Volunteers included members of the Frenship Board of Trustees, Frenship administration team, and members of the Lubbock community. After the story was read, students received their own copy of the book and completed a comprehensive craft project.
In the book, a young boy named Jerome has a special collection – words. Whenever and wherever Jerome finds the words, he writes them down and collects them.
The students wrote down several meaningful words, cut them out, and placed them in a collection jar that they were able to decorate.
Karry McGinty is a second-grade reading teacher at Upland Heights. She said that this event is very special to her and her students.
“It is just a really special time for our kiddos to see community members come in and know that they are important and that they are loved,” McGinty said.
McGinty said that she is grateful that the United Way worked to make this event possible, even during a pandemic.
“Our kiddos and teachers and parents have given up a lot this year,” McGinty said. “There have been a lot of disappointments, a lot of events cancelled, a lot of birthday parties cancelled, just things that they are used to being able to get to do. For our community and our District to still be able to put this together, even with some of our restrictions, was extremely important to our kids.”
This year, Frenship Superintendent Dr. Michelle McCord read to a Virtual Learning class from Upland Heights Elementary. She said it was her first time interacting with any second-grade virtual learners.
“I am learning more and more about how important it is to figure out innovative ways to stay connected to our Virtual Learners because they are as much a part of Frenship as any other student,” McCord said. “It was great to see their faces and for them to get to see us, and it I think for the students to know that they are not forgotten and that we care about them and that we want to engage with them.”
McCord said that the Virtual Learning students she read to also completed their craft. She explained that she watched as they decorated their jars and came up with words to collect.
“One of the themes in the book is that some of the simplest words are the most powerful,” McCord said. “Words like ‘you matter,’ ‘I’m sorry,’ and ‘thank you,’ and the book clearly resonated with them as I saw them write down some really precious words.”
McCord said that United Way makes this event special for all the second-grade students at Frenship and across Lubbock.
“I would love to say ‘thank you’ to the United Way and all of the United Way volunteers,” McCord said. “It took a lot of hands and feet, and man hours and woman hours, to get all of these books in the hands of children. I can’t say thank you enough. United Way does give hope to everyone.”
McCord said that United Way wanted to make sure the Dual Language students were included in today’s event as well. She said that the Dual Language second grade students at Willow Bend Elementary got a copy of the book translated to Spanish.
“They did all the same things but, in another language,” McCord said. “It is just another testament to the great work that the United Way does for every single person in the community.”