A book drive at Berner Middle School will benefit children about 1,600 miles away, whose school library was lost in a hurricane. English Language arts teacher Kristen Urban spearheaded the effort with her sixth grade classes, seeking new and gently used books.
Ms. Urban, who has traveled to schools in the Caribbean Island of Jamaica several times over the past four years to help improve literacy instruction, will send the books to the Savanna la mar Primary School. The building was severely damaged during Hurricane Melissa in October. Berner students and staff have contributed more than 200 books to the drive, and Ms. Urban will ship the boxes to the school.
Her sixth graders recently read the novel “One for Murphys,” and one of the characters references the Shel Silverstein book, “The Giving Tree.” That sparked an idea among students for their own giving project. Ms. Urban, knowing about the need in Jamaica, brought the idea forward which her students embraced.