Karen Riccio, Bent Elementary Media Specialist and Grant Winner
Grant-Winner and Bent media specialist Karen Riccio requested monies for new books and a very special event for children AND their families.
According to Riccio, the goal of the project was to create a welcoming and inviting environment and literacy celebration for Bent’s Spanish-speaking families.
Over 150 new books were purchased. School staff and many volunteers worked to help families discover new books and emphasize the importance of reading together at home. Creating that home/school connection was an important goal of the “book tasting”. Also important was the sense of community that was fostered at the event. Children and their parents browsed the brand new books, each of which displayed a book plate acknowledging Beyond the Books.
The cafeteria was filled with laughter and smiling faces as guests enjoyed a long table of homemade tamales, casseroles and treats. Kids really enjoyed the chance to decorate their very own book bag. Families browsed the beautiful new books and also visited with Donna Leary from the Bloomington Public Library to sign up for library cards.
Last spring, Beyond the Books awarded Cedar Ridge Elementary a grant for a large cross-curricular program revolving around The Nutcracker. The money will be used for busing all students in grades 1 through 5 to attend the Twin Cities Ballet Company production of the Nutcracker on December 6th. In P.E., Amanda Zehr and Jeff Wolter are teaching a unit on dance, with the assistance of the LBS1 teacher, Marielena Gozur. In music, Michelle Hardwick will teach a unit on the Nutcracker Suite. In the library, IMC Specialist Patricia Ziebart will be reading and helping students to compare two versions of the Nutcracker story. 
