The Lamplighter Elementary School Parents Association (LPA) and school representatives recently delivered more than 4,000 books — enough literature to fill the Lamplighter school truck and three SUVs — to students at nearby Sudie Williams Elementary and Walnut Hill Elementary schools.
“Lamplighter families were not only excited to be able to help fill the shelves at these elementary schools, but to instill in our own children an awareness of social responsibility,” says LPA community outreach co-chair, Kristin Rees.
The book donation was just a slice of what Lamplighter is doing to improve literacy rates in area Dallas ISD schools through its partnership with Commit!, an organization that sets out to improve educational outcomes in Dallas ISD.
The multi-phase initiative includes parent participation. Last fall, Lamplighter’s community outreach committee helped design comprehensive reading kits that include word lists, books, and supplies. Parents and their children helped assemble the packets for use in tutoring students at the two elementary schools at the start of the 2013-2014 school year.
Since then, students at Lamplighter, Walnut Hill, and Sudie Williams developed penpal relationships with each other, practicing reading and writing skills as they discussed books they read.
“I am thrilled that this new service project allows our private school to have a public purpose,” says Vicki Raney, Lamplighter’s Assistant Head for Academics.
“The literacy goals are the same at all three schools — to help students become life-long passionate and avid readers.”
Students at Parish Episcopal, St. Mark’s, Hockaday, Greenhill, Good Shepherd, and several other area private schools also tutor students in reading as Commit! partners.
