect Earth. In the coming weeks, the sunspots may appear again on the left side of the sun, but it is difficult for scientists to predict whether this will cause another bout of activity.

“Usually, these don’t come around packing as much of a punch as they did originally,” Mr. Dahl said. “But time will tell on that.”

Jonathan O’Callaghan contributed reporting from London.

An earlier version of this article misstated the radio frequencies used by cellphones and car radios. They are higher frequencies, not low.

How we handle corrections

Katrina Miller is a science reporting fellow for The Times. She recently earned her Ph.D. in particle physics from the University of Chicago. More about Katrina Miller

Judson Jones is a meteorologist and reporter for The Times who forecasts and covers extreme weather. More about Judson Jones

What’s Up in Space and Astronomy

Keep track of things going on in our solar system and all around the universe..

Never miss an eclipse, a meteor shower, a rocket launch or any other 2024 event  that’s out of this world with  our space and astronomy calendar .

A celestial image, an Impressionistic swirl of color in the center of the Milky Way, represents a first step toward understanding the role of magnetic fields  in the cycle of stellar death and rebirth.

Scientists may have discovered a major flaw in their understanding of dark energy, a mysterious cosmic force . That could be good news for the fate of the universe.

A new set of computer simulations, which take into account the effects of stars moving past our solar system, has effectively made it harder to predict Earth’s future and reconstruct its past.

Dante Lauretta, the planetary scientist who led the OSIRIS-REx mission to retrieve a handful of space dust , discusses his next final frontier.

Is Pluto a planet? And what is a planet, anyway? Test your knowledge here .

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Local News | Berks food safety inspections found evidence of…

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Local news | berks food safety inspections found evidence of insect activity and moldlike growth at another place, one restaurant had 13 violations..

The results will be posted every other week. All food vendors are inspected at least once a year. Other inspections can be triggered by a change of owner, a follow up if a facility had been out of compliance or by a complaint filed with the PDA.

View any vendor’s  last inspection report online . Click on the PDF version of the inspection report for all details.

If a food provider is labeled out of compliance, that means it has one or more violations that require a return visit by an inspector. The establishment is given time to fix the problem(s) and remains open for business.

Below are the results of inspections conducted between April 24 and May 7, 2024, that were filed in the state database as of May 9 at 1 p.m.

Dream Garden , 3564 Penn Ave., Sinking Spring, May 6: 13 violations. The Person in Charge did not demonstrate adequate knowledge of food safety in this food facility as evidenced by this non-compliant inspection. Assorted fried foods in the reach-in cooler in the cookline area are stored open with no covering. Raw chicken stored above raw beef in reach-in freezer with no barriers to prevent cross-contamination. Several containers of food in the walk-in cooler are observed stored open with no covering. Observed in-use spatula stored between grill edges an area not easily cleanable & sanitized. Bag of flour observed with a plastic container with no handle buried in the flour below an actual scoop with a handle. Sweet and sour sauce was held at 87 °F, in the cookline area, rather than 135°F or above as required. Corrected. Refrigerated ready to eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared in the food facility and held for more than 24 hours, located in the walk-in cooler, is not being date marked. Food contact surface of fryer baskets is not smooth, easily cleanable and/or resistant to pitting, cracking or scratching. Observed a wooden shelf on the cookline area used for storage above a chest freezer. Cardboard was observed lining several shelves in the facility. Cardboard is not smooth and easily cleanable. Observed deeply scored cutting boards not resurfaced or discarded as required. Cutting board at cold hold unit was observed discolored in the deep scores of the cutting board and was not clean to sight and touch. Observed grill equipment, in cookline area, with an accumulation of food residue, and grease debris on non-food contact surfaces. Observed cooking equipment, in cookline area, with an accumulation of excessive food residue, and excessive grease build-up on non-food contact surfaces. The handwash sink in the cookline area was blocked by bulk bins and not accessible at all times for employee use. Food facility inspection indicates evidence of insect activity in bathroom area, but facility does not have a pest control program. Out of compliance.

Edible Arrangements #1269 , 3564 Penn Ave., Sinking Spring, May 6: one violation. Food facility inspection indicates evidence of roach activity in rear of facility near back door and utility mop sink area.

Chick-Fil-A #01384 , 2707 N. Meridian Blvd., Wyomissing, May 2: no violations.

Bixler’s Country Meats , Leesport Farm Market PO Box 747 Bldg 1, Leesport, May 1: one violation. Some of the lights in the display cases have the plastic tubing but are missing the end caps.

Candy Lady , Leesport Farmers Market, Leesport, May 1: no violations.

