Those 55-minute sessions in the library to read and check out new library books have taken on new meaning this week at Walnut Grove Elementary School in the Ferguson-Florissant School District, and the kids can’t wait to take it all in.
With colorful artwork of bears, jungle animals and inspiring quotes painted on the walls, the kids are dazzled just from looking around their newly-renovated library.
The Heart of America Foundation sponsors grants nationwide to schools that meet criteria related to free and reduced-lunch eligibility. The foundation makes reading material available to children because the availability of books is “the strongest predictor of a child’s ability to read and later academic achievement.”
The school met the criteria, wrote the grant – and won the library makeover.
“It’s one of things you hear when they say you’ve won the lottery, and you go, ‘Sure, yeah, I did.’ We did – the library lottery!” said Judi Knight, librarian.
“They’ve given us our reading area back there, and that’s going to be neat. And they’ve given us a new rug, and I haven’t sat in the chair yet – that’s my reading chair,” the librarian said, with delight in her eyes rivaled only by some of the young readers.
The foundation partners with the retailer Target in this initiative. It took about a month for volunteers from Target to make the transformation. Children could sneak a peek through glass to watch as their library progressed.
One wall was knocked down to expand the library. There is new paint, new carpet, new furniture and – most importantly – 2,000 new books to complement the library collection.
Knight said they provided “things that no way could I purchase with my budget, and they did it so we have got every reading level – every level. It’s amazing!”
The school had an open-house celebrating its new library last Friday, and the kids started using the new library on Monday.
Those who toured early were able to scope out selections from the harvest of new books that are ripe for the picking. For second grader Brian Dorris, it is all about the red, white and blue. He eyed a new book titled Stars and Stripes displayed atop the book shelf.
To encourage the love of reading outside of school, each of the 385 Walnut Grove students also received a stack of age-appropriate books to start building their own library at home.
“We got seven books,” said Daya Clinton, a fifth grade Nancy Drew and mystery book fan.
“I didn’t get to look at all of them, but I know we used our dictionary with some of the Target workers and we played Hangman.”
In addition, the library was upgraded with new teaching tools, including SMART Boards.
“We have a brand new space for our students to enjoy reading,” said Aline Phillips, school principal.
“It’s been a work of art and a work of the heart. We’ve been watching the process unfold.”
On Friday, more than 300 volunteers wearing red Target T-shirts were stocking shelves and adding finishing touches throughout the school.
“They are painting around the building, they are helping teachers create learning centers in the classroom,” the principal said.
“So this is a day to celebrate education and definitely recognize our teachers and the hard work they do. It’s the perfect boost for our school and our community, and it’s a deserving effort because our teachers work extremely hard to try to keep our students successfully academically.”
In the end, it’s all about the students.
Knight, the librarian, said, “The books they have presented us are going to just entice everybody to come in and read.”