Perry 2021-22

Summer Reading Books for Local Elementary Schools

Perry Rotary Club purchased and disbursed 3 summer reading books per student at a local elementary school (Tucker Elementary School) in Perry, GA. We coordinated the purchase of the books with school officials in early May 2022. An event was held on May 18, 2022 at the school in order to distribute the books to the students. Perry Rotary Club members were present at the event in order to help distribute the books. The club has also purchased and included Rotary Four-Way Test stickers with each book.

Beneficiaries (479) are elementary students that attend Tucker Elementary School in Perry, GA. The project will allow each student to have three books to take home and read during the summer of 2022. The project is intended to provide students the means to improve literacy and stay engaged during the summer months.

Sara Barron coordinated the purchases of the books with the school. She was in direct contact with the school and helped facilitate the ordering of the books for the students. Mike Gray is the club’s treasurer and assisted Sara with reimbursing the school for the cost of the books. Mike also ordered the 4-Way Test stickers to be placed with each book. Mitch Greer is the club’s grants and foundations chair. He assisted with the grant application process and submitted final report. Glenn Smith is the club’s current president. He assisted each of the above members in their duties and functions and helped coordinate the event on May 18, 2022 in order to distribute the books to the students. In addition to the above members, numerous members attended the event on May 18, 2022 in order to help distribute the books to the students.

Perry 2020-21

PERRY ROTARY CLUB 

Summer Reading Books for Local Elementary Schools 

All students at two elementary schools in Perry, GA were presented with three free summer reading books at the end of the school year. The Club worked with Tucker Elementary School and Morningside Elementary School to receive their input on which books to purchase. Books were purchased through Scholastic Book Clubs and Tucker Elementary School. Rotarians met and inserted stickers of the Rotary Wheel and Perry Rotary Club along with the Four Way Test inside the cover of each book. Rotarians assisted the school in distributing the books at curbside directly to every student in May at the end of the school year. Tucker Elementary School dedicated its “reading room” in memory of Perry Rotarian Dr. Horatio Cabasares.  975 students in PK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 grades received fiction and non-fiction summer reading books. The book titles were selected by the school and were age appropriate based upon school grade level. Students impacted totaled 505 at Tucker Elementary School and 475 at Morningside Elementary School. Books distributed totaled 1,515 at Tucker and 1,517 at Morningside. Rotary funds were used to purchase the books and Rotary decals. Research shows that reading achievement gap between low-income and middle-income students can be as much as 3 years by the end of eighth grade. As much as 80% of this gap can be attributed to low-income students’ lack of access to books over the summer months. Perry Rotary has donated books over the past three years, and results over this short time show a significant improvement in reducing the reading level loss over the summer. Reading levels over the summer of 2017 dropped from 61% to 50% “on grade-level.” In 2018, the “on grade-level reading skills” dropped from 57% to only 54% – a marked year over year gain. Reading level data was impossible to obtain in the COVID impacted 2020-21 school year. Improving reading ability and reducing illiteracy is the humanitarian need being met. 20  Rotarians placed stickers of the Rotary Wheel with Perry Rotary Club and the Four Way Test inside the covers of every book and attended the Tucker Elementary School reading room dedication in memory of Rotarian Horatio Cabesares, who died as a result of COVID in 2020. Dr. Cabasares was Perry Rotary Club’s champion for this summer reading project. They were also on hand at the school to present the books curbside to students and to interact with faculty. “Shelter-in-place” restrictions prevented more Rotarian participation and direct contact with the students and faculty.