RAHWAY, NJ — Roosevelt Elementary School has announced that English Language Learner teacher Susy Silvestri has been awarded a grant from FirstBook.Org and the Build-A-Bear Foundation. This generous grant provided brand new books and cuddly reading bear buddies for Silvestri’s kindergarten through second grade ELL students.
The Build-A-Bear Foundation and First Book have a shared mission of fostering a love of reading in children from underserved communities. Their ambitious goal is to distribute one million books and 100,000 reading buddy teddy bears to children in need by 2027.
“We are incredibly grateful to FirstBook.Org and the Build-A-Bear Foundation for their generosity,” said Silvestri. “These new books and bear buddies will be a wonderful resource for my students as they develop their English language skills and explore the joy of reading.”
To celebrate the arrival of the new books and bear buddies, Silvestri hosted a special reading event in the school library. Students read books and cuddle with their bear buddies as they read together with classmates, teachers and administrators.
The event was a resounding success. Students were enthusiastic about exploring their new books with their furry friends and the library buzzed with excitement and the sound of happy reading.
Photos Courtesy of Colleen Kurdyla
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