Intern Spotlight!

Promising Pages is so lucky to have a rockin' group of Interns on board with us for summer! This talented group of students will be in charge of so many important aspects of the day to day operations, including Social Media, organizing the Warehouse, putting on Magic Book Parties, running our Crisis Assistance program, and helping coordinate the great group of high school interns we will have helping us this summer. They each bring a unique skill set, creativity, and energy to our team and they are sure to leave their mark and help us grow as an organization! Check out our newest team members and look out for them at our events this summer!

Johaly Chavez

Current School: UNCC

Expected Graduation date: May 2014

Future Goals: Go to grad school and have a job that I enjoy. I want to wait a year before I go on to graduate school and to decide what I want my masters in.  I have been thinking about social work or nutrition.  I want to work with children especially those in the Latino population.

Favorite Hobbies: Painting, dancing, traveling, and going to museums.

Favorite Book Growing Up: Junie B. Jones

Top Reason you are excited to work with Promising Pages: There are a lot of reasons but I am really excited to work with children and know that Promising Pages can change their lives.

Carley Foster

Current School: UNC Charlotte

Expected Graduation date: Spring 2014

Future Goals:I plan to pursue a Masters degree in...something!

Favorite Hobbies:

Reading, Running and Fitness, Hiking, Gaming

Favorite Book Growing Up:

"Where The Sidewalk Ends" by Shel Silverstein

Top Reason you are excited to work with Promising Pages:

I'm gaining valuable experience in community outreach that I hope to use later in my career, I love meeting new people and networking in my community, and books are awesome and every child deserves a bunch of them!

Chesney Klubert

Current School:UNC-Charlotte

Expected Graduation Date: May 2014

Future Goals: Applying to graduate school for a master's degree in counseling.

Favorite Hobbies: Reading, going to concerts, watching movies

Favorite Book Growing Up: The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper

Top Reason you are excited to work with Promising Pages:

I ultimately want to make a difference in children's lives - Promising Pages is a great place to start doing so! :)

Chelsea Hinton

Current school: UNCC

Expected Graduation date: May 2014

Future Goals:  To get my masters and eventually work in Health Administration or become a clinical social worker working with mentally ill children.

Favorite Hobbies: dancing, shopping, community service

Favorite Book growing up: Anything Dr. Seuss

Top Reason you are excited to work with Promising Pages: Promising Pages is such a great program and I am so gracious I could be a part of it. I am excited to give kids a sense of hope. When they receive these books their faces light up with joy. Not only are they excited that they received a gift but that the gift is a book gives them a self esteem booster so that they realize they can do anything they put their mind to.

Madeline Huff

Current School: Charlotte Country Day School

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2014

Future Goals: Become a doctor

Favorite Hobbies: Baking cookies, running, and watching movies

Favorite Book Growing Up: Matilda

Top Reason you are excited to work with Promising Pages: I am most excited about working with promising pages this summer because I love the Magic Book Parties!

Jackson Jones

Current School: Myers Park High School

Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2014

Future Goals: Obtain a business degree

Hobbies: ultimate frisbee and reading Clive Cussler books

Favorite book growing up: The Hardy Boys series

Top Reason you are excited to work with Promising Pages:  I am looking forward to working with a fantastic group of people, giving back to my community and seeing the smiles on kids faces when they open up their books

And the Award Goes to...

This past Tuesday Promising Pages had the opportunity to partner with our sweet friends at Rama Road Elementary for another Book Party full of surprises (no Boas this time around!). We have had the privilege of working with these students at Rama since the beginning of Fall 2012 and they have become dear to our hearts as they gradually built up their personal libraries with each month's Follow Up Book Party. 

For the last Book Party of the semester, students were allowed to "shop" for their final selection of books through the 400+ paperbacks, chapter books, and wrapped "surprise" books" laid out on their cafeteria tables. As they found their favorites, Erma and Ermina got to check in with students, make sure they've been reading, and wish them a happy summer. 