Nia’s Restorante & Pizzeria , 41 Kings Plazza, Oley, May 1: one violation. The small black fan being used in the pizza area has an accumulation of dust/dirt.

Andre Farms , 2638 W. Philadelphia Ave., Oley, April 30: no violations.

Blandon Park Concession , 36 W. Wesner Road, Blandon, April 30: one violation. Food facility does not have available sanitizer test strips or test kit to determine appropriate sanitizer concentration.

Brandywine Heights School District High School , 103 Old Topton Road, Mertztown, April 30: one violation. Food contact surface of a spatula is not smooth, easily cleanable and/or resistant to pitting, cracking or chipping. Corrected.

Daniel Boone School District High School , 501 Chestnut St. PO Box 450, Birdsboro, April 30: no violations.

Daniel Boone School District Primary Center , 576 Monocacy Creek Road, Birdsboro, April 30: no violations.

Dunkin Donuts , 1121 Memorial Highway, Oley, April 30: five violations. Torn and cracked gasket observed on the Delfield Cooler. Observed deeply scored cutting board not resurfaced or discarded as required on the Baine Marie. Food facility has employees who held a Certified Food Manager certificate; however, the certificates have expired and are no longer valid. Old food residue, coffee grounds observed in the handwash sink, indicating uses other than handwashing. COS. Observed old food debris behind equipment along the main prep line.

Frank & Diannah’s Arbor Inn , 47 S. Bingaman St., Reading, April 30: one violation. Walls in the area of the 3-compartment sink and dishwasher are becoming deteriorated. Walls should be non-absorbent and easily cleanable. Facility has started to repair/refinish these walls.

Giannotti’s Country Manor , 3118 Pricetown Road, Fleetwood, April 30: five violations. Raw food hierarchy is not being followed in the walk-in cooler. Raw beef and chicken observed above bagged potatoes. Corrected. Disposable souffle cups observed stored in several spice containers. Corrected. Four fryer baskets in the fryer area were observed with wires that were broken and not attached making the baskets not smooth and easily cleanable. Observed stove dials, in the cookline area, with an accumulation of dust on the non-food contact surfaces. Corrected. Observed single-service, single-use to go containers stored in the dry storage area directly on the floor, and not 6 inches above the floor. Corrected.

Gulf Station Oley , 1141 Memorial Highway, Oley, April 30: one violation. Temperature measuring device for ensuring proper temperature of equipment is not available or readily accessible in the small reach in refrigerator.

Kona Ice of West Reading Mff2 (Temp Tag) , 1751 S Mountain Drive, Sinking Spring, April 30: no violations.

Little Oley Tavern , 2068 Farmington Ave., Boyertown, April 30: three violations. Temperature measuring device for ensuring proper temperature of equipment is not available or readily accessible in the refrigerators, freezers, and Bain Maries. Food facility does not have available sanitizer test strips or test kit to determine appropriate sanitizer concentration. The handwash sink in the kitchen area was blocked for employee use.

Mario’s Pizza , 159 S. Reading Ave., Boyertown, April 30: six violations. Inspection Violations: The Person in Charge did not demonstrate adequate knowledge of food safety in this food facility as evidenced by this non-compliant inspection. Observed bain marie near the pizza ovens are not holding food at least 40 degrees. Food was removed from Bain Marie and moved to a refrigerator for proper cold holding temperatures. Refrigerated ready to eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared in the food facility and held for more than 24 hours, located in the Bain Maries, is not being date marked. Temperature measuring device for ensuring proper temperature of equipment is not available or readily accessible in the refrigerators and Bain Maries. Clothes observed being washed in buckets in ware washing sink. Food facility has an employee who held a Certified Food Manager certificate; however, the certificate has expired and is no longer valid. Out of compliance.

Redner’s Warehouse Mkt #87 , 1179 Ben Franklin Hwy Douglassville, Pa 19518, April 30: one violation. Observed a build up dirt and dust on the non-food contact surfaces of food packages and shelving. The build-up is a result of construction and dust/dirt is not being properly contained.

River Rock Academy , 810 Brownsville Road, Reading, April 30: no violations.

Shifty’s , 100 Gun Club Road, Mohnton, April 30: no violations.

Smoothie Q , 955 Benjamin Franklin W Hwy Douglassville, Pa 19518, April 30: no violations.

Sycamore Valley Farms , 345 Gelsinger Road, Reading, April 30: no violations.

Wilcox Roadside Market , 1134 Reading Ave., Boyertown, April 30: two violations. Temperature measuring device for ensuring proper temperature of equipment is not available or readily accessible in the walk-in-cooler, freezers, and refrigerators throughout the facility. Food facility is using an approved non-public water system, but does not have current laboratory testing results for water potability.

