Feb. 27, 2019 -- District media ancillaries wear a lot of hats. They manage each elementary school’s library, meet classes of students for weekly lessons, assist teachers with lesson plans and students with research projects, and serve as a hub for building-wide engagement in each of our elementary schools. The seven current media ancillaries also volunteer in our community.
Starting last fall, Michele Alexander, media ancillary at Roxboro Elementary, convened her six colleagues for monthly meetings to share best practices and brainstorm ideas to better serve their schools. Noble’s Yvonne Wallace suggested that in addition to meeting, the group should volunteer at the Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank, a downtown non-profit where she has long volunteered.
Their first excursion to the Book Bank was for a “Sip-n-Sort,” which included drinks and hors d’oeuvres and the attendance of several district administrators, including principals from both Noble and Roxboro. The group has continued to volunteer every other month, sorting donated books into categories and preparing them for distribution. The Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank collects new and gently used books and donates them to schools, Little Free Libraries, pediatricians’ offices, child care centers, after school programs and any other agencies that serve parents and young children.
Ms. Wallace recently arranged to bring a group of Noble 5th graders, selected by their teachers, to sort books and package them for delivery and hopes to bring additional groups of students in March and April, as this proved a powerful experience. Genesis Tyson-Thomas said it made her “feel good inside to be able to help people and put a smile on their face.” CH-UH is among the districts that receive free books, which media ancillaries are then able to distribute to students for their home libraries.
Educators are always encouraging students to give back to their communities—in fact, “taking action” is a key component of an International Baccalaureate education. This project, embraced by the media ancillaries who see every one of our district’s elementary students each week, takes volunteering full circle: our staff and students manage to both help others and benefit themselves. As Ms. Wallace said, “What’s better than giving books away to children?”
Student Tayvon Harris would agree. Of volunteering at the Book Bank, he said, “Reading is like magic. Every page has something new.”
