HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I'd like to thank all of my dedicated BookPALS and Schools who have participated in the Atlanta BookPALS Program in 2006. Have a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to working with you all in 2007!
Cindy Tinius
Atlanta BookPALS Coordinator
The following are comments from schools and BookPALS around Georgia regarding the Atlanta BookPALS Program. Enjoy!
BookPAL Doug Kaye with Ms. Dixon's Class at Burgess-Peterson Academy in Atlanta, Georgia
BENTEEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Atlanta, Georgia
Christina Smith-Galloway, Program Coordinator:
Ms. Gloria Stanley is one of Benteen's most dedicated volunteers. She comes to Benteen every other Wednesday and reads to two different kindergarten classes. Ms. Stanley exerts great enthusiasm about reading when she walks through the doors of Benteen! The students are very excited when she comes because she really engages them in the stories she reads. She is definitely a role model and an exemplary volunteer!
BURGESS-PETERSON ACADEMY
Atlanta, Georgia
Kelly Allen, ILS:
Mr. Doug Kaye is a BookPAL at Burgess-Peterson Academy. He has been reading to the students for the last five years. He supports the classroom teachers' efforts to help students to develop a love for reading and become lifelong readers. He has many types of books that grab students' attention and appeal to their wide range of interests. Therefore, the students make connections between the books and something in their own lives. The books that he selects increase the students' vocabulary and comprehension skills, while exposing them to various types of genres. The students love it when he visits and they create many lasting memories as they read together!
BookPAL Doug Kaye with Ms. Hughey's Class at Burgess-Peterson Academy in Atlanta, Georgia
HIGH POINT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Atlanta, Georgia
Jan Waring, Media Specialist:
We have been blessed with having Queen Martha (Martha Knighton) read to our children for several years now. She brings such a wonderful level of enthusiasm to her reading. The children fall in love with her. So many of the children in our school population are learning English. Having this extra exposure to hearing the language is such a benefit for them. The bonus is that it is done with such joy! Thank you, Martha!
HIGHTOWER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Doraville, Georgia
Christine Parker, Upper Grades Literacy Coach:
BookPAL Adora Poon has been simply adorable! During the month of October, fourth-graders at Hightower Elementary School's culturally diverse population were immersed in writing their own folktales as part of the Narrative Writing Georgia Performance Standard. As timing would have it, Adora was able to read folktales from a variety of cultures with animated enthusiasm, changing her intonation to reflect each of the characters in the books. Results? Our students' writing took on a different turn. They were able to revise their own original pieces to meet elements of the standard.
LOVE T. NOLAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
College Park, Georgia
Maria J. Leskanic, Third-Grade Teacher:
BookPAL Carolyn Ellis is a dedicated and wonderful storyteller! The students love her and look forward to her weekly visits. She also attended our field trip and took lots of photos to share with the children. We are very fortunate to have Ms. Ellis!
Selena J. McNeill, Fifth-Grade Teacher:
BookPAL Carolyn Ellis is a caring woman who is dedicated to the children here at Love T. Nolan. Even when she is not feeling well, she comes anyway. Last Friday morning, she was released from the hospital and Friday evening, she was here! She was positive and gave inspiration and encouragement to the students. Ms. Ellis' reading is inspirational and academically enhancing. Her dedication is phenomenal and her encouraging words will some day be life saving for the kids she comes in contact with.
NORTON PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Smyrna, Georgia
Jackie Verner, Counselor:
Heather Place has been our most consistent and enthusiastic volunteer for many years. She continues to communicate her love for reading and her love for children clearly. She is an important part of our school family!
POWERS FERRY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Marietta, Georgia
Kathy Culbertson, Media Specialist:
You couldn't ask for a more fun BookPAL than our very own Cathy Kaemmerlen! She has honored our Media Center and thrilled our students with her storytelling wizardry and fun-filled performances for many years! Every Thursday afternoon, our students know "The Story Lady - Mrs. 'Camera-Lens'" will be in our Media Center. They CANNOT wait to fly through the doors of our Media Center to find her waiting to thrill them with her terrific tales. Among Cathy's many talents, she has recently become a published author of a book "General Sherman and the Georgia Belles: Tales from Women Left Behind." Her book was very appealing to our adult audience. She was so kind to come and perform a small excerpt from her book for the teachers after school. That was a real treat!
