By Sophie Nulph
Westfield Washington Public Library recently received a donation of 600 pre-kindergarten activity calendars for the school year from Altrusa Club of Hamilton County. The club announced the second phase of its literacy project to help pre-kindergarten children prepare for their first school year.
Last year, the club received a grant from Altrusa International to deliver activity calendars to help guide parents and children on books to read and exercises to practice. This year, the club received two grants – one for activity calendars and another for a donation of children’s books. It then donated 75 “Pete the Cat” books and 600 calendars to the WWPL’s children’s department. The books were so popular that they were gone shortly after the display was set, but calendars are still available at the children’s department desk.
Carol Rader, the secretary of foundation for Altrusa International and director for the Altrusa Club of Hamilton County, is a former a teacher at Westfield Washington Schools.
“I know that parents don’t know (which) books to read and different activities to teach their kids,” Rader said. “(The calendars are) for parents who aren’t in the teaching background to help get their kids ready for school.”
WWPL Director Sheryl Sollars said the calendars encourage reading.
“It just encourages reading throughout the entire year,” Sollars said. “It gets kids excited about reading books.”
The library also takes the calendars to the outreach programs it presents throughout the year.