After the students collected books, a sweet surprise for the seven first grade

 classes came in the form of a small awards ceremony to recognize students on their dedication to reading. Fourteen students received framed awards from Erma, seven for Most Improved readers and seven for Accelerated Readers, and a small photoshoot ensued. These students proudly accepted their award with smiles --but the greatest part was seeing their class go wild with cheers and clapping as they walked up to Erma. It truly showed that Rama has made reading something that unites students as they work hard to build their reading level, and Promising Pages has felt so fortunate to partake in their efforts!

 

 

After our "book shop," the award recipients received the special privilege of dining with Erma for lunch and catching up on their favorite reads.This may the end of the semester for Rama, but we can not wait to see our friends back next semester as second graders and continue to be blown away by their reading skills! 

Happy Summer Rama Road!

Our Fourteen Award Recipients with Erma at lunch

“Oh Snap --That’s Real!”

“Oh Snap, That thing is real!” exclaimed a surprised student as a live Boa Constrictor was revealed before his whole first grade class.

“Real” is a great way to describe the excitement and energy that swept across first grade classrooms this past Thursday at Reid Park Elementary School.

Erma and friends preparing to meet Ms. Krumpett

This Spring, Promising Pages has been fortunate to partner and share with Reid Park Elementary School our Magic Book Party Program in which each first grader was empowered by Erma the Book Worma to read while receiving books to build their own personal libraries. This last Book Party wrapped up the semester with something of a spectacle. Students were so excited to see Erma back in their classroom because they knew it meant something special, but nothing could have prepared them for surprise about to happen...

For this final Book Party, Promising Pages had the special opportunity to team up with children’s author, Henrietta Krumpett, to deliver new copies of Henrietta’s book, Noah the Boa to each first grader which she generously donated. In each class, Erma introduced Henrietta, who then explained that she was not only a writer but a  reptile enthusiast and wanted to share that love with them today. Promisng Pages then distributed new, gift wrapped copies of Henrietta’s book Noah the Boa.

 Students squirmed in their seats until Erma gave the “OK!” to open their gifts and wrapping paper went flying as students raced to see what they had received. After the excited squeals died down, Henrietta invited students to open their books to the first page, and they began to read aloud together. In impressive unison, students read through Noah’s adventure that begins after a forgetful zookeeper forgets to lock Noah’s cage! Noah causes quite the surprise as he explores town but in the end, he gets a sweet surprise of his own by meeting a new friend name Lu.  

After reading about Noah’s funny, but sweet nature as a snake, Henrietta asked the class if they had ever met a snake before. Then, the class gathered close as she pulled out from a blanket covered cage, not one but two snakes -- one being Henrietta’s own Boa! These creatures were met with a variety of gasps, squeals, and excited exclamations as some students inched forward for a closer look and some jumped back at the surprise of being so close to live snakes!

Henrietta giving the real facts about her scaly friend

Snakes!

Henrietta then calmly explained the real facts about snakes. Snakes are surprising unique creatures that often have a bad reputation. In fact, snakes help us out by keeping the rodent population down. Students saw how snakes shed their skin and and they correctly guessed the two “E” body parts humans have that snakes lack (Ears and Eyelids... and “Elbows” according to one student!) Students then had a question and answer session about Henrietta’s scaly friends. To complete the Party, students lined up to have each of their copies of "Noah the Boa" signed by Henrietta while Erma helped to continue to show off the snakes ... safe inside their box! 

Reid Park friends showing off their new books

Overall, it was definitely a memorable end to this semester's partnership with our Reid Park friends. We congratulate them on completing the first grade as strong readers, we hope them the best in second grade, and look forward to the real excitement continuing with our new first grade friends next Fall! We owe a huge thanks to Ms. Henrietta Krumpett for her generous donation of books and her expertise on snakes that we at Promising Pages and our Reid Park friends are sure to never forget! Check out Ms. Krumpett's book and passion by reading more here: http://www.hkrumpett.com/ and stayed tuned to hear about our summer Magic Book Parties with the YMCA Readers Program!

Erma, Henrietta, Promising Pages Interns, and Reid Park friends!