Georgia Ave On My Mind: Gala Week!

my speech from last year's gala.

really excited for Friday and all the possibilities it brings.

J* is a student in my second grade class at Benton Heights Elementary School. He comes from a single parent, Spanish speaking home. When he enrolled in our school as a kindergartner he was unable to speak English. He worries daily about whether his family will have food or whether the electric bill will be paid. I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have to worry about the electric bill until I bought my first house this year.

Despite the challenging circumstances at home, J comes in every day ready to give me a hug. He is a friend to everyone and laughs easily. And while he struggles with reading, he excels in math – in fact, he had one of the top scores in the second grade.

At the beginning of the year, I sit down with each student and set a goal. My goal is to empower each child – to help them realize that they can work hard and achieve goals they set for themselves. J's goal was to become a reader – a voracious reader. Every day I encouraged him to keep practicing at home and reminding him that his goal was within reach.

In Title 1, low income schools, students are required to keep daily reading logs. Each child needs to read thirty minutes at home each day and record what they read. Early in the year, J brought his reading log to my desk. In the space meant to record the book title, he had recorded a soup can label. It caught me off guard – what child would read a soup can for their thirty minute reading practice?

Problem is, J doesn’t have books at home. And he doesn’t have any way to access them, but he was so focused on reaching his goal that he read the back of a soup can label.

How can we require something we don’t have the resources to support? At school we are rich in resources. We have classrooms of school supplies, a library full of books, and teachers available to support learning in every room. At home, many students don’t have the resources to access books, even though reading practice is a requirement. In many cases, their parents are illiterate.

I have one year – one year to inspire twenty kids to reach their goals. One year to empower them to be successful. One year to ignite their passion for reading. I only have one chance to provide my influence in their lives. The most important thing I can do is to provide them with a long term resource – that’s what First Book did for my class this year.

First Book’s mission is to give children from low income families the opportunity to read and own their first books. In the last three years, First Book-Charlotte has distributed more than 80,000 brand new books to children in Mecklenburg and Union counties. Three weeks ago today, 370 children at my school received six books each, and the students are given books based on their individual reading level, to ensure successful reading habits at home. The sponsors and donors from last year’s Gala made it possible for these kids to bridge the gap between reading at school and reading at home – creating a lifestyle of literacy.

In the coming school year, First Book-Charlotte wants to distribute another 50,000 books to children in the Charlotte metro area – but we can’t do it without your help. My second graders on the video said it best – they want to be challenged and they need the resources. They already love learning. It is now our opportunity, tonight in this room, to empower them through the gift of a book, and be a part of creating the next generation of readers…