Every first Wednesday of the month, the student council officers of Lake Highlands High School file into their cars, books in tow, for lunch.
On this day, however, Burger King is not their destination and the books are not for class. These are children’s books, and the students are going to Stults Elementary to read to the kindergarten through second grade students who eagerly await their arrival.
Stults counselor Karen Kraft first approached the LHHS student council in August with the hope of helping not only her students, but the older students as well.
"I thought it would be a good way to improve the younger students’ ability and desire to read," she says. "But I also think it’s helpful for the high school students to be able to interact with people of a different age group."
Senior Courtney Spearman worked closely with Kraft in the organization of the project, which began in September.
"I was excited about this project because it’s so neat to see the kids’ faces light up when we come to the room to read," says Spearman.
Each officer takes turns purchasing new children’s books to read, which earns them a portion of the points required to stay on the student council.
The students are divided two per classroom and they read for 30 minutes. The book is then donated to the Stults library, and the teacher can finish reading any stories which have not been completed
Though the idea began as a one-time event, Spearman and the student council decided to adopt it for a semester, and now want to continue through the spring.
"We just had so much fun doing it, we wanted to keep it as a project for the rest of the year,Ó Spearman says.