Conrad Weiser School District East Elementary , 200 Lincoln Drive, Wernersville, April 29: no violations.

Conrad Weiser School District High School , 44 Big Spring Road, Robesonia, April 29: two violations. Food facility does not have available sanitizer test strips or test kit to determine appropriate sanitizer concentration, test strips fell in water and need to be ordered. Observed a metal pan holding lids in the clean dish storage area, with an accumulation of debris in the bottom of the pan. Corrected.

Conrad Weiser School District Middle School , 347 E. Penn Ave., Robesonia, April 29: one violation. Four spray bottles were observed in the prep area three with clear liquid and one with pink liquid were not marked with the common name of the chemical. Corrected.

Moe’s Southwest Grill #1913 , 1070 Berkshire Blvd., Wyomissing, April 29: no violations.

Royal Farms #402 , 1340 Ben Franklin Highway, Douglassville, April 29: no violations.

Target #2529 , 4599 Perkiomen Ave., Reading, April 29: no violations.

Trinity U.C.C. , 27 Maria St., Rehrersburg, April 29: no violations.

Weiser Decisions , 404 S. Church St., Robesonia, April 29: no violations.

Antietam High School @ Trinity UCC , 2449 Cumberland Ave., Reading, April 26: two violations. Plastic tableware is not displayed in a manner so that only the handles are touched by the students. Corrected. Working container (spray bottle) in kitchen area, used for storing chemicals, cleaners taken from bulk supplies, was not marked with the common name of the chemical. Corrected.

Firehouse Coffee Mmf3-Xmv4333 , 15877 Kutztown Rd. Road, Maxatawny, April 26: no violations.

Kutztown Beneficial Association , 310 Noble St., Kutztown, April 26: three violations. Coffee cup with handle observed in a container of food with the handle buried in the food. Corrected. Cup without a handle observed in the food in the container. Corrected. Food contact surface of two fryer baskets were observed as not smooth, and easily cleanable. Static dust observed on the ceiling in the rear of walk-in coolers by the fan guards.

Nuse’s Deli , 3160 Main St., Morgantown, April 26: Observed deeply scored cutting boards not resurfaced or discarded as required. The cutting board on the Bain Marie in the service area is need of replacement or resurfacing. Observed a build-up of old food residue on the nonfood contact surfaces of the milkshake machine. Corrected.

Pine Hill R V Park , 268 Old Route 22, Kutztown, April 26: no violations.

Plantedhub Catering Kitchen , 75 Church Lane Road, Reading, April 26: no violations.

Pretzel Revolution Market Stand , 740 Noble St., Kutztown, April 26: one violation. Two souffle cups without handles observed stored in food products. Corrected.

Sushi Awarsei @ Reading Hospital , 420 S. Fifth Ave., Reading, April 26: no violations.

Bar B Q Pit , 4741 Penn Ave., Sinking Spring, April 25: three violations. There is an accumulation of dirt and grease on the floor under the fryer/grill in both the front counter area and the main cooking area in the kitchen. Some hood surfaces in the main kitchen area have an accumulation of grease. Paper towel dispenser empty at the handwash sink in the main kitchen area. Corrected.

Ganly’s State Hill Pub , 500 Brownsville Road, Sinking Spring, April 25: four violations. Food utensils at the cook line observed stored in containers of sanitizer. Corrected. Observed multiple soups being cooled in large plastic containers in the walk-in cooler, which is not a proper cooling method. Corrected. Cheese sauce was held at 130°F, in the deli/expo area, rather than 135°F or above as required. Corrected. Chlorine chemical sanitizer residual detected in the final sanitizer rinse cycle of the low temperature sanitizing dishwasher was 0 ppm, and not 50-100 ppm as required. Corrected.

McDonald’s #7970 , 800 Hill Ave., Wyomissing, April 25: two violations. Food Employees observed working with exposed foods with fingernail polish and / or artificial fingernails. The light intensity in the walk-in cooler area is not at least 10 foot candles. Corrected.

Morning Fuel , 3024 Penn Ave., West Lawn, April 25: one violation. Thermometer for ensuring proper temperature of equipment is not available or readily accessible in one of the bain marie units in the kitchen.

Moyer’s Catering Inc. , 237 S. Ironstone Drive, Boyertown, April 25: four violations. Food employees observed in the front counter area, not wearing proper hair restraints, such as nets, hats, or beard covers. Refrigerated ready to eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared in the food facility and held for more than 24 hours, located in the walk-in-coolers and refrigerator is not being date marked. Observed deeply scored cutting board in the kitchen are not resurfaced or discarded as required. Food facility has an employee who held a Certified Food Manager certificate; however, the certificate has expired and is no longer valid.

