Learning the Sacred Way

Navajo Pine High School assistant librarian Samantha Begay gave an excellent presentation on the Kinaalda Ceremony. The four day ceremony celebrates a girl's passage into womanhood.

Amherst College juniors Kathryn Libby and Cait Scudder are spending the week with Reader To Reader executive director David Mazor working in schools on the Navajo Reservation.

Honoring Hard Work

Navajo Pine High School students participating in the online mentoring program were honored at an awards ceremony for their hard work during the 2008-2009 school year. Reader To Reader executive director David Mazor and reading mentors Cait Scudder and Kathryn Libby presented the awards during their visit to Navajo, New Mexico.

Among the honorees were Rodson Sandoval, who received a special plaque as the Top Mentoring Student for 2009 and an autographed NFL football.

Also pictured is Bettina Kinlichinie who received the award for Outstanding Achievement -- College Literature. Kinlichinie received a volleyball autographed by two time Olympic gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh.

Other award winners included: Al Cody Yazzie Outstanding Achievement --Science, Vichelle Harvey Special Recognition-- Fiction, Gabrielle Nakai Special Recognition-- Fiction, Leticia Begay Special Recognition -- Native American Literature, Kimberly Thomas Special Recognition-- Young Adult Fiction, Murphy Yazzie Special Recognition-- Young Adult Fiction, and Jesse CauyAugust Special Recognition--Manga.

The award recipients received a host of prizes donated by the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, Team USA Volleyball, The Volleyball Hall of Fame, the Boston Red Sox and the WNBA Connecticut Sun.

Congratulations to all the award winners for all their hard work.

Visiting Navajo Pine High

Reading mentors Kathryn Libby and Cait Scudder travelled to Navajo Pine High School in Navajo, New Mexico to meet the students that have been participating in the online reading program.

The mentors met outstanding shop teacher Robert Carrick, who by himself teaches welding, auto repair, woodworking and CAD drawing.

Mr. Carrick has the great idea to have his students build wind turbines and solar panels so they can be skilled in green technologies.



Reader To Reader has been supplying his shop with books on solar technologies to help launch the project.

Amherst College juniors Kathryn Libby and Cait Scudder are spending the week working for Reader To Reader in schools on the Navajo Reservation.

Gathering Together

On the last evening of their visit to St. Michael Indian School in St. Michael, Arizona, Reader To Reader’s executive director David Mazor and reading mentors Kathryn Libby and Cait Scudder gathered with the students and their families for a celebratory dinner.

In addition to lots of great food the students prepared Navajo culture presentations on Navajo language, government and history.

The gathering was a special send-off for the mentors that will not be forgotten.


Reader to Reader Executive Director, David Mazor, and Amherst College juniors Kathryn Libby and Cait Scudder are spending the week working for Reader To Reader in schools on the Navajo Reservation.




Sad to say goodbye!

On Trial

The juniors of St. Michael Indian School staged a mock trial based on Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible with their visiting Amherst College reading mentors serving as the trial judges.

“The Amherst College student mentors really inspired our students to step up their game,” history teacher, Michelle Horrevorts, said.

St. Michael students engaged in extraordinary displays of extemporaneous speaking while serving as the prosecutors and defense attorneys.

Amherst College juniors Kathryn Libby and Cait Scudder are spending the week working for Reader To Reader in schools on the Navajo Reservation.

Enjoying Literature, Analyzing Text

Amherst College students Cait Scudder and Kathryn Libby lead a large group discussion with St. Michael Indian School's sophomores. The high level of their work drew raves from the students and their English teacher.

"As a teacher, observing these discussions is the reason I teach," St. Michael's English teacher, Joan Levitt, explains. "I see and hear students who are enjoying literature, analyzing text, and conversing with college students clearly and creatively. I love it."

The two Amherst College juniors are spending the week working for Reader To Reader in schools on the Navajo Reservation.

Ya'at' eeh Means Hello

Amherst College students Kathryn Libby and Cait Scudder stand with Irene Silentman, Navajo language teacher at St. Michael Indian School in St. Michael, Arizona. The two Amherst College juniors are spending the week working for Reader To Reader in schools on the Navajo Reservation.

The students attended Ms. Silentman's first year Navajo language class. They not only observed how the Navajo language is taught but also participated along with St. Michael's high school students.

During the class they learned that Navajo is a tonal language, with the vowels rising and falling. The meaning of words also changes with the pitch of the voice. The four separate tones of voice used are low, high, rising, and falling. They also learned about various verb conjugations.

To Ms. Silentman we gratefully say Ahe'hee (thank you).

