Ken Goldstein

 

As many of you already know, our reading clubs aren’t just rewarding for the students, but for our volunteers as well. This month volunteer Ken Goldstein had such a wonderful time working with the students at Magnolia Elementary that he wrote a moving entry for his blog Corporate Intelligence Radio. You can read the entirety of his post  here, but I wanted to share the following excerpt with you:

These kids were amazing.  They have all the potential in the world.  They are ready to dream and learn and help each other and work hard.  As we drove home and I looked around at parts of Los Angeles where many of us don’t spend enough time, I wondered, where will these kids be in five years when they hit middle school?  In ten years when they are in high school?  Will they go to college?  Will they have the kinds of opportunities that will let their dreams come true?  I couldn’t know, but that’s what I wanted to happen.

Ken’s piece serves as a great reminder that our volunteers’ service goes beyond a single Saturday morning. When you read with a child you're making an important investment in his or her future success--that's why we believe that inspiring a love of reading now is so very important.  I thank Ken for sharing his thought-provoking piece with us!

Happy 2013, Volunteers!

  

Thank you for making our first reading clubs of 2013 a success! We know that many students and volunteers alike were battling flu and some unusually cold Los Angeles weather, but our January 12^th Reading Clubs sailed smoothly onward! 

  

With Martin Luther King, Jr. Day just around the corner, we also want to acknowledge our volunteers’ continued support of equality in education. Dr. King's message inspires our own work in underserved communities, and we can't accomplish our mission without our volunteers. 

This month, 793 kids, 380 volunteers, 113 parents, and 26 teachers & staff joined us for an afternoon of Discovery and Adventure. Together we experienced the joy of a child’s first snowfall, tamed pesky varmints with the likes of Pecos Bill, and journeyed through the Great Lakes! You helped bring these stories to life for the kids, as did your ingenious craft creations (cowboy hats, log cabins, and lassos were plentiful)! 

  

On Saturday we also gave away prize computers to 7 lucky students. Thanks to your generous donations of laptops, computer towers, keyboards, mice, and monitors, we were able to give the kids the wonderful gift of technology. These 7 lucky students were thrilled to receive their prize computers, and the smiles on their faces were unforgettable. 

Our February 9th Reading Clubs are almost here, and we’ve got a great book selection lined up. This month’s “Friendship and Family” theme provides the perfect opportunity to grab your best buddy or your family member and sign up for the 9^th. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

Katherine Norris

Literacy Coordinator

A Note from our Ameri-Corp Member- Cynthia Orozco!

As the Literacy*AmeriCorps member for Reading to Kids, I have had the pleasure of working closely with two of our organization’s partner schools: Esperanza Elementary School during regular class hours and Leo Politi Elementary School for after-school homework help.

I have worked directly with students for the last eight months, and it has been incredible to see the many accomplishments of my students! I have students who are beginning to read when, at the beginning of the year, they were unable to recognize the letters of the alphabet. Many students have really improved on their English language skills and vocabulary. One of the best moments is when a child exhibits real enthusiasm for reading. Many of the students I work with really struggle with reading, and it isn’t particularly fun to read a book when you don’t understand the words in front of you. So when I see a student get excited about reading a new book or a student who begins to attend our reading clubs frequently, I can’t help but feel proud for that student and proud to serve the community.

I am constantly amazed and inspired by the students. I love to talk about current events and social problems with the older students. Most recently, the 5th graders at Politi and I had a great discussion about the recent earthquakes, comparing the big earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and contemplating the problems California would face in the event of an earthquake of a similar magnitude. The kids all have great ideas, experiences, and knowledge to share, and I encourage all of the volunteers at the reading clubs to keep the conversations flowing! It’s a great way for the kids to develop language and communication skills, and I guarantee they have a thing or two to teach you as well!

I look forward to seeing everyone at the June Reading Clubs! There is a really great selection of books for the month's "Super Heroes and Super People" theme that should make for some great discussion!