“Illiteracy is both a cause and a consequence of poverty,” said Steve Davis, state director of Reach Out and Read Oklahoma, in a statement. “If we are going to truly prepare our babies to enter school ready to learn, we must first make sure they can recognize letters, have a nurturing home environment and develop a love of reading. It is our belief that if a parent or loved one gives a child a love for books, they will develop a love for learning that will lead to success in school.”

Children’s books

• “Heroes for Civil Rights” by David A. Adler
• “Amazing Grace” by Mary Hoffman and Carline Binch
• “Aunt Flossie’s Hats (and Crab Cakes Later)” by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
• “Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky” by Faith Ringgold
• “Baby Says” by John Steptoe
• “Chicken Sunday” by Patricia Polacco
• “Barack Obama: United States President” by Roberta Edwards
• “Black Pioneers of Science and Invention” by Louis Haber
• “Afro-Bets: Book of Black Heroes” by Wade Hudson
• “Amazing Peace” by Maya Angelou
• “Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope” by Nikki Grimes
• “Just Like Martin” by Ossie Davis
• “Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World” by Mildred Pitts Walter
• “Mama, I Want to Sing” by Vy Higginsen

Adult books

• “Learning While Black: Creating Educational Excellence for African American Children” by Janice E. Hale
• “Young, Gifted and Black: Promoting High Achievement Among African-American Students” by Theresa Perry
• “Motivating Black Males to Achieve in School and Life” by Baruti K. Kafele
• “Black Children: Their Roots, Culture and Learning Styles” by Janice E. Hale-Benson
• “The Power of One: How You Can Help or Harm African American Students” by Dr. Gail Thompson
• “Through Ebony Eyes: What Teachers Need to Know but Are Afraid to Ask About African American Students” by Dr. Gail Thompson
• “Marva Collins’ Way: Updated” by Marva Collins

Parents and students have spent the last two years raising the more than $50,000 needed to purchase and install the new equipment. The old equipment was beyond repair, according to school officials.

Robin Hill School District is located between Moore and Norman. The school has about 200 students enrolled in prekindergarten through eighth grades.

The playground’s color theme is red, white, and blue. Students will release balloons in the same colors at the grand opening.

“We are very proud of our group’s accomplishment in reaching our goals for this playground project and want to share this joy with our community,” said Betty Chagaris, PTA president.

The $10.5 million school is scheduled to open by 2010. It is expected to help ease overcrowding on the district’s west side.

The 64,948-square-foot building will house about 520 students in prekindergarten through second grade. The new school will be paid for with 2007 bond money.

The morning weather was brisk – cool enough that I could see my breath when I reached the school just after 7 a.m. – but invigorating, too.

You can read more about the walk at Western Village and watch a video about it tomorrow on NewsOK.com.

In the meantime, I’d like to know: Did you walk to school growing up, and do you let your children walk now?

Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter

My middle school in Texas operated with a team system that was similar to what Charlie Bushyhead described as the setup at Union.

The sixth-graders at my middle school were on the “Energizer Team,” and the eighth-graders were on the “Power Team.” The seventh-graders were split between the two. Each team had its own set of core teachers, and we intermixed for electives and lunch.

What do you think of the teaming concept, or of breaking students in specific grades out into their own buildings? (Any incentive from a parent’s perspective to keep their freshmen daughters away from senior boys, perhaps?) Share your thoughts here.

Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter

The list of open schools will be updated on the district’s Web site, and officials are thinking about how to make up the lost time.

This is similar to how Oklahoma City Public Schools recovered from the devastating ice storm last December – cancelling classes for a week, then opening all the buildings that were safe for children as they were ready.

Meanwhile, many commenters on the Chronicle story sounded off about what’s expected of teachers, and if it’s realistic or fair to expect them to all be back in the classroom at a moment’s notice while they’re still coping with the personal impact of the storm.

What advice would you share from your ice storm experience with parents and teachers in southern Texas as they roll out their school reopenings? Post it here.

Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter

Monday is “Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children,” a movement by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse and supported by Gov. Brad Henry by way of a proclamation, she wrote.

Click here to read the whole column. She puts out columns like this every Friday, so a new one will be out later today. To keep up, visit this Web page.

Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter

Although his comments were made a few weeks ago, I’m bringing them up now because of a column in the most recent issue of The School Administrator magazine, which I just received.

The column is by Nicholas Caruso with the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. You can read the whole piece here, but one line in particular intrigued me. He wrote:

The board meeting is a meeting held in public,
not a public meeting.

It seems to me that view aligns with Humphreys’ comments, while the parents I spoke with afterward said they feel as though the meetings belong to them. 

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter

Hundreds of students in Illinois are spending the first day of classes trying to enroll in higher-performing schools instead of in seats at their home sites. Students and their parents say they hope their protest will highlight disparities in Chicagoans’ education along the socioeconomic divide.

People on both sides of the issue have compelling arguments: one side saying the protest sends the wrong message to kids, the other saying that taking a stand is their best shot at rectifying an unequal education system. Which camp do you fall into?

Read the full story here, and then share your thoughts.

Wendy Kleinman
Education Reporter

An Oklahoma State University researcher wants to know how you deal with the terrible twos.

Bob Larzelere is seeking volunteer mothers of tots between ages 18 months and 30 months. You could get paid $60 to tell how you handle your toddler’s misbehaviors.

Contact Dr. Larzelere at (405) 744-2053 and (405) 338-8094.

Susan Simpson, Education Writer