Thanks, and hope you runners are feeling great this week!

Michaela Shafar

Upon my arrival, I heard the band break into a great version if Sweet Child of Mine (Guns and Roses) which included a perfect guitar solo by the lead guitarist,

Books were stacked everywhere for kids to pick out and take home!

Or to read while listening to the music.

From Principal Gray:

On Sunday August 30th, Hamilton Elementary, had its first annual Rock for Reading Back to School Picnic. Over 4000 books were distributed to approximately 175 of Hamilton’s students. The 300 attendees listened to live music from the student band Shockwave of the Music House, as well as Definition Chaos, a band from Franklin Fine Arts Center.

Students, famililes and community members  were thrilled to listen to great music and get new books at the Rock for Reading picnic. Principal James Gray said, “I am thrilled to partner with the Rock for Reading Organization. Hamilton is a Fine and Performing Arts Magnet Cluster School and the link between music and literacy is obvious to me. Thank you  for your support!”

Thanks!

James Gray
Principal
Hamilton Elementary

I shopped in second-hand stores, ordered online, and asked other teachers for their “left-overs” so I could start filling my bins and shelves.  From Day 1 last September, books, and not just textbooks, have defined my students’ learning experiences.  Read aloud is a precious time of each day, and students sit, amazingly silent and captivated, as I breathe life into the pages before me.  Unfortunately, for most of my students, the walls of our classroom are where the importance of books begins and ends.  My students do not come from backgrounds that make the boundless books of my childhood possible.  In fact, I began to grow aggravated one day when I noticed books missing from our classroom library.  Later, when students had left, I sat reflecting on the missing books, realizing that the missing books were merely a sign of the lack of books at home.

Which is why, when Rock for Reading contacted my school with a list of dozens and dozens of books that were available—for free!—for students, my heart began to race.  My students are eager, bright learners.  Reading is a sacred time in our classroom.  I knew that my students would immediately fall in love with any new books, nevertheless books that they could keep.

I placed my order, and let the four boxes sit on our back table for a couple of days.  My students kept asking “What is in those boxes?!”  I assured them that a day would come when we would see, and would only say “They are a gift for each of you.”  I wanted that anticipation to build.  I could feel their eyes staring down those boxes, thinking that if they stared long enough, or hard enough, they would surely see through the cardboard.  Finally, the day had come.  I slowly made my way to the back table.  I think one of my girls squealed because they knew what was coming.  I turned around to face my students—faces that are carved into my heart in a way I never knew possible.  I placed my hands on the flaps of a box, and cheers erupted.  I hadn’t even opened the boxes yet!  Calmly, trying to contain my excitement myself, I said “We have been very lucky this year.  A lot of people have donated things to our classroom to help us get a better education.  These strangers do not even know us, but they care, and they want you to be able to learn.”  I waited a quiet moment before continuing.  “Some very generous people have decided that we need to some books—“ I hadn’t finished the sentence and cheers and yelps of excitement drowned the sounds of my voice.  I held up a hand to signal silence, then slowly opened each box.  “In these boxes are books, books that you may each pick, to have, and to keep.”  Bodies leapt from chairs, moving up and down is jumps of pure delight.  Mouths released cheers at earsplitting volumes.  The excitement I had been containing spread across my face in an ear-to-ear grin.

It is moments like this where the power of education is revealed.  That excitement, that joy, is the purest example of a love of learning that one can witness.  When given these special opportunities, in this case, boxes of books to keep, I see children who are devoted, and empowered, by reading and learning.  There are many cards against my students’ futures.  Statistics say these students will probably not finish high school, never enter college.  But my mind and heart cannot help but feel differently.  And it is the seemingly little things, such as new books for a bedside, that make their future a little bit brighter and their love of learning even deeper.  Those books are hard-cover symbols of the hope for a bright future.

Thank you!
Allison

Joanna Calandriello

What I like about the books that my class received was that they had good and old movies in them. The other reason why I want to thank you is because the Oprah Winfrey book is telling you about her life time and how she runs her show I can quote that they said in the story what is Oprah’s secret to success? She is possibly the most trusted women in The United States.
Sincerely,
Kershaw Student

Dear to whom it may concern,
I really like the books my class received. My favorite one was Horror in Movies. I really liked it. So thank you so much.
Sincerely
Student from Kershaw Magnet School

The school’s Principal, Shirley Roach, and the founder and Executive Director of Sit Stay Read!, MaryEllen Schneider, were on site to present the awards as well as offer the opportunity for the students to say goodbye to the dogs.

Rock for Reading also provided a book donation and each student received one book to take home and were able to select another book to pass on to a friend and give the gift of reading.

The school is part of Chicago Public Schools and is located in the Old Town neighborhood across the street from the Marshall Field Garden Apartments which is a subsidized housing project. The opportunity for the students to have individual attention focused on both reading and interacting with a dog and its owner is truly special and the excitement and pride of the students, dogs and owners was palpable!

Sit Stay Read! is the leading literacy organization in the United States to use dogs as a tool to improve reading skills and foster the love of learning in children living in poverty. Through a curriculum designed with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Center for Literacy, Sit Stay Read’s trained volunteers and certified dog teams improve reading fluency, make reading fun, and inspire children to become lifelong readers.

The event was very inspirational and I was able to see the students transformation from exciteable and demonstrative while accepting their awards to becoming kind and respectful when it was their turn to sit with the dogs, read to them and say goodbye!

The correlation between reading and interacting with a dog clearly expanded the students’ experiences and worldviews and I am so proud to be part of Rock for Reading and to make it possible. On a seemingly normal Monday in Spring, I also had my worldview and experiences broadended.

Rock and Read on!

Owen Duncan     Sue Duncan Children’s Center

Margaret McGregor
Literacy Coach
Chicago Literacy Initiative Partnership
Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy

Hi Rock For Reading group!

I just wanted to tell you how much the students at our school appreciated the books that you donated. The students were excited to be reading non-fiction text, but were thrilled to find out that they got to keep these books and add them to their home libraries.The teachers and staff were overwhelmed by your generous donation to the reading development at our school.  Most of our students don’t own many books and you could tell they were very excited to share these books with their family.  As our assistant principal, Jesse Tang said, “the first step for reading success is putting books in students hands”.  Thanks to your work, we are closer to accomplishing that goal.
Thank you again!  This was a wonderful experience for everyone involved!
Kay Connley
Reading Coach
Murphy Elementary School – CPS

We are still looking for new homes for the books- six different fairy titles appropriate for ages seven and up. If your school, library, or other non-profit organization is interested, please contact us for more information.

Julie Hines-Lyman
Agassiz School of the Fine and Performing Arts