Greenville First Steps – Read Greenville 2015

P R E S E N T S

SUPPORTED BY GREENVILLE FIRST STEPS, PRIMROSE SCHOOL OF GREENVILLE & CHICK-FIL-A OF PELHAM ROAD

2 PRESENTED BY GHS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL WWW.READGREENVILLE.COM

Last Sunday as I talked with a friend, my 3-year-old, Jack, snuck my phone out of my pocket. When I looked down two minutes later, he’d unlocked the phone and was building a pig on Minecraft. Sadly, this no longer fazes me. My 6-year-old works our Apple TV more efficiently than me, recites the words to Frozen she’s seen it so many times, and covertly downloads new versions of Angry Birds on my phone. All of my kids stay still for great lengths if playing a video game. Yet, when we sit down to read, they suddenly become tired, hungry, or in emergent need of a potty break.

Many times it would be easier for me to surrender to electronics, but we muddle through. Thankfully, more and more often, we’re progressing—and they want to read.

As a pediatrician, I know our family is not an anomaly. In our society, media is pervasive and easily accessible. Parents are overworked and tired. Turning on the television or handing a child the iPad is easier than sitting down to read with them. But it is also clear that there are proven advantages gained through early literacy. Reading with a child nurtures a parent/child bond, promotes early brain development, improves language development, and increases school readiness.

Two obstacles to early literacy include insufficient

parental education and poor access to resources. Many parents are not fully aware of the dramatic impact early reading has on children. Additionally, some families face socioeconomic barriers that prevent appropriate reading and educational opportunities.

A new program, Read Greenville, is a community wide awareness program designed to address these concerns and spread the message of reading importance. It partners with local organizations to stress the significance of literacy, provide strategies and ideas for engaging children and adults, and give the tools to create a literacy filled world for our residents. Greenville county citizens and supporters are asked to advocate for and take part in daily reading. During the awareness program, businesses, schools, nonprofits, and organizations are asked to participate by encouraging their families, employees, and clients to pick up a book. Also, people are asked to post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram what they are reading and tag with #ReadGreenville.

We live in a distractible world. It is continually

more important that families are intentional about creating space for reading. This habit needs to start as early as infancy. Turn off the television, put down the gaming system, hide the iPad, and read a book tonight.

Joe Maurer, MD, is pediatrician with the Children’s Clinic-Duncan Chapel, a GHS practice. He recently published a children’s book, Goodnight Greenville, with local artist Joseph Bradley. All proceeds from their book are donated to the GHS Children’s Hospital. Visit

www.goodnightgreenville.com for more information.

Joe Maurer, MD

Welcome

Table of Contents

Welcome Letter 2

Organization Spotlights:

Greenville County Library 4-5

Reach Out and Read (ROR) 6

BOOST, Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time 7

Greenville Literacy Association (GLA) 8-9

Institute for Child Success (ICS) 10-11

Greenville First Steps 12-13

United Way of Greenville County 14-15

Public Education Partners (PEP) 16-17

Greenville Technical College (GTC) 18

Spotlight on Our Schools 19

http://www.goodnightgreenville.com

SUPPORTED BY GREENVILLE FIRST STEPS, PRIMROSE SCHOOL OF GREENVILLE & CHICK-FIL-A OF PELHAM ROAD 3

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Each Primrose School is a privately owned and operated franchise. Primrose Schools is a trademark of Primrose School Franchising Company. ©2015 Primrose School Franchising Company. All rights reserved. *Ages for Summer Adventure Club programs vary by location.

Primrose School at Greenville864.370.8118 | PrimroseGreenville.com

SPACE IS LIMITED! REGISTER TODAY!

storybook character readalong

All proceeds benefits:

When Sat. May 16th 2015 9:30am - 11:30am

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306 E. North St. Greenville

FEATURING • BREAKFAST • CRAFTS • • Visit with your favorite storybook characters •

• STORYTIME with Characters •

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Greenville First Steps will facilitate a collaborative community partnership

for measurably improving the early childhood development of all children

in Greenville County.

G R E E N V I L L E C O U N T Y


MAY 19-23 • HUGHES MAIN LIBRARY

Sat, May 23 • 9:30a-4p | Call 527-9293 for more information.SOUTHERN AUTHORS

SUMMER READING KICKOFF Friday, June 5 • 4:30p-6p • Main Library

Registration • Balloon AnimalsFriends of the Library Children's Book SaleFace Painting • Concert

SUMMER READING 2015June 5-August 1

Visit greenvillelibrary.org or call 527-9248for more information.

