Cascade High School. French language teacher Rebecca Richardson is introducing free voluntary reading time in the classroom daily, using leveled readers. Research shows that adding individual silent reading to traditional classroom instruction and textbook reading has a positive impact on second language acquisition and proficiency.

Cedar Wood Elementary School. Primary ACHIEVE teacher Kathy Mullarky has received funds to improve her classroom library. These ACHIEVE programs support students with unique learning needs, providing them with specialized instruction and resources to help them succeed academically. The goal stated is to provide these students with age-appropriate novels that will “improve literacy skills, foster a love of reading, and provide a diverse and inclusive learning experience.”

Eisenhower Middle School. Teacher/Librarian Leah Haney is reintroducing the “Ike Reads!” program, which incentivizes students who opt-in to reading award-winning books from a variety of genres, thereby creating a culture of literacy and celebration school-wide. 

Forest View Elementary School. Life skills teacher Sarah Chamberlain is obtaining the Abilities in Me books (a collection by Gemma Keir) and making them available to all classrooms in the school. Teachers will be able to check out the books for reading to their entire class, or to have separate conversations with students about different disabilities (and the unique abilities therein), particularly helpful when Life Skills students join general education populations.  

Garfield Elementary School. Librarian Becky French has created a program called “Books, Bins, and your Brain!” which provides Social Emotional Learning bins for use by students and teachers. Each bin contains several books on an emotion and includes a hands-on activity for students to complete after reading the book.

Jackson High School. Teacher Robyn McCleave is helping students "Discover Personal Legends” by bringing The Alchemist (by Paolo Coelho) to every student in the school.  “Students will read and discuss how Coelho’s characters pursue their ‘Personal Legends,’ connecting these journeys to their own goals and values. Through reflective writing and creative projects, they will strengthen self-awareness, empathy, and perseverance while engaging deeply with a timeless work of world literature.” The primary objective is to strengthen students’ literacy, critical thinking, and social emotional skills.

Jackson Elementary School. Librarian Stacy Gay is using children’s literature as the “passport to global exploration.” Each grade level is adopting a world region; at the school’s Multicultural Night, students and families will go from grade level to grade level (and world region to world region) where they will read or hear a story about the culture and receive a stamp in their passport while completing this literary world journey.  While creating global awareness and celebrating cultural diversity, students’ excitement for reading will be enhanced by this book-based school-wide student and family event. She is also creating a Family Book Club for 4th and 5th grade students and their families. Families will receive copies of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein and three gatherings at the school library which will involve read-aloud time, small group discussions, and fun hands-on activities. This project will enhance the home-school connection and reinforce reading as a fun, family-centered event. Counselor Terry Coleman is working to enhance the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) skills of preschool through first grade students via reading projects and a family Pajama Night. During the event, students and their families will listen to read-alouds from the new SEL books in the counseling library, participate in interactive SEL lessons with the counselor, and engage in discussion activities. Each student will also take home a book, extending and enhancing their Social Emotional Learning experience.

North Middle School. Librarian Kenleigh Kelly is introducing "Graphics for Growth!” by providing classroom sets of graphic phonetic books and graphic novels for Level 1 & 2 Multilingual English classes. Graphic novels provide beginning English language learners with a more inclusive reading experience and later help students decode the language and increase vocabulary and fluency.

Silver Firs Elementary School. Kindergarten teacher Whitney Massae, as part of the school’s Equity Team, will be providing each classroom with a new book focusing on diversity. The books My Whirling, Twirling Motor (by Merriam Sarcia Saunders) and Ghosts: A Graphic Novel (by Raina Telgemeier) were chosen because they contain characters with disabilities and will create opportunities for Silver Firs students to feel seen and heard, as well as enhancing empathy and understanding.  

Silver Lake Elementary School. Librarian Ashley Moser is revitalizing and modernizing the school’s nonfiction collection “to better support students’ academic growth, curiosity, and cultural awareness.” Previously, a large part of the nonfiction collection was published prior to 2000 and no longer met the school’s academic goals or student interest. New books will “provide the opportunity for students to build their background knowledge, expand their worldviews, and promote critical thinking and inquiry skills. Additionally, these books will foster academic growth and encourage students to be lifelong learners.”

Whittier Elementary School. Teacher Melinda Zacky is helping “Storybooks Come to Life” by building a library of high-quality audiobooks for kindergarten students, with the goal of sparking curiosity and inspiring a lifelong love of reading. These stories will allow students to experience the variety of cultural backgrounds present in their school, and to enhance listening and comprehension skills.