Salino’s Stand , 10 S. Summit Ave., Reading, April 25: one violation. Observed a build-up of old food residue on the nonfood contact portion of the deli slicer.

San Francisco Tacos Mff-3/Zxf1929 , 4848 Kutztown Road, Temple, April 25: no violations.

Twin Valley High School , 4851 N. Twin Valley Road, Elverson, April 25: no violations.

Twin Valley Middle School , 770 Clymer Hill Road, Elverson, April 25: two violations. Observed 6 tubs of ice cream stored directly on the floor in walk-in freezer area, rather than 6 inches off of the floor as required. Observed a metal knife that is used for food prep with the tip of the blade missing. Corrected.

Vivi Bubble Tea , 450 Penn Ave., West Reading, April 25: two violations. Thermometer for ensuring proper temperature of equipment is not available or readily accessible in the walk-in cooler. Food facility does not have available sanitizer test strips to determine appropriate sanitizer concentration.

Wawa # 8155 , 8053 Chestnut St., Hereford, April 25: no violations.

West Reading Motor Club , 416 Penn Ave., West Reading, April 25: four violations. Open employee beverage containers were observed in the kitchen food preparation area. Corrected. Condenser fan covers in the walk-in cooler have an accumulation of dirt. Outer door located in the back kitchen area of the food facility has a gap at the bottom due to a torn seal and does not protect against the entry of pests. The handwash sink in the bar area does not have single use towels. Corrected.

Antietam Mt. Penn Elementary Center , 2310 Cumberland Ave., Reading, April 24: two violations. Sanitizer test strips at the 3-compartment sink are damaged and are no longer usable. Facility needs to obtain new test strips. Large fan being used in the dish room has an accumulation of dirt/dust.

Antietam School District Mt. Penn Primary Center , 201 N. 25 th St., Reading, April 24: no violations.

Carmelo’s Pizza Restaurant , 116 E. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown, April 24: six violations. Food employees observed in the cookline area, not wearing proper hair restraints, such as nets, hats, or beard covers. Cheesecakes and Tiramasi, a refrigerated ready to eat time/temperature control for safety food, in the counter area, was not compliant with datemarking by being labeled with a discard or use by date of no more than 7 days, and requires discarding. The floors throughout the cookline, prep, and walk-in-cooler are dirty and in need of cleaning. Rear door located in the kitchen area of the food facility has a gap and does not protect against the entry of pests. Excessive build-up of cardboard in the back closet. Freezer in the back of the kitchen has an excessive amount of ice buildup due to gasket not sealing properly.

Governor Mifflin School District Cumru Elementary , 601 Philadelphia Ave., Shillington, April 24: no violations.

Governor Mifflin School District Intermediate , 600 Governor Drive, Shillington, April 24: one violation. Observed a build-up of dust and dirt on the fan being used in the warewash room to dry clean dishes.

Holiday Inn , 6170 Morgantown Road, Morgantown, April 24: five violations. Observed shell eggs stored above other foods in the walk-in cooler. Corrected. Scoop being stored in the ice bin with handle touching and/or buried beneath the ice at the bar. Corrected. Observed deeply scored cutting boards not resurfaced or discarded as required. Soda dispensing gun at the bar, a food contact surface, was observed to have food residue and was not clean to sight and touch. Corrected. Observed a build-up of old food residue on the nonfood contact portion of the mixer.

Isaacs Restaurant And Deli , 94 Commerce Drive, Wyomissing, April 24: three violations. Food Employees observed working with exposed foods with fingernail polish and / or artificial fingernails. Cauliflower soup was not cooled from 135°F to 70°F in 2 hours and/or from 135°F to 41°F within 6 hours, after preparation. COS by rapidly cooling. Observed significant fruit fly activity in the ware washing area of the facility.

Plaza Azteca Mexican Grill , 1013 Reading Ave., Boyertown, April 24: one violation. Refrigerated ready to eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared in the food facility and held for more than 24 hours, located in the Bain Maries near the cookline, are not being date marked.

Salsa Burrito , 4900 Shillington Place, Reading, April 24: four violations. Overwrap tape on equipment bottom shelves must be removed. Food facility does not have available sanitizer test strips or test kit to determine appropriate sanitizer concentration. Paper towel dispenser empty at the handwash sink in the kitchen area. Corrected. Mops are not being hung to air dry.

Speedway #06731 , 2336 W. Lancaster Pike, Reading, April 24: one violation. Observed a build-up of old food residue on the non-food contact portion of the soda dispensing machine.