25 Heritage Green PlaceGreenville, 29601

10:30aGeorgeSingleton

1:00pJames E.McTeer

2:30pKarenWhite

The Sound of William FaulknerTue, May 19, 7p-8pDr. Hal Poe, Professor of Faith & Culture at Union University of Tennessee, leads a discussion on Southern author, playwright, screenwriter and poet William Faulkner.

MAY 19-23 • HUGHES MAIN LIBRARY

Sat, May 23 • 9:30a-4p | Call 527-9293 for more information.SOUTHERN AUTHORS

SUMMER READING KICKOFF Friday, June 5 • 4:30p-6p • Main Library

Registration • Balloon AnimalsFriends of the Library Children's Book SaleFace Painting • Concert

SUMMER READING 2015June 5-August 1

Visit greenvillelibrary.org or call 527-9248for more information.

25 Heritage Green PlaceGreenville, 29601

10:30aGeorgeSingleton

1:00pJames E.McTeer

2:30pKarenWhite

The Sound of William FaulknerTue, May 19, 7p-8pDr. Hal Poe, Professor of Faith & Culture at Union University of Tennessee, leads a discussion on Southern author, playwright, screenwriter and poet William Faulkner.


Serving patrons through 11 facilities, a bookmobile and web-based virtual services, the Greenville County Library System opens its doors to more than 1.8 million visitors annually plus hosts 2 million visits to greenvillelibrary.org, the 24-Hour Library.

Focused on a mission “to champion literacy, inspire learning and foster community connection,” the Library System offers an extensive collection of print and audiovisual items (700,000+ items), downloadables (audio books, e-books, music, periodicals) and more than 100 online tools for research and learning at every age level. Every library location offers free programming for children through adults.

One important initiative for the Greenville County Library System is early literacy. “Bouncing Babies” and “Mother Goose on the Loose” are just two of many programs delighting infants and toddlers with interactive play and stories – and starting them on the road to reading and school success.

Greenville County Library System

“I’ve always loved books and libraries,” offers Chace Campbell, Greenville attorney and currently Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees, Greenville County Library System. “I even worked for six years in my local library – Everett, Washington – while I was in high school and college. Now, it’s so rewarding for my wife, Heidi, and I to read

with our daughter, Tesla, and watch her discovering books and the excitement of a library. Hughes Main Library is a wonderful experience for Tesla. She gets so excited with picking out her own books, and has become just captivated with the play-castles and puzzles. We’ve been reading to her since before her first birthday. She turns 5 in just a few weeks and will be getting her first library card. She has already told us that it will be a Paddington book – they’re her favorite.”

Reader Spotlight

Chace Campbell and daughter Tesla enjoy a Paddington book at the Hughes Main Library.

TUESDAY MAY 19 AT 7 PM – “Sound of William Faulkner,” a discussion led by Greenville native, Dr. Hal Poe, Professor of Faith & Culture at Union University Tennessee. Hughes Main Library

TUESDAY, MAY 19-JULY 31 – “Sound of William Faulkner” Exhibit from the personal collection of Dr. Hal Poe. Open Library Hours.

FRIDAY, MAY 22 AT 6 PM – film, William Faulkner novel, The Sound and the Fury. Hughes Main Library

SATURDAY, MAY 23 AT 3 PM – film, William Faulkner novel, The Long, Hot Summer. Greer

SATURDAY, MAY 23 – Meet the Southern Authors. Hughes Main Library

10:30 AM – George Singleton, Southern humourist

1 PM – James McTeer, recipient of 2014 South Carolina First Novel Competition

2:30 PM – Karen White, author of 19 novels and twice recipient of National Reader’s Choice Award.

Every Friday, in an exuberant 45 minutes filled with stories, music, singing and crafts, the free, weekly English/Spanish Bilingual Story Time at Hughes Main Library offers a special opportunity for children of all cultural heritages to grow their love of books and reading. Through this safe and nurturing environment, children and their families expand their learning horizons together.

Here is one family’s experience with Bilingual Story Time:

“For the past five years all the members of my family have been attending Bilingual Story Time at the Hughes Main Library. My son’s teacher encouraged me to search for activities that would help Jesiel become a better reader. Story Time was the first step, but soon we were also checking out phonics materials, easy readers, and doing homework on his teacher’s website. At the end of first grade, Jesiel’s teacher was amazed at his progress and asked what we’d done. My answer was, ‘We go to the library every Friday night!’”

Summer Reading Kick-OffFriday, June 5 from 4:30 -6pm

Hughes Main Library

Face Painting; Balloon Animals, Kids’ Indie-Rock

Concert by “Lunch Money” Friends of the

Library Children’s Book Sale and

registration for Summer

Reading.

