Visitors to Adrian Elementary will quickly discover that students have a growing and noticeable love of reading thanks to an ongoing supply of donated books from First Book, a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to providing new books and other learning materials to students in need. The book donations include class sets for entire grade levels, and most are used by students during in-class activities and assignments in the Learning Resource Center. Best of all, students can choose to keep any of the books which are donated! The opportunity to read and keep books on a variety of topics has caused the culture of reading at Adrian to flourish, both within the classroom and outside of the school building. Teachers have noticed many students reading donated books during daily reading activities, while others have begun to read books with their siblings. Some students have even asked parents and family members for bookshelves to store their extra books!
Securing the book donations from First Book has been a team effort led by Adrian staff members and community partners. Adrian Learning Resource Center teacher Cathy Stang requests and organizes shipments of books, and regularly submits grant requests to community partners, including Legacy Village and Mayfield Church in Chesterland, which cover shipping costs. Thousands of classroom-wide sets of books have been donated by First Book for Adrian students to enjoy and keep since the 2011-2012 school year. During the 2015-2016 school year alone, over 15,000 books were delivered to Adrian Elementary, with a total retail value of nearly $178,000! Extra books have been shared with students at other elementary schools in the district, as well as donated to Mayfield Church for their Trunk or Treat event during the fall.
Be sure to check the district website often to read more about exciting news and updates at Adrian Elementary.