Subway #48393 , 518 E. Lancaster Ave. Unit A-14, Reading, April 24: three violations. Food Employee observed starting their shift and heading to the prep line without washing hands. Corrected by instructing the employee to wash hands. The quaternary ammonia concentration in the sanitizing solution of the 3-bay warewash sink was 0 ppm, rather than 200-400 ppm as stated on the manufacturers use directions. Corrected. Back door located in the dry storage area of the food facility has a gap and does not protect against the entry of insects, rodents, and other animals.

Muhlenberg Township

Kidspeace Berks Campus , 704 Hay Road-Wilson Sarig School, May 3: no violations. Out of compliance.

Krystyna’s Kitchen Roman’s Polish Foods , 2934 North Fifth Street Highway, May 3: three violations. Food in right hand side refrigerator was held at 44.1°F, rather than 41°F or below as required. Refrigeration maintenance/adjustment scheduled. Wooden handled knives cannot be cleaned adequately due to grooves between handle/knife. Discarded on inspection. Plumbing fixtures leaking in multiple locations at 3-compartment sink.

Matt’s Coney Island , 2934 North Fifth Street Highway, May 3: no violations.

Wingswept Acres , 2934 North Fifth Street Highway, May 3: no violations.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #71 , 776 Mount Laurel Ave., April 28: no violations.

JT’s Gourmet Delivery LLC , 3801 Hilltop Ave., April 28: no violations.

Mama’s Pizza , 4425 Pottsville Pike, April 28: two violations. Employee beverage observed on bagged flour. Corrected on inspection. Food employees observed in prep areas, not wearing proper hair restraints, such as nets, hats, or beard covers.

Wegman’s Restaurant , 4401 Pottsville Pike, April 28: six violations. Potentially hazardous ready-to-eat food prepared in the food facility and commercially processed ready to eat food, located in the walk-in refrigerator and reach-in refrigerator, and held more than 48 hours, are not being marked with the date they were opened. Observed customer tableware / drinking glasses with cracks or chips. Corrected on inspection. Service boards at steam tables, a food contact surface, were observed to have food residue between boards and were not clean to sight and touch. Owner scheduled for ServSafe Manager certification on 5/6/24. Peeling paint on ceiling which is a non-smooth surface and with the potential contamination of food service areas below. Floor tiles chipped/damaged with multiple non-smooth surfaces which prohibits adequate cleaning.

Sam’s Club # 8160 , 5314 Allentown Pike, April 27: no violations.

San Francisco Mini Market & Tacos , 4848 Kutztown Road, April 27: no violations.

Holy Guardian Angels Regional School , 3125 Kutztown Road, April 26: no violations.

None reported.

The following reports for the period of April 10 to April 23, 2024, were added to the state’s database after April 26 and did not appear in the previous Berks food safety report .

WAWA #8124 , 837 Penn Ave., Wyomissing, April 23, two violations. Mold like growth observed on the interior of the ice machine located at the beverage station. Corrected. Observed excessive food debris build up on the exterior surface of the ice machine in the beverage prep area.

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Local News | Daily docket: May 11, 2024

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How can I see the northern lights in the UK tonight?

Scientist explains how, when and where to see the northern lights, or aurora borealis, in the UK on Saturday evening

The northern lights might be visible in parts of the UK again on Saturday after the rare phenomenon was spotted across the country overnight.

An “extreme” geomagnetic storm caused the lights, also known as aurora borealis, to be more visible on Friday evening – delighting millions of people across the northern hemisphere.

And for those who missed out, a second chance could arise.

Chris Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said there were sightings “from top to tail across the country”.

Looking ahead to Saturday night, he said: “It is hard to fully predict what will happen in the Earth’s atmosphere, but there will still be enhanced solar activity tonight, so the lights could be visible again in northern parts of the UK, including Scotland, Northern Ireland and the far north of England.”

He advised those hoping to see the lights on Saturday to head to an area with low light pollution and to use a good camera.

“The best chance you have of seeing the lights is if you are away from street lights and areas with lots of light pollution, as any type of light does have a big effect,” he said.

“Also, at this time of year, we are fighting the shorter length of nights, so it is unlikely that they will be visible until around 10.30pm or 11 o’clock when it gets really dark.”

Sightings in southern parts of the UK would be less likely on Saturday, although Snell said the lights might be visible through a strong camera lens.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

In the northern hemisphere, most of this activity takes place within a band known as the aurora oval, covering latitudes between 60 and 75 degrees.

When activity is strong, this expands to cover a greater area, which explains why displays can be occasionally seen as far south as the UK.

• Northern lights
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• Northern Ireland

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