SUCCESS STORY

Cindy Frellick, Bilingual Library Assistant, Greenville County Library System and Jesiel


Reach Out and ReadBOOKS BUILD BETTER BRAINS

Reach Out and Read is a medically based early literacy intervention. Reach Out and Read trains doctors to integrate vital literacy and early brain development education into a child’s regular check ups starting a 6 months old and continuing through 5 years old, when children start school. Reach Out and Read trained doctors reach more than 16,000 children in Greenville County alone each year. Across South Carolina, Reach Out and Read programs serve more than 110,000 children each year. Everyday, Reach Out and Read providers are changing the lives of children and families one word, one book, one child at a time.

www.reachoutandread.org | #Morethanabook


BOOST, Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time, is a strategic initiative at the United Way of Greenville County. BOOST works to increase quality and access to out of school time programs serving school age youth so they may thrive academically, socially and emotionally. BOOST unites stakeholders around a shared mission, coordinates, and maximizes resources and drives improvement throughout Greenville County Out-of-School Time programs.

Out-of-school time is a comprehensive phrase to include afterschool, late stay, expanded learning, and summer camps. BOOST maintains a comprehensive list of nearly 200 programs serving K5-12th grade students. Additionally, BOOST has a Continuous Program Quality Initiative intended to help programs improve by guiding them through goal setting using the Afterschool Quality Advancement Tool, also known as AQuA. To learn more, please go to www.boostgreenville.org

BOOST, Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time

KPMG LLP, an audit, tax and advisory firm, visited the Nicholtown and Freetown Community Centers, two of BOOST's quality partners, as part of the KPMG Family for Literacy (KFFL) program earlier this spring. KPMG established KFFL to combat childhood illiteracy by providing new books to children who need them most. During their visits, KPMG Senior Associate and KFFL Champion Courtney Crandell, who helped organize the events, KPMG professionals and interns delivered over 50 books and read to the youth. April Jackson, the manager of Freetown Community Center, expressed that the participants greatly enjoyed the books and were excited to have books of their own to take home. After such a great response from the children, Freetown decided to start a monthly book club. KPMG is assisting in creating the library for the book club, which will include 100 books to begin. In addition to that literacy effort, each child is responsible for reading at least 15-20 minutes after their daily homework session. "This effort may seem small, but our kids are not avid readers. Anytime that we can see a child reading, is a step closer to their literacy success," said April. The children use the donated books during their reading time to recognize site words which has contributed to their reading development.

As an effort to continue supporting the mission at Freetown Community Center, KPMG plans donate another bundle of books for the remainder of the school year and for Freetown’s summer program. “This will help our

educational component during the summer months and keep the children’s minds stimulated,” said Jackson.

Reader Spotlight Summer Learning Day is a national advocacy platform to help the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading build awareness and inspire action for summer learning and reading across the network of communities. This year during the week of June 15-20th, BOOST is challenging Greenville communities to act on one or more of the following three priorities:

• GET HEALTHY AND GET SMART. Create nutritious meals and physical activities daily as a part of summer learning experiences in libraries, schools, camps, and other locations across our community.

• MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT. Intentionally integrate daily reading and other literacy-related activities into summer experiences to create language-rich environments for students throughout our community.

• ENGAGE FAMILIES. Educate and equip families to better understand the benefits of quality summer learning, find local summer opportunities, and support summer learning at home.

To support the efforts of organizations that serve children during Out-of-School Time for the week of Summer Learning Day, BOOST is offering programs serving youth to apply for FREE tickets to the Greenville Zoo, Children’s Museum, Upcountry Museum, Roper Mountain and Little Theater. For more information, visit the BOOST website at www.boostgreenville.org.

KMPG staff headed in to Nicholtown Community Center to read to the children.

Kids at Freetown receiving their books with the KPMG Staff.


BEEN A WHILE SINCE YOU READ IT? Donate it.

greenvilleliteracy.org

Don’t wait until summer to drop off your unused books and DVDs. Bring them to Greenville Literacy today at McAlister Square, 225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Suite C-10.

McAlister Square225 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Suite C-10864-467-3456


For 50 years, Greenville Literacy Association (GLA) has provided opportunities for adults of all income and literacy levels to achieve their dreams through education. Our learning centers in Greenville, Simpsonville and Greer are busy day and evening with classes in basic reading, GED® preparation, WorkKeys® certification and English as a Second Language. Hundreds of trained community volunteers make our work possible by generously offering their time and talent as tutors, computer lab assistants and book sale helpers. If you’d like to find out more about becoming a student or volunteer at GLA, please call 864-467-3456, email [email protected], or visit us on the web at www.greenvilleliteracy.org.

