Past projects 3
"Running" Great Book Clubs with the Track Series
Funded Dec 31, 2024I can't thank you enough for funding my book club project with the Track Series books by Jason Reynolds. I am so excited to run book clubs/literature circles this spring with his four very relevant, touching, and engaging books featuring four different members of a track team in each book.
My goals are many: to put brand-new, high-interest novels into my students' hands that they are excited to read; to provide a mirror into their own lives for some students and a window into different lives for others; and to highlight one of the most impactful authors of his generation, the inimitable Jason Reynolds. I am in a district with growing diversity, and Reynolds' writing can relate to my students of color while expanding the world view for other students. Your generosity made my goal of amplifying black voices come to life.
Additionally, students will study point of view as a literary concept, and each group will come to discussions with one of the four points of view from their novel. Students need to be able to hear a story from all sides and to consider others' point of view, now more than ever.
You have already made a difference in my classroom: when I opened the boxes and took out the brightly colored novels, several students recognized the first book of the series and were thrilled to get to read another, others were new to the series but excited to have new books to read. They can't wait to get started.
Once again, my students and I thank you for your generosity.
With great appreciation,
Liz Hegarty”
With gratitude,
Ms. H.
This classroom project was brought to life by Allison and Austin McChord.If You Can See It, You Can Be It
Funded Jul 2, 2024Thank you so much for supplying my students with a set of books that will make a huge impact not only on their education, but on their world view. Jason Reynolds' books are full of heart, just what our kids need more of these days. The story is about a boy who tends to get into trouble at school due to a traumatic childhood. When he comes upon a track team at a nearby field, he suddenly realizes the value of doing the right thing and being a part of a community.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated!”
With gratitude,
Ms. H.
There's Nothing Like a Good Book
Funded Dec 31, 2019I'm writing to thank you for helping to re-ignite my students' love of reading. Using the Lucy Calkins Reading Workshop method, students in my classes can now choose to read a book that interests them, rather than a prescribed shared text. In selecting the books to add to my classroom library, I chose authors and characters that better reflect my students' demographics, creating far more interest in reading than in my previous years of teaching.
In my classroom, now that students have high-interest, recently published book choices that they can see themselves represented in, they can't wait for reading time. During 20-minute reading time, you can hear a pin drop. When they talk amongst themselves, they are talking about THEIR BOOKS. For middle school students, this is nothing short of a miracle.
What's most exciting about the new books is that students who normally shut down when given a reading assignment are excited to read. I had a student recently tell me that he hadn't read a book in years. Now he's looking at the library for the sequel to the book he read in class. Thanks to you, my students have a new love of reading.”
With gratitude,
Ms. H.