A Book Club for the 6th Grade Girls who WOW my 1st Graders!

Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month

This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.

When my best friend came to visit my 1st grade classroom last year, she commented, "You need 3 people in there helping you every day." Teaching in the inner city elementary school where I work in the Bronx has certainly been the hardest job I have EVER taken on. The lack of support and resources is astounding. Luckily for me, a colleague of mine teaches a phenomenal group of 6th graders (he taught the same group of children last year as 5th graders) and that is exactly where I have found my help. In fact, the children from his class--who mentor and buddy read with my children, help me to keep my classroom organized and are always eager to provide a hand--have constituted the MOST help I have received at my school. I have formed a particularly close connection with the twelve girls in his class. Their teacher is male and I try to provide them with some of the female support that is so important at their age, as 11 and 12 year old girls. I myself have an extremely close group of girl friends (we've been friends for many, many years!) and I try to teach them just how important having that support from my girl friends has been in my life. Last year, once a month they would stay with me after school for a book club. It was my way to thank them for all the work they did and also provide them with some "girl time." We read such books as "Little House on the Prairie" and "All of a Kind of a Family"--both terrific reads. We ate pizza, kicked back, and discussed the issues, many of them specific to young girls, in the books. Last year, I funded the book clubs entirely on my own. This year I would love to select books and give the girls each their own brand new copies to keep. We would start with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and "The Face on the Milk Carton"--2 great reads. I would also like to purchase a few copies of the sequels to the books so that the girls can keep on reading. Finally, since no gathering is complete without food, I am also requesting a small allowance for snacks. Thanks so much for your consideration of this proposal. I can assure you that you couldn't help a more wonderful group of girls!