Greenville Literacy Association (GLA)

My name is Ericka Suber and I love reading books that help me strive to be a better person. Two of my favorite books are “The Alchemist” by Paul Coelho and “The Fourth Agreement” by Don Miguel Ruiz. “The Alchemist” is my favorite of the two because it made me understand that we should trust our dreams. The main character in “The Alchemist” is named Santiago, which is Spanish for St. James, the patron saint of Spain. In the book, Santiago is a shepherd boy who yearns to travel to Egypt in search of worldly treasure but discovers more satisfying spiritual treasure instead. Santiago's story teaches us to listen to our hearts, learn from our experiences and appreciate what life gives us rather than trying to possess what we cannot have.

Reader Spotlight

BUILDING BLOCKS FOR LITERACY PROGRAM

GLA’s Building Blocks for Literacy program teaches parents and grandparents how to encourage early language development and inspire a love of reading in infants and young children. It also distributes hundreds of free, high quality children’s books to participating families. Building Blocks for Literacy is available free, in English or Spanish, to any school, church or community organization that requests it. For more information, please contact Cheryl at 864-467-3456.

ISABEL MARTINEZ

Most young people take school for granted, but Isabel knows better. When Isabel was just seven, she had to begin doing farm work to help support her family. “Instead of playing like a normal kid”, she says, “I was assuming an adult’s role. Every day, my dream of becoming educated seemed farther away.” Many years later, after Isabel married and had a son, she was able to return to school at Greenville Literacy Association (GLA). Isabel began in GLA’s English as a Second Language program and then went on to earn her High School Equivalency Diploma through GLA’s GED program. Now, at age 29, Isabel is headed to Greenville Tech to train for a career in health care. “Life is full of struggles,” she writes, “but if we have dreams, no matter our age, we should always strive…” We couldn’t agree more!

SUCCESS STORY

Isabel Martinez earned her High School Equivalency Diploma through Greenville Literacy Association.

Ericka Suber works in human resources at BMW Manufacturing and is a member of Greenville Literacy Association’s Board of Directors.


www.instituteforchildsuccess.org

About the Institute for Child SuccessThe Institute for Child Success (ICS) is a private, nonpartisan research and policy organization that works to cre-ate a culture that facilitates and fosters the success of all children, prenatal to age five. ICS is built upon the be-lief that the future success of South Carolina is directly tied to the success of our children.

By linking research with practice, ICS seeks to ensure quality in early childhood services, smart early childhood policy, and collaboration among partners to promote the overall well-being of young children and their families.

The Importance of ReadingThe ICS approach is making a positive difference. Last year, ICS helped to draft and pass significant school read-iness legislation in South Carolina that benefited 4,500+ children and their families through the reauthorization and strengthening of South Carolina’s First Steps to School Readiness initiative. ICS was also instrumental in the expansion of four-year-old kindergarten to an additional 2,380 children in South Carolina. In 2015, ICS is active-ly working with South Carolina lawmakers to promote the expansion of Reach Out and Read, an innovative pro-gram where pediatricians promote early literacy and school readiness.

One way in which parents, caregivers, teachers, and families can impact the positive development of children is through daily reading. By reading to children, caregivers promote the development of language skills, early liter-acy, a larger vocabulary, and cognitive skills.

According to ICS Board Member, Dr. Desmond Kelly of the Children’s Hospital of the Greenville Health System, “Literacy skills at school entry and first grade are predictive of later reading success, and poor reading skills are associated with school dropout, limited economic potential, and continued cycles of failure, poor health, and dependency in the adult years.”

The Institute for Child Success is a proud supporter of the Read Greenville initiative. Daily reading gives parents and children the opportunity to interact in a constructive way and provides young children with the skills need-ed to be successful in school and, ultimately, successful in life.

For more information on the importance of reading to young children and to view ICS publications, visit www.instituteforchildsuccess.org.

I N S T I T U T E for C H I L D S U C C E S S

RG Ad Copy Draft.indd 1 5/11/15 9:27 AM

About the Institute for Child Success

The Institute for Child Success (ICS) is a private, nonpartisan research and policy organization that works to create a culture that facilitates and fosters the success of all children, prenatal to age five. ICS is built upon the belief that the future success of South Carolina is directly tied to the success of our children.

By linking research with practice, ICS seeks to ensure quality in early childhood services, smart early childhood policy, and collaboration among partners to promote the overall well-being of young children and their families.

