BOOKS EFFECT “SUMMER SLIDE”              

Books have been distributed this summer in great abundance. As I pulled up into a trailer park in the Story Express one day a seven-year-old little boy hollered, “Hey, you’re the book lady aren’t you?” He remembered from when he was in Head Start and Pre-K getting books from the Story Express. He couldn’t wait to climb up on the van and pick out a book. When I found out it was also his birthday, I encouraged him to choose two books. These low-income students are so hungry for books, it made me know we will plan to supply these kids with more books next summer. Then I ran across a report on a study conducted by Dr. Richard Allington, a longtime reading researcher at the

University of Tennessee-Knoxville on how free books block the “summer slide” in low-income students.   Research has shown that giving children books may be as effective as summer school. The big question is whether the effect can help reduce the achievement gap between low-income and middle-class peers.
This study shows that by sixth grade the “summer slide” in academics accounts for as much as 80% of the achievement gap. Researchers note low-income students lose about three months of ground each summer compared to middle-class peers.

Allington says, “You do that across 9 or 10 summers, and the next thing you know, you’ve got almost three years’ reading growth lost.” After giving low-income children 12 books for three consecutive summers, those students had “significantly higher” reading scores, experienced less of a “summer slide” and read more on their own each summer than their peers who didn’t get books. When kids own books they get the sense that they are truly readers. It’s empowering for a child to have books in their home. Even their parents get excited whether they can read or not.

You can probably guess where Tammy is right now — not at her desk at The Craddock Center, but driving the Story Express to the Gilmer Food Pantry for tomorrow’s book giveaway!

Please continue to collect books to send this way. — TLS

TLC  TENDER, LOVING, CRAFTING                 

Goes on throughout the year in the toymakers’ workshop at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Houston, TX. Santa’s elves have nothing on these folks. These tireless handcrafters spend two days every week with saws, sanders and drill presses creating amazing wooden toys for children as far away as the Appalachian Mountains. Hugh Parker, one of the Texas toymakers, made the two day trip to Cherry Log with a vanload of wooden toys to be distributed during the month of December. We are so grateful for this gift and look forward to seeing the hundreds of smiles these wonderful toys will bring. These toys don’t require batteries, but are run on kid power and pure imagination! — TLS

Kim Cheves, CEP Coordinator, Hailey Cheves, Tristan Cheves and Hugh Parker

ACCOMPANY THEM WITH SINGING - - - THE CHRISTIAN FUNERAL              

Is the title of Dr. Thomas G. Long’s recent book on today’s Christian funeral. Dr. Long devoted more than twenty years to exploring critically the academic and pastoral literature on this topic while personally engaging in active ministry with folks dealing with death and funerals. Monday, October 4, 2010 Dr. Long will present The Craddock Center Fall Preaching Workshop. This will be a great opportunity to explore the Christian funeral as he presents the topic Re-thinking the Funeral Sermon. We will gather at 9 a.m. for the continental breakfast and be finished by 1 p.m. after the deli-lunch. This workshop is free but reservations are needed. To save your seat please email craddockcenter@tds.net or phone 706-632-1772. — TLS

CALLING ALL KNITTERS     

Who have some leftover yarn to consider knitting hats for preschool children. Last winter the schools served by The Craddock Center let us know they were in need of warm hats. A couple of weeks ago the first donation was delivered. A friend of The Craddock Center, Susan Donaldson, has been knitting up all her yarn and produced forty wonderful hats. Just think how many ears can be kept warm with all the yarn in our closets. Just give us a call if you need a pattern. Happy knitting! — TLS

WHEN TELLING STORIES                    

It is not usually wise to respond to requests. However, when the request is thunderous (with me, it takes only two to thunder) I give in.

As a boy I spent pleasant summer evenings gathering fallen stars. As I think back on it, the spent stars were worthless, but it was something to do. My brothers and I would go into a field near the house, climb up on tree stumps (all that remained after the blight of a once beautiful chestnut grove), and wait for stars to fall.

From these perches we could see exactly where they fell, and it was not uncommon to have the pockets filled within an hour. Sometimes, whether in greed or out of compassion for fallen stars that might otherwise go unnoticed, I do not know, we would sneak from the back porch with Grandma’s clothes basket and harvest the remaining stars still flickering on the ground. And sometimes, dragging the heavy basket home left us too tired to empty it. “We will do it in the morning,” but in the morning Grandma was already fussing about a residue of gray ashes in her clothes basket. (Everyone knows you cannot save stars over until the next night.) We denied charges of having kindled a fire in her basket and snickered off to play, protected from punishment by the mystery. But during her last illness, Grandma called me to her bed and told me, almost secretively, that she knew what we had been doing with her basket. My guilty silence was broken by her instruction for me to bring to her from the bottom of an old chest a package wrapped in newspaper. I obeyed and then waited the eternity it took for her arthritic fingers to open the bundle. “Oh, it’s gone,” she said, showing me where it had been. In the bottom of the package, was a little residue of gray ashes. We stared at each other.

“You, too, Grandma? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was afraid you would laugh at me. And why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was afraid you would scold me.” — FBC

RAINBOWS VOLUNTEERS                       

Are busy preparing for the Fall grief group for children, teens and parents. When life-altering losses occur, families are forced into a new way of being for which no one can be prepared. Children and parents are left clambering to deal with the grief. Most of us are not prepared to navigate the turbulent waters of grief alone. Rainbows provides a bridge to emotional healing.

At Rainbows children meet other children who have experienced loss. In this safe and supportive environment the group activities are focused on healing the hurt and restoring hope. A parent support group will meet while the teens and children are meeting.

We are grateful for the adults who have been trained to facilitate these groups which will meet at The Craddock Center from October 3 through November 21 at 6 p.m. — TLS    

THE CRADDOCK CENTER RECEIVES GRANT FROM TARGET FOR CEP     

We are pleased to announce a partnership with Target in recognition of our efforts to promote literacy through the Children’s Enrichment Program and the donation of books. Target gives 5 percent of its income to organizations that support education, the arts, social services and volunteerism. Target is excited about CEP which delivers music, creative movement/dance, and storytelling to 3-5 years-olds enhancing the stated curriculum goals. We are grateful for this partnership which will help deliver “happy and hope” to the children we serve. — TLS

URGENT NEED                       

Due to a fire in June that affected 5 apartments in Blue Ridge, our furniture bank is almost depleted. We were thankful, through generous donations from many of you, to be able to help those burned out neighbors. Additionally, eighteen other families were assisted with needed household items in the past two months. If you have furniture you are ready to pass along, please let us know. Thank you! — TLS