Lapeer West High School sewing students stitched a little love and caring into class requirements with a community service project to help children at a Flint area medical clinic and Lapeer third and fourth grade students who will be participating in a summer reading program.
Teddy bears of various designs were created by the students in Charlotte Cornell’s sewing class to be given to youngsters at McLaren Specialty Clinic located in Flint, which provides forensic exams for sexually abused children in Genesee, Lapeer and Shiawassee Counties, to help ease their apprehension.
Like the teddy bears, students in Ms. Cornell’s class picked individual designs for the backpacks, which will be presented to students in the summer reading program to carry books home.
“It’s good for the students to know that their work will be put to such a positive purpose,” said Ms. Cornell. “It’s more than just a class assignment, it is something that will comfort a child or encourage them to read.”
The backpacks will be used by students reading below grade level for a Super Summer Success Reading Program, which was an idea adopted from Oakland schools. Students will return in July for breakfast, a book talk and to swap books with other reading students. Later they will come back to return the books and celebrate their summer reading success.
“Research shows that students who continue reading over the summer will maintain, or exceed, reading levels if they read at least six books over summer,” said Lisa Houk, Supervisor of Language Arts/Social Studies. “We are very grateful to Ms. Cornell and her students for this service project.
Teddy bears of various designs were created by the students in Charlotte Cornell’s sewing class to be given to youngsters at McLaren Specialty Clinic located in Flint, which provides forensic exams for sexually abused children in Genesee, Lapeer and Shiawassee Counties, to help ease their apprehension.
Like the teddy bears, students in Ms. Cornell’s class picked individual designs for the backpacks, which will be presented to students in the summer reading program to carry books home.
“It’s good for the students to know that their work will be put to such a positive purpose,” said Ms. Cornell. “It’s more than just a class assignment, it is something that will comfort a child or encourage them to read.”
The backpacks will be used by students reading below grade level for a Super Summer Success Reading Program, which was an idea adopted from Oakland schools. Students will return in July for breakfast, a book talk and to swap books with other reading students. Later they will come back to return the books and celebrate their summer reading success.
“Research shows that students who continue reading over the summer will maintain, or exceed, reading levels if they read at least six books over summer,” said Lisa Houk, Supervisor of Language Arts/Social Studies. “We are very grateful to Ms. Cornell and her students for this service project.