The Importance of Reading

The ICS approach is making a positive difference. Last year, ICS helped to draft and pass significant school readiness legislation in South Carolina that benefited 4,500+ children and their families through the reauthorization and strengthening of South Carolina’s First Steps to School Readiness

initiative. ICS was also instrumental in the expansion of four-year-old kindergarten to an additional 2,380 children in South Carolina. In 2015, ICS is actively working with South Carolina lawmakers to promote the expansion of Reach Out and Read, an innovative program where pediatricians promote early literacy and school readiness.

One way in which parents, caregivers, teachers, and families can impact the positive development of children is through

daily reading. By reading to children, caregivers promote the development of language skills, early literacy, a larger vocabulary, and cognitive skills.

«


According to ICS Board Member, Dr. Desmond Kelly of the Children’s Hospital of the Greenville Health System, “Literacy skills at school entry and first grade are predictive of later reading success, and poor reading skills are associated with school dropout, limited economic potential, and continued cycles of failure, poor health, and dependency in the adult years.”

The Institute for Child Success is a proud supporter of the Read Greenville initiative. Daily reading gives parents and children the opportunity to interact in a constructive way and provides young children with the skills needed to be successful in school and, ultimately, successful in life.

For more information on the importance of reading to young children and to view ICS publications, visit www.instituteforchildsuccess.org.

«



As part of Read Greenville, a literacy-focused campaign designed to encourage families in Greenville County to read daily, Greenville First Steps is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals for literacy projects that support early literacy.

Research suggests that children who encounter books on daily basis often enter school with a higher vocabulary than their peers in houses where books are not present. Read Greenville and Greenville First Steps believes that reading to children every day is the single most important thing you can do to prepare children for reading and learning.

Read Greenville is designed to help spread the word about the importance of early literacy efforts in the home, in neighborhoods, churches, and schools. To help support the campaign, we are pleased to announce a grant opportunity. Organizations may apply for up to $1,000 to support grassroots efforts to improve literacy efforts. Select grant recipients may receive age appropriate books for their project.

Grants can be for efforts such as a neighborhood book drive, literacy events, or reading initiatives. Grants can be used to purchase books and materials, and for family literacy activities. It is our intention to have these grants serve as a catalyst for efforts conducted by our local partners, including churches, schools, non-profits, and neighborhoods.

Grants must be used for activities conducted between June and September 2015, and must be targeted to Greenville County residents. Activities should be geared to children age 0-5 and their families. If awarded, agencies should plan to have a representative attend a grant awards presentation. You will be asked to provide a summary of your project after completion and we ask that you provide us with some pictures from your event.

To learn more about literacy efforts in our community, visit www.ReadGreenville.com. To participate in the RFP, please complete the application available for download at www.GreenvilleFirstSteps.org. The application deadine is Friday, June 5, 2015.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Literacy Project Grants

Local organizations can get more information and download the grant application at

http://www.greenvillefirststeps.org/funding-opportunities


Greenville First Steps believes parents are a child’s first and most important teachers. Greenville First Steps is a local non-profit that uses state, federal, and private funds to support programs to measurably improve school readiness outcomes for children. By partnering with churches, schools, neighborhoods, childcare providers, and businesses, we can work to ensure children enter school on track and ready to succeed.

Nearly one in seven S.C. children are assessed as not ready for first grade. Research studies repeatedly show that children who arrive unprepared for first grade’s challenges have a difficult time catching up and succeeding throughout the rest of their school years. Many of these students drop out of school or do not find fulfilling productive jobs after high school as a result of their slow start.

A child’s readiness is determined by many critical components including good health, nurturing parenting, and positive learning environments. High quality early learning experiences in the home, childcare, and school settings allow children to thrive at a time when the brain is most formative.

Greenville First Steps

Tricia Surles is on Greenville First Steps Board of Directors, wife to Chris Ingle, mother to Ryan (age 5) and twins Lane and Ellie (age 1). My girls love when we read them books! It’s one of the only times my twin one-year olds will both sit and listen. We enjoy reading Press Here by Herve Tullet because it allows the girls to interact with the story. They love pushing the buttons and shaking the book. I’ve seen them both pick up the book and “read” it and mimic the actions we do together. It’s truly one of their favorite things to do. It is a fun activity and we know building that love of reading at this age will be invaluable to their education one day. The girls also love books with animals. They love My Big Animal Book by Richard Priddy, which has lots of bright colors and real images of animals. They both would sit for hours while we go through the book to find animals and make the animal sound. They are engaged and bring us this book several times a day to read. They love it so much the twins often sleep with them! I think the key to getting kids to read is to start early and make sure the book is age appropriate. When they are little, just find something they like and talk about the pictures and don’t be afraid to make funny voices. If their love of reading starts love before they can actually read, reading will be a joy to them.

