I’m fortunate to be the media specialist and fourth grade reading teacher at a small, rural K-8 school in Northeast Alabama. The school is the heart of our caring and close-knit community. Our area is economically challenged due to the lack of jobs in our general area. Many have to travel outside our district to find jobs. Last year, our small community was hit by a tornado that did significant damage to what few small businesses we have and many homes were damaged. The damage is still very much a part of the community landscape. Despite these challenges, our students and their families are strong and very resilient and have a huge desire to succeed. Our mission is to ensure that they have the resources and academic support for a successful future.
My Project
Our students enjoy reading but the effects of a lack of library funding in our state is taking a heavy toll on our library collection. I find it more challenging every year to keep students inspired and motivated to read. It’s a struggle to maintain an up-to-date and interesting collection of books on a tiny library budget. Our state funding only amounts to about $1.50 per student for the entire year. No matter the bumps or obstacles we still strive and work hard to provide our students with the reading materials they need to be successful readers!
Our school also has a long history of academic success and we want to continue that winning tradition.
We believe that reading is key to our success and quality, up-to-date, interesting books are crucial to maintain our academic achievements! Reading improves background knowledge, vocabulary, and comprehension across all content areas. With your help, we can overcome any obstacle and continue to provide our students with the books and resources they need to be life-long readers.
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