It has been days since I posted. Books (read and unread), journals, magazines, and paper product of all kinds have accumulated in piles around the house, at work, in my car. I was completely stressed out by Wednesday morning at work, but then completely saved by some stellar co-workers and one neighborhood volunteer whom I value more than I will ever be able to tell him (he designed the program of which you see the cover above plus so much more). The cause of all this brouhaha destroying my normal equanimity (I so flatter myself)? Family Reading Night at work – a night where we welcome hundreds in for student awards, free books for the kids, dinner, and family photos and literacy based activities in the library.
This is the second time we have hosted this event, and it would be difficult to describe what a “feel good” evening it is for everyone involved. As a school, we sometimes have a difficult time engaging both the parent community and the greater Shaw community in which we are located. This event brings out the best in all with a stake in the future of these great kids we educate. Thanks to the generosity of First Book and other donors, you could look down our main hallway (as seen above), and see families selecting free books for their children’s home libraries, something not all households had before we started book distributions.