Reader Spotlight

As a part of Read Greenville, Greenville First Steps is excited to offer the opportunity for churches, nonprofits, neighborhoods, and businesses to apply for funding to help spread the awareness about the importance of children reading daily. Research shows children who encounter books on a daily basis are more “ready” for school. Organizations may apply for up to $1,000 to support grassroots efforts to improve literacy efforts. Grants can be for efforts such as a neighborhood book drive, literacy night, or reading initiatives. Applications are due by June 5, 2015. For more information, visit www.GreenvilleFirstSteps.org

One of the most challenging things a teenage mother faces is the struggle to stay in school while adjusting to her life as a new mother. It is hard enough to juggle parenting and school without the added stress of being able to afford high quality childcare. Greenville First Steps is proud to offer childcare scholarships to high school teen mothers who commit to staying in school.

Jamie quickly learned that she couldn’t afford to send her son, Jayden, to childcare during her school day. “If I wanted to graduate, I knew I couldn’t afford to get a job and stay on top of my classes. If it was not for First Steps, I probably would have stayed home and given up on school.”

Greenville First Steps’ Childcare Scholarship program is designed to help families who are currently enrolled in school or who are currently employed and just need some help affording childcare. Jamie graduated from high school this year and was accepted to Greenville Technical College, pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education.

SUCCESS STORY



TURN EVERYDAY MOMENTSINTO LEARNING MOMENTS.

Find out how at BornLearningUpstateSC.org.


United Way of Greenville County brings together a diverse group of people, businesses and organizations around a shared

desire to make Greenville County a place where everyone has the opportunities and

resources to reach their full potential. We’re working to eliminate the barriers that affect so many, and instead, create a Cycle of Success, where children start

school prepared to learn and go on to graduate, well-educated graduates find good jobs and create stable homes, and children from stable homes continue the cycle

because they start school on track and prepared to learn. Helping people to thrive at every stage of life creates a better community for all of us.

United Way of Greenville County

Erica McCleskey, a High School Graduation Council member of the United Way, has three young children. “My husband and I enjoy reading Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak to our children. The whole family enjoys it because there are a couple of pages where we are able to be creative and make up our own descriptions of what we see in the illustrations. Sometimes we even get up and act out the illustrations. Additionally, only after a few times of reading the book, the children begin to read along with us because there is repetition and it is short.”

Mike Osler, Patewood Clinic Director for ProAxis Therapy and chair of the School Readiness Council at United Way, has three children and one more on the way. “We’ve been reading The Toddler’s Bible because, let’s face it – those are some fascinating stories!”

Reader Spotlight

Since 1999, United Way of Greenville County Young Philanthropists (YP) has provided community leadership, service and professional networking opportunities for its members (young professionals ages 40 and under). Currently more than 760 members strong, YPs contributed over $968,000 to the community last year through United Way, helping create better lives for Greenville County individuals, families and neighborhoods in need. This year, the group is thrilled to unveil an exciting new literacy project called Little Free Libraries. Little Free Libraries resemble large birdhouses, are easily accessible to young children and are intended for neighbors to use as a meaning spot. The idea is that community members “take a book, and return a book.” They can be constructed using only a few materials from a local hardware store but the impact on neighborhoods and communities is great. The YP’s will erect their first Free Little Library in the Nicholtown Community in partnership with Heritage Apartments on June 20th, the final day of the #ReadGreenville Initiative. For more information, visit www.unitedwaygc.org.

The Born Learning Resource Center is a space within Heritage Apartments in Nicholtown that has been loaned to South Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Network (SCCCR&R) for use by the community. It is a place for parents and their infant, toddler, and/or preschool aged children to experience hands-on learning activities. Many families have worked with staff to learn how everyday activities help with school readiness. Mrs. Millhouse, grandmother to Shanquetta, reported that “it helped my 5 year old granddaughter[Shanquetta]; she loved to play in the kitchen center, but also got a chance to practice her ABC’s, shapes, and participate in science activities.” Linda Doherty, Quality Coach for SCCCR&R staffs the site two days a week. She says, “I would love to see more families participate. Shanquetta went to school ready, and I think it was because of the time her mother and I spent with her at the Born Learning Center.”.

SUCCESS STORY

A United Way volunteer hosts story time for a group of children.

