This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Our students are already asking about the books for next year! Our participation in the Virginia Reader's Choice program has grown like crazy over the past few years. Students have read the 2014 books and are asking for the 2015 selections!
My students come from a Title1 middle school with a diverse population.
Although they live only 12 miles from the ocean, many will never travel more than a couple miles from their neighborhood. They come from a working class neighborhood made up of a majority of single parent households as well as a high military population. For many, the school library is their only source of reading materials. The Virginia Reader's Choice program is designed to broaden their experiences through literature.
My Project
Our students look forward to the Virginia Reader's Choice selections each year. Those who read at least four of the 10 selections are invited to a celebration party at the end of each school year and are rewarded with a book of their choice. We have seen participation grow over the past few years as a result of the number of copies we have been able to receive through DonorsChoose.org projects; without this funding we not be able to purchase as many copies for the students. Several of the selections for the upcoming year have a strong historical basis which will spur students to read more about the Holocaust, the Monuments Men, John F. Kennedy and World War II. The others focus on issues students face in their lives each day.
A donation to this project is actually a donation to the cultural education of my students.
These titles represent coping skills to help them through their lives as well as pieces of history to increase their understanding of our world.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Mayfield and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.