I have been volunteering with the Baggy Book Program at our local public schools for four years now. The first three years, as well as this year, I help in the Montessori program. This past year I added another elementary school that needs volunteers desperately.
The new school I am at is 90 plus percent ‘English as a second language’ or for short ESL. The school also serves free breakfast and lunch in the classrooms, so the kids arrive at school and eat breakfast before beginning the day. This does not happen at the other school I am at, in the same district. When school of choice came into law in our state the look of our schools slowly started to change. Redistricting and closing an elementary school made it now be, in my opinion, a disaster.
The children at the new school are lovely and bright and have a huge thirst to be able to read. They love when I read parts of the book to them, as teachers primarily are not allowed to read a story to the kids anymore for the sake of just reading to them. The kiddos they are so grateful to be read to!
In fact every single time I read with them they say thank you. They tell me stories of their lives and talk about who they read with at home if they do read at home. About 50 percent do not.
Recently I gave the children new ziploc baggies to tote their book and paper back and forth to home and school, they were so excited. A ziploc bag excited them. Perspective.
With all of this new experience I have had with this group of precious kiddos, I decided to give them each a “keep forever” book for Christmas. So I got some winter themed big ziplocs and put their name on the bag with a new to keep book inside. I was so excited to give them their books and see their little faces. I had no idea that I would be having to explain in great detail ‘ Yes honey, it’s yours, to keep, forever, at your house. You don’t have to bring it back. It’s yours. It’s my Christmas present to you.” The children just could not comprehend this. Once they did a light went on in their eyes. They were so excited.
The take away is that books are a luxury. Enjoy them if you have them. Be grateful if you own books, it’s not available for everyone. IF you can not afford books, visit your local library. A library card is FREE. The joy of a book-PRICELESS. Reading is essential. Books are important.
Book on.
Merry Christmas.
Peace.