A United Way volunteer spends time reading with a student at the Meyer Center for Special Children as part of the annual United Way “Be a Book Bunny” project


Over the next four years820,000 books will

be provided

25,000 children willbuild home libraries

25,000 children willsustain reading gains

HELP US MAKE SUMMER COUNT!TO GET INVOLVED, PLEASE VISIT WWW.PEPGC.ORG


Public Education Partners (PEP) sees promise in every child. By providing children with opportunities to learn, grow, and reach their full potential, we are creating endless possibilities for Greenville’s future. With our vision that every child in Greenville County Schools will graduate ready for college, careers, and civic responsibility, PEP collaborates with community partners to strengthen student achievement. In addition, PEP fosters innovation and student success in schools and deepens connections between schools and

the community. We have invested over $15 million in students and teachers since 1985.

PEP knows that reading well at a young age

is the most important building block for later success. We also know that children with few books at home don’t have sufficient opportunities to practice reading during the summer. Make Summer Count – our summer reading initiative – is designed to encourage children and families to read all summer long.

Public Education Partners (PEP)

PEP’s board members and community partners enthusiastically support Make Summer Count. Indeed, a love of reading and the ability to read well are fundamental for personal success. Past board-chair Ed Good and his wife Peggy spend countless hours reading to and with their grandchildren. Peggy states that “colorful pages and rhyming words delight our little one’s eyes … they learn to love their books long before they can actually read on their own.”

Board member Katie Howell shares that her home is overflowing with books. She credits her daughter’s current love of reading to early and broad exposure. Katie says that “our daughter was reading the Harry Potter series in early elementary school … a testament that hearing the rhythm of words from books inspired her to quickly figure out how to transform letters on a page into endless adventure.”

Reader Spotlight

Children need to read all summer long! This activity

is critical for sustaining reading skills. Free books for

summer, therefore, are the most significant feature of

Make Summer Count.

This May, PEP is sponsoring free book fairs at 28

local elementary schools allowing 17,500 students to

choose up to 12 books each. These free books will

help to build home libraries for children. PEP’s

schools include:

PEP believes that parents play a pivotal role in encouraging their children to read. Make Summer Count thus incorporates many family-engagement activities, including Family Reading Nights at schools. To learn if your child’s school will be hosting a Family Reading Night, please call PEP’s office at 864-233-4137.

Postcards with reading tips for parents are mailed to students’ homes in June. They remind students to read and re-read books. Last summer, PEP was delighted to experience, first-hand, the effect postcards had on recipients. Three Grove Elementary students were inspired to ask their parents to find PEP’s office. We learned that these children loved reading, had finished reading their books, and needed more! A mini book-fair was quickly created, and the PEP staff happily allowed these children to select additional titles for summer reading. We loved seeing such grateful families.

SUCCESS STORY

AJ Whittenberg

Alexander

Armstrong

Berea

Brook Glenn

Chandler Creek

Cherrydale

Crestview

Duncan Chapel

East North Street

Ellen Woodside

Gateway

Greenbrier

Grove

Heritage

Hollis

Lake Forest

Mitchell Road

Monaview

Robert E. Cashion

Slater-Marietta

Sue Cleveland

Summit Drive

Taylors

Thomas E. Kerns

Tigerville

Welcome

Westcliffe

“Thanks to the vital work of Public Education Partners, our students are building home libraries that are beginning to stem summer reading loss.”

– Tom Miller, Principal of Berea Elementary School


Get There.

Greenville Technical College Early Care and Education students benefit from a first-hand learning environment in our nationally accredited Child Development Center.

Visit us at gvltec.edu/earlycare.

Helping people love what they do for a living:Business & Technology • Health & Wellness • Public Service, Arts & Sciences • Corporate and Career Development

The Early Care and Education program at Greenville Technical College (GTC) offers a variety of early childhood development programs that prepare students to work in child development programs, family child care, Head

Start, inclusive child care

programs, therapeutic programs for children, and public schools. Program options include an Early Care and Education Associate Degree along with four certificates programs.

GTC students have the benefit of learning in a model setting with an on-campus, nationally accredited child

development center serving infants through preschool children. Our experienced instructors teach students the skills to help children explore their interests, develop their talents and

independence, build self-esteem, and interact with others. This practical experience allows ECE

students to graduate with a broad range of first-hand knowledge. Additional information about the college’s ECE programs is available at gvltec.edu/earlycare.

