My second graders are curious and active; silly and serious – they are a mix of colorful and engaging personalities. Their interests range from playing video games to painting pottery, but before distance learning began, all of them were beginning to love to read books! We were seriously on a roll! I have dearly missed them all, and quite honestly, distance learning has set them back. Most are able to use their school chrome books until the end of the school year, but the majority of their work is from district-provided documents. I know some of them have access to good books at home, but others do not. With public libraries closed right now, that access is even more limited.
Having grown up in this community myself, I know my students' rural and suburban neighborhoods, and I know their families are hard-working folks who support their education and want them to succeed in school.
I am privileged to be their teacher! I want to be able to give them and their families just one more parting gift that will boost their future learning.
My Project
The last couple of months before the classroom was closed, my students had begun to love exploring non-fiction books. Whenever our library gave away free books, they would swoop in and grab as many as they could. We had spent time on so many skills to prepare them for reading and writing on various topics of interest. I'd love a way to keep this momentum going! Through a set of fascinating books on intriguing topics, they will be able to refresh that drive to learn more.
Each year for the past several years, our students had looked forward to choosing books to take home for the summer, donated by a local educational group - but the coronavirus sadly suspended that program this year.
How would I be able to make up for this loss to my kids?
Since parents have been working so hard in their spare time between working and worrying about staying safe, I wanted to gift them with something their children could enjoy on their own. Our area was also hard hit by tornadoes recently - directly affecting two of our families, so I wanted something tangible for them. Books are an escape - a way to take your mind off the everyday world and enter another. Non-fiction books can be both an adventurous escape AND an inspiration to continue researching. I would love for you to help me give this wonderful gift to my families this summer.
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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. Reeves and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.