Two educators with Isle of Wight County Schools received literacy grants from the Colonel William Allen Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Karen Reeder, a reading specialist at Carrsville Elementary School, will use the funds to continue supporting families reading with their children. Students at Carrsville are building their confidence and fluency by reading several books in the "I Can Read It All By Myself" Beginner Books series. More experienced readers are enjoying the Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie series. Students practice reading the books in class and then have the opportunity to take them home to read with a loved one. The DAR grant will provide funding for multiple copies of these titles so more students can share the books with their families.
Jennifer Niemi, 5th grade teacher, Westside Elementary School, also received a grant. Niemi will use the funds to purchase a class set of the nonfiction book Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid. It is “a business memoir from lemonade entrepreneur and one of TIME Magazine's Top 30 Most Influential Teens, Mikaila Ulmer, and her advice for life and business.” Mikaila is a business role model and even appeared on Shark Tank to pitch her lemonade business. Niemi plans to have students read it next school year during their study of nonfiction texts.
The Colonel William Allen Chapter offered two $250.00 grants to Isle of Wight County elementary classroom teachers and reading specialists to use to purchase books and other reading materials for their classrooms. Applicants were required to submit an essay explaining how they would use the grant money and how they expected these materials to help improve the reading levels of students. Winners were announced May 1, 2023 by Colette Schupner, Regent with the Colonel William Allen Chapter.
Pictured, left to right: Jennifer Niemi, Colette Schupner, Karen Reeder