BookPAL Cathy Kaemmerlen Reads at Powers Ferry Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia
CARY REYNOLDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Doraville, Georgia
Ms. Terry Allen, Pre-K Teacher:
Dear BookPALS, thank you for inspiring both students and teachers! Our class looks forward to our BookPALS visit every week! Ms. Frankie Earle dazzles and delights us with her book choices, her passion for reading, and enticing style for bringing the story alive! Thanks for making reading such fun!
BOOKPAL JANE BASS
McLendon Elementary School
Decatur, Georgia
I'm reading for Ms. Dickerson's and Ms. Galloway's kindergarten classes and Ms. Spring's language arts for the fourth and fifth-graders. We're reading books that go along with the "Letter of the Week" in kindergarten. In the older kid's class, we're reading King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry in weekly installments. I only hope the reading means half as much to the children as it does to me!
BOOKPAL MONICA KAUFMAN
L.P. Miles Elementary School
Atlanta, Georgia
Cindy, everything is great. Fifteen adorable kids and Mrs. Fleming is the teacher Central Casting would love! Monica
BOOKPAL DOUG KAYE (AKA UNCLE DUNKLE)
Burgess-Peterson Academy
Atlanta, Georgia
Well, it's been a good first half of the year at Burgess-Peterson. I read to all four of the kindergarten classes here, spending a half-hour with each, and it's been rewarding for them and me. I'd started as early as I could, only a week after classes began, and the kids quickly warmed to "Uncle Dunkle," not letting me leave the classroom until I've been smothered with hugs. I spent the last couple of weeks introducing them to their first chapter book, "Junie B. Jones and the Stupid, Smelly Bus" by Barbara Park, and will wind up the month with fairytale picture books, in conjunction with the Happily N'Ever After promo. So far though, the kids are big fans of "Curious George," Helen Lester's "Tacky the Penguin," and Susan Meddaugh's "Martha the Talking Dog." Mid-November, when I told the kids that I wouldn't see them the next week, they were so disappointed, even when I pointed out that they wouldn't even be in school because of Thanksgiviing. And you know, that Thursday morning, as busy as I was preparing for the day's feast, I was disappointed that I wasn't with them that day, too.
BookPAL Doug Kaye with Ms. Balisha Johnson's Class at Burgess-Peterson Academy in Atlanta, Georgia
BookPAL Doug Kaye with Ms. Leila Roman's Class
at Burgess-Peterson Academy in Atlanta, Georgia
BOOKPAL DENNIS KLEIN
River Eves Elementary School
Roswell, Georgia
Can you believe it's December already? These past few months have flown by! I have the pleasure of reading to two kindergarten and three first-grade classes and the kids are so receptive. I really have the teachers to thank for that, since they have been taking turns picking out the books to read. This is such a great time for the kids. The teachers have said that the kids really look forward to Friday mornings. To tell you the truth, I don't know who looks forward to that time more, the kids or me. Now it's break time until next year. From the hugs I've received, I know the kids will miss the reading time, at least until it's present time! Happy Holidays to All and to All a Safe and Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa!
BOOKPAL HEATHER PLACE
Norton Park Elementary School
Smyrna, Georgia
Cindy, it was great seeing you at the Workshop! I'm having a wonderful year at Norton Park. I'm reading to all of the kindergarteners and first-graders on a rotating basis. I usually read to two to three classes of first-graders and then switch rooms and read to two to three classes of kindergarteners. On any given Thursday, I read to about 100 kids! I started off the school year with classic fairy and folk tales as I usually do, and now I'm doing different versions of fairytales and holiday stories. This Thursday, I am the kindergarten assembly. I'm reading "The Polar Express" and "The Night Before Christmas" to about 120 kindergarteners in the cafeteria. After the stories, we'll all have hot chocolate. I'm really looking forward to it. Thanks for all you do for BookPALS. Have a blessed holiday season!
BOOKPAL GLORIA STANLEY
Benteen Elementary School
Atlanta, Georgia
I read to Ms. Scott's class and we had a wonderful venture in storytelling in Dr. Seuss stories and "The Little Engine That Could." Ms. Galloway was very helpful in getting me to the classroom and we even discussed that I alternate classes. Tomorrow, I will be reading to Ms. Hartwell's class. Excited about the moment. Thank you once again for making this possible!
BookPALS
http://www.bookpals.net/content/article.php?story=20061211154428207