Small Group Discussion

Students at St. Michael Indian School in St. Michael, Arizona, engage in a small group book discussion with Amherst College reading mentors Cait Scudder and Kathryn Libby. The students explored the ethical questions at the heart of the Elie Wiesel's Holocaust memoir Night.

The two Amherst College juniors are spending the week working for Reader To Reader in schools on the Navajo Reservation.

At the Window Rock

Reading mentors Kathryn Libby and Cait Scudder pose before the Window Rock in Window Rock, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. The two Amherst College juniors are spending the week working for Reader To Reader in local schools.

After spending the weekend learning about Native-American history and culture with visits to Acoma Pueblo, Chaco Canyon and Canyon de Chelly, the mentors attended a Navajo language class at St. Michael Indian School in St. Michael, Arizona. They then led two groups of high school sophomores in an in-depth book discussion on Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night.

Doris Hiatt Mentoring Program Celebrates Successful Year

Amherst College student reading mentors participating on the Doris Hiatt Mentoring Program gathered for lunch at The Pub restaurant in Amherst to celebrate all their hard work doing online mentoring with students across the country.

“I can’t thank these students enough for all their hard work and dedication,” Reader To Reader executive director David Mazor said. “These exceptional students put in countless hours reading books and corresponding with high school and elementary school students. They had a lot of books to read and these were on top of their own demanding course loads. They provided invaluable support to the students in the program and were tremendous role models for academic achievement.

The Doris Hiatt Mentoring Program brings together children from low-income backgrounds and college student reading mentors to read books and discuss them online in a specially designed forum. The students not only receive positive feedback and academic support, but also much-needed role models

I Think the Book is Going to Help Me Talk to My Dog

"Thank you for sending books to our school library. I feel so happy for all the great books, especially the book Extraordinary Girls!”

-Bianca

“Thank you for sending us the book The Chicken because I have chickens but they fight so I wanted to stop the chickens from fighting. I’m happy because my chickens will now be happy.”

-Ulises

“Thank you for sending the books How to talk to Your Dog because I have a dog but I do not know how to talk to it. I think the book is going to help me talk to my dog. Thank you for sending all these nice books!”

-Margarita

Smith Elementary School
Austin, TX

Author Transports the Kid of Tomorrow to Today

A special thank you to award-winning author Amy Zuckerman for donating signed copies of her exciting new children’s book, 2030: A Day in the Life of Tomorrow's Kids (published by Dutton Juvenile).

Zuckerman will be participating as a guest author this fall in the Doris Hiatt Mentoring Program, where she will answer elementary students’ questions in the online forum.

Curious about the future? Here's the Booklist review:

For any librarian who’s been stumped by a child’s request for a book about the future, not science fiction—the real future, this nonfiction picture book comes riding to the rescue, at least for a couple of decades. On each page or spread, a clearly written paragraph or two explains what’s different in the year 2030, including the school constructed from large Lego-like blocks and the wristwatch that beams your temperature, blood pressure, and feelings to your doctor’s office.

Following a boy through his day, colorful, somewhat cartoonlike paintings create a strong sense of action within a convincing future cityscape, peopled by smiling folks enjoying advanced technology. Kids will want to show their friends features such as the skateboard park with its magnetically hovering smart boards. Appended bibliography and acknowledgments sections note dozens of books, articles, reports, and individuals consulted regarding technological innovations. With jacket art that’s sure to draw readers, this book will easily find its audience. Grades K-3. --Carolyn Phelan

Reader To Reader Book Drive Builds Bridge Between Schools

Dear Reader To Reader,

Last week we delivered the books from our Reader To Reader book drive.
Our students here at Rancho Pico Junior High in Stevenson Ranch, CA
were so generous in donating about 2,000 books to Washington
Elementary School in Compton, CA.

Last week I delivered the books along with our PAC president Linda Johnson to the school.

We were overwhelmed with the generosity of our student's participation and how welcoming the principal Ontrece Ellerbe and her staff were to receive
them. Both of us agreed to a partnership for next year that Rancho
Pico would collect books for them again in another Reader To Reader
book drive.

We learned that the town of Compton does not have any
book stores so it is very difficult for students to buy books. The
books we gave them will be given to the students for special events
through out the year and over the summer to keep and take home and
read. Ontrece considers reading the most important part of her
student's education.

I want to thank you again for this opportunity and we are looking
forward to a successful partnership with Reader To Reader and
Washington Elementary for years to come.

I am including a couple of pictures. The first one is a picture of
Rancho Pico students with the books. The next one is of me and
Ontrece Ellerbe.

Sincerely,

Janette Foote
Library Technician
Rancho Pico Junior
Stevenson Ranch, California