Ten school libraries were given new books for their students to check out plus more to take home and keep at the first Media Specialists meeting held at Gulf Coast High School on September 22nd, thanks to K is for Kids Foundation.
From left to right: K is for Kids' founder and executive director, Karen Clawson with school media specialists and Collier County Public School District officials at Gulf Coast High School, September 22nd: Paul Ordetx, Immokalee High; Linda Pattyson, Lely Elementary; Daniel Perez, Lake Trafford Elementary; Shirley Wallner, Pinecrest Elementary; Carol Roberts, Golden Terrace Primary; Traci Dami, Collier County Public Schools Director of Staff Development, Instructional Technology & Media Services; Stephanie Griffin, Village Oaks Elementary; Kelly Knape, Golden Gate, Primary and Intermediate; Mary Bryan, Manatee Elementary; Beth Thompson, CCPS Chief Instructional Officer; Tiffany Weeks, Golden Terrace Intermediate; and Frank Senecharles, Immokalee High.
Smiles turned brighter at the first meeting of media specialists held recently at Gulf Coast High School in Naples when new books were donated to ten school libraries serving many of Collier County’s most economically needy students. The books were purchased with grant money from K is for Kids® Foundation. The media specialists had personally selected books that their students needed. K is for Kids founder Karen Clawson thanked Arthrex Inc. and Barnes & Noble Booksellers for helping to fund the grant.
Books are such a smart gift, especially when donated to a school library; one book might be read by many children over many years; the ratio of readers to book is maximized.”
— Karen Clawson, K is for Kids
Grant recipients also got to choose more books donated by Neapolitans during the Foundation’s “fun’raisers,” or book drives, held annually each February during its Bring a Book, Bring a Friend® for Children’s Literacy Month. “These donations begin a wonderful “trickle down” effect,” explained Clawson. “If a book is not needed in the library, it can be donated to a teacher’s classroom library or given directly to a child. The student benefits at every step, having more books and opportunities to read both in and out of school.”