Literacy Work Continues

The Satanta United Methodist Church will host a literacy fair on Thursday, February 17 at 6:00 p.m. in the church’s fellowship hall for children birth through sixth grade. The event, meant to make young readers “Fall in Love with Books,” will begin at 6:00 p.m. The first 100 hundred children in attendance will receive a green and gold “Satanta Indian” drawstring backpack. All those in attendance will be then be treated to a meal of hot dogs, chips, and drinks. At 6:30, the adults will be invited to the sanctuary to hear Stephanie Frank from Russell Child Development speak on ways to increase the literacy of children and Kristen Penner of the K-State Extension Office speak on the importance of good nutrition for brain development while the young readers remain in the fellowship hall and work on a make-your-own book project with the help of church and community volunteers. The children will re-join their parents in the sanctuary at 7:00 to listen to the storytelling of veteran Satanta teacher Cheri Williams. The event will culminate with a book distribution (back in the fellowship hall) during which children will be invited to shop for new and gently used books to add to their personal libraries. The event (including the food, the crafts, the books, and the backpacks) is free of charge, something made possible by a generous donation made by the late Sharon Kisker to the SUMC’s 21^st Time Class. For further information, contact Ryan Burrows at 649-3416 or rburrows@usd507.org.

Megan Kuehler (student of Jennifer Hanson) will prepare fliers to hang around town and distribute at Satanta Elementary. Mendy will take copies of these to Satanta Elementary and hang signs around town. Ryan will help get copies to Marceil Cloud for Parents and Teachers, to Stephanie Frank for Learn and Play, and to Brandee Good for her pre-school.

Tentative Game Plan

Wednesday, February 16: Set-up @ 6:30 following the DISCO meal. NHS kids may help.

To do list:

Organize and pack drawstring draw-string backpacks

Set-up tables for meal

Roll out paper from Julie on dining tables

Set-up Sunday school rooms book distribution (invite Rita Shogren to help with the sorting)

Set-up one table for FREE books.

Thursday, February 17 (all times approximate)

5:00—Kitchen workers (Brent, Blake, and Mark) report to grill hot dogs, make lemonade, and prepare for 6:00 p.m. meal. We plan to be prepared to feed 150 people, 100 children and 50 parents. We’ll need tables to seat these folks. Instead of table paper, we’ll run white butcher paper down the tables and provide crayons for the children to color with.

6:00—Guests begin to arrive. The first 100 children will be given a drawstring backpack that contains some basic school supplies, a comb-bound book for use during the craft time, and some sort of bookmark project. Children and their parents are invited to eat and encouraged to stay at their places at the tables until 6:30. (Melissa, Monét, and Andrea will provide a nursery for anyone who needs it).

6:30—Children remain at their places at the tables where Julie Smith (along with a small army of volunteers including Rheann Heater, Mendy Howe, and others) will lead the children in creating their own books. Mendy will supply basic supplies (scissors, etc.) to supplement what Julie can provide from her stash of goodies. If time run short or children begin to lose interest, we will have them work on bookmarks (found in their backpacks). At this point, we’ll encourage the parents in attendance to meet in the fellowship hall to listen to speakers on literacy (Stephanie Frank) and the importance of good nutrition for brain development (Kristen Penner). A translator may be needed. Stacey is checking with Josie Molina.

7:00—The children leave the fellowship hall and join their parents in the sanctuary where Cheri Williams will share a story, modeling how to read to a child.

7:20—Children and their parents will return to the fellowship hall where We hope to have enough books to give all children in attendance at least 2-3 new (or nearly new books) and as many well-loved (worn) books as they can carry.

7:30-8:00 –Clean-up!

Things that will need to be done:

Order supplies for meal (200 hot dogs, buns, chips, lemonade, cups, etc. Brent will have list)

Add: ketchup, mustard.

Find white butcher paper for tables Julie will supply

Buy crayons for tables

Buy supplies for Julie: book supplies and bookmarks?