We write to you while still basking in the glow of what has been perhaps the most exciting 1BookBG experience since its inaugural year, almost 10 years ago.
This year, the entire community of Bowling Green came together in support of our students and literacy. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity and support of local businesses, families, Parent-Teacher Organizations, and individual donors, 1BookBG was able to get over 2000 books into the hands of our K-5 students.
Thanks to the creativity and generosity of the Wood County Library, especially Children’s Services Director Maria Simon, we were able to bring author Jerry Pallotta into six different elementary buildings where he presented to students from every building in Bowling Green as well as at a community program in the library. His presentations focused on the experiences and processes through which he’s created over 101 children’s books. We are confident his words will help inspire many more students to share their knowledge and dreams in writing themselves.
Thanks to the encouragement and support of 15 local “mission site” business partners, student engagement in 1BookBG was enhanced by getting to cast votes for their favorite “Who Would Win” creatures as well as earn prizes for their participation over the past five weeks.
Thanks to the classroom teachers, school librarians, and administrators, students’ curiosity has been piqued and they have made deeper connections from their “own” 1BookBG information book to others, different series, and other sources of information on “Tell Me Tuesdays” and “Teach Me Thursdays”. That quest for knowledge will continue.
Thanks to the families that have embraced the books, the mission sites, and spirit days, our students have experienced celebrations of literacy in their homes, schools, and community.
We started this year’s 1BookBG program with the question, “Who Would Win?,” and now we have an answer – the community of Bowling Green won.
With gratitude,
Michelle N. Thomas, Stacey Higgins, and the 1BookBG Steering Committee representing BG’s Crim, Conneaut, and Kenwood Elementaries, St. Aloysius School, BG Christian Academy, Montessori School of Bowling Green, and Sleek Academy
