I have sent this update to our Book Fairy email group but I also wanted to post it here because I know there are people interested in this and want to keep up with it.
I visited with the kids last Thursday for almost 2 hours (my boss was out of town! :o) )
After I gave them their reward books for the book reports they turned in I told them I had a small surprise for them. I gave each of them a Goosebumps book and they were thrilled.
My mother went on the visit with me and she was truly blown away by these kids. She taught in a private school for 16 years up until her retirement last year and she is thinking about getting involved with this program now in a tutoring capacity! Yay!!!
We went to Wal-mart on Saturday to pick up some things and between the two of us we bought TONS of stuff to make Halloween gift bags for the kids. Pencils, finger puppets, erasers, pumpkin shaped bubbles and some other little things. I am going to try and find some stickers and some small books or other items to put in the bags. Plus, my mom volunteered to make cookies to throw in too.
Some of the kids are having a hard time with the book reports. Out of the 24 kids in the class I have 2 kids who have yet to turn in a report. I spoke to the teacher and told her that I want every child to be able to participate and that if I need to spend some time doing extra work with them that I will.
Last year I had a child that was mentally handicapped in my class and he just couldn’t do the reports…no matter how easy I tried to make them for him. He would sit back and watch every other kid get reward books and I just couldn’t take it anymore so I started using my lunch hour once a week and spending extra time with him doing oral book reports. We would try to read the book together then I would ask him questions about the book. By the end of the year he earned enough points to get his T-shirt and he was so happy!
After the kids complete 15 reports they are eligible to get a Blue Ribbon. My class and I have set our goal this year for everybody in our class to get the Blue Ribbon.
I also have received so many wonderful books that I was able to get a huge gift bag and fill it (I could barely lift it) full of books and give it to the library at the school. The lady who runs the library stopped by as I was leaving and introduced herself and told me how much they appreciated the books.
The kids are pumped about their Book Fairies. I haven’t given them many details and they keep asking me “Who’s my fairy?” “Where do they live?” “Do they have kids too?” “If they ever come to Alabama will they visit us?” “Can we send them a letter?”
I am going to give them the first of your books this Thursday. Then I’ll give them the book for October on Halloween when I give them their gift bags. If you haven’t had a chance to send something yet…don’t worry…I have extra books to use. Nobody will be left out, I promise.
I’m in the middle of trying to think of what to dress up as for my Halloween visit. Last year I wore an old gown…think Camelot…and we read ghost stories and I visited the other classrooms because I had enough cookies bought to make bags for other classes. I am amazed at how many kids remember that and remember my visiting. When I was walking down the hallway last week there was a group of 1st graders lined up in the hallway and I heard one little girl whisper…“That’s the lady who is a queen and makes cookies…” :o)
It meant a lot to me to have my mother visit and see how much I love these kids. I have disappointed my parents a lot over the last 10 years and I want them to see that I have made something good of my life. This program and these kids are just part of it.
I hope you don’t mind my rambling but I want you guys to know how much you are impacting these lives.
Thanks again! I’ll update again soon!
Much love,
Kristin/Aries
