Funded Dec 4, 2023Yesterday a group of SLIFE students came into the learning commons with their teacher for a tour and to meet me, the librarian. SLIFE is an acronym that stands for Students with Limited Formal Education in their native country. For many different reasons they were not able to attend school on a regular basis before coming to the United States. They are now high school freshmen, and having just arrived, they speak no English. I showed the students how to recognize books written in Spanish by looking for the yellow dot I put on those books. They were given some time to browse the collection, and I was almost in tears when they came back with the Spanish language books, and big smiles on their faces.
A few weeks ago, I shared the new books with students in several EL classes. They were thrilled, and just as with the SLIFE students, the EL students immediately chose books in their native Spanish language to read.
Thanks to you and to the books, those students felt seen. They know they are important to the school. They are grateful to have access to popular fiction books that they can read without translating. I am grateful to you for making this happen.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Morgan