My blog for this school year will chronicle Bester's plan to create a culture of literacy in our school. However, before we begin the 2019-2020 school year – we have to talk about summer. Where did Bester’s journey to become “game changers” begin? The journey began last May (the time of year when all teachers are tired, drained, tired, burnt out, and tired some more). One Saturday morning, Kris McGee and the Washington County Lit Chapter brought Colby Sharp the co-author of Game Changer: Book Access for All to Hagerstown. To say Colby and Game Changer was inspiring….would be an understatement!!! That’s where this journey really begins with a group of educators who love kids and love books; talking about how to get books into the hands of kids. Summer Send – Off This was hands-down one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of (either in the classroom or as the librarian). With the help and support of Bester’s administration and School Family Liaison, Miss BJ. We were able to send every student home on the last day of school with 5 brand-new books. We took the “book droughts” our students usually face over the summer and began to create “book floods.” Dr. English, our principal, purchased a copy of Game Changer for every staff member to read over the summer (our own “Summer-Send Off”) Summer Reading And then, it was summer - the students were gone. How could we continue to encourage them to read? Two teachers, Mr. Rau and Miss Tapley decided to meet students at the Washington County Free Library once a week for an hour – just to read. They figured even if it was "only an hour" at least they knew the kids were reading. (I popped in every now and then). Each week they averaged about 10 kids; some that came every week, some that only showed up once – but they were READING! What else could we do? Get books in kids' hands, of course. One day in July, I invited families to come to the library and get new books (we had a lot left from Summer Send-Off). We had about 15 kids in throughout the day – more books in the hands of kids. Tailgate Tuesdays Planning ahead, members of our staff met over the summer to discuss Game Changer. We discussed each chapter and what we can do to “change the game” for our kids. We have a lot of great ideas for this year, including a Literacy Committee who will focus on monthly literacy-based events. I can’t wait to see where this year takes us. I can’t wait to see the culture of literacy develop at Bester. I can’t wait to watch kids read books they love! I can’t wait to talk about amazing books with students. I can’t wait for us to “change the game.”
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AuthorMy name is Kristy Rubeck and I am the Library/Media Specialist at Bester Elementary School. This is my 17th year of teaching. I have taught PreK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade. This is my fourth year as a Media Specialist! ArchivesCategories |