Greenville Technical College (GTC) Reader Spotlight

LOCAL AUTHOR STEPHANIE MORGAN will host story time at the main library on the Barton Campus (Technical Resource Center, Bldg. 102) on June 18 at 9:30 a.m. Stephanie will read her first book from the Tails on the Trail series, Hey, Blue! This series is a collaboration with local illustrator Laura Lynn Luce and will be a collection of five stories about a family of bunnies who live on the Swamp Rabbit Trail. After the reading and a song, children will plant carrot seeds to take home with them. Students from the Child Development Center will participate and the public is invited to attend. Groups are required to contact Carole Williams at 864-236-6438 to reserve a space.

Cindy Hughes is the Academic Program Director for Early Care and Education. Even though Cindy teaches adult learners in the ECD program, she finds time to read to the toddlers in the Child Development Center when they go for a “walk” in the department hallway. They look forward to Miss Cindy’s stories each week.

One of Cindy’s favorite books, and seemingly a favorite of the toddlers from the Purple Room in the CDC, is Hello Baby! by Mem Fox and illustrated by Caldecott Honor medalist Steve Jenkins. This book appeals to toddlers with its simple, brightly colored animal illustrations. The book contains some animals that might be familiar to young children (monkey, elephant), but also introduces

some less familiar animals (gecko, porcupine). The text is great for building vocabulary and its rhythmic, rhyming component makes it appealing to the children.

A volunteer reads with a child in the Greenville Technical College Child Development Center.


Alexander Elementary School’s Men Who Read Program By Damon M. Qualls

The Men Who Read Program at Alexander Elementary is making a huge difference in the lives of the participating young men and their families! The mission and vision of the Men Who Read Program is geared to bridge the gap between male and female students’ standardized test scores in Reading and English Language Arts. The program also strives to expose the young men to professional men in the community that enjoy reading. Monthly, boys in grades fourth and fifth meet and listen to a guest reader share a book of their choice and he then explains how reading plays a role in his career. To date, we have had college football players, judges, pastors, lawyers, TV personalities and many other professional men in the community visit our students.

The Men Who Read Program began inviting male family members in 2013. When dads, grandfathers, uncles and even cousins recognize the value of sharing a great book with their young male family member, it confirms the school’s message to read and read daily!

Inevitably we agree with the findings of a recent article by Reading Rockets; “Dads play a critical role in their children’s literacy development ‘ by modeling reading, sharing stories, exploring the world together, and engaging in meaningful conversations that

build critical thinking skills…Your child learns from what you do. Make sure the messages you are sending about reading reinforce that knowledge and literacy are valuable, achievable, and powerful.”

If you are interested in assisting in any way with this initiative, please contact the Program Director, Mr. Damon Qualls at [email protected]

Sara Collins Elementary School Sara Collins Elementary School supports literacy at all grade levels through

reading intervention, weekly literacy tutors, a staff lending library, an open library during the summer, two leveled reading book rooms, and a school-wide balanced literacy program that allows students to progress at their own pace. When you walk through the school, you’ll see students reading in every nook and cranny. Research shows that one of the best ways to improve reading is to READ! At Sara Collins, we love to read, and we want to share that love with the community. We have a very giving school family that seeks to serve all residents of Greenville County.

One of our biggest service projects blooms every spring as Greenville Literacy Association prepares for its annual Really Good, Really Big, Really Cheap Book Sale. The Student Council at Sara Collins prepares by advertising on posters that are displayed throughout the building and by broadcasting reminders on the morning show. Parents, teachers, and students dust off bookshelves and rummage through cabinets to donate to the book drive. Children’s books, novels, cookbooks, and even informational text are all collected in the foyer of the school where everyone can see their donation efforts! Staff and students help box up the books and load the truck in May. It’s fun to see what books will be at the sale from our school. It’s a small preview of the huge variety of what’s in store for the Really Good, Really Big, Really Cheap book sale.

mailto:[email protected]

Children’s Hospital of Greenville Health System (GHS) thanks Greenville First Steps for promoting literacy in children—the best way to build healthy minds!

We all take the health of our community a step in the right direction by caring for our most valuable resource—our children. At GHS Children’s Hospital, we provide patients and their families the full spectrum of care—medical to emotional needs, primary to specialty services and prevention to rehabilitation. We recognize that children aren’t small adults, and one size doesn’t fit all, so we deliver “whole child” care that’s just the right size.

Working together, we can keep our children healthy—mind and body. Let’s step up!

Taking Steps for Our Children’s Healthy Minds and Bodies

ghschildrens.org

15-21434034

NEW BRAND Program Ad-Read Greenville.indd 1 4/17/15 10:40 AM

Documents

Greenville First Steps – Read Greenville 2015