Hose Elementary School, with the help from two teachers, received almost $2,000 from the Montgomery County Educational Foundation to promote reading.
Amber Rohr, a first grade teacher, and Amy Hensley, a kindergarten teacher, were responsible for writing and submitting the grant proposal after visiting Wabash College with their students. While on campus, the group toured the facilities and heard from the basketball coach.
“Coach [Kyle] Brumett gave us the tour and mentioned when he was at other schools, he would do things like reading groups with students and his players,” Rhor said. “We wanted to work out something similar. We wanted to incorporate books, basketball, the team and the school.”
The duo approached the MCEF for a grant that would provide books for the children.
“Every time we did an activity at Wabash and with the basketball players, they would get a book,” Hensley said.
Earlier this week, the Wabash coach and some of the basketball players visited Hose Elementary and played learning games with students.
“Every month, once a month, we plan on either visiting the basketball players at Wabash or have some of the coaches and players come here,” Hensley said. “They can do sight words, number or math games or they can read to the children.”
In addition to books, the grant provided for the purchase of learning games, some that stay at school and some that are sent home with the children.
“The next time we visit Wabash, our goal is to set up stations,” Rohr said. “We would have a basketball station and a book station for the students. We try and give away basketball themed books to keep everything relate-able.”
“We wanted to get kids excited for reading,” Hensley said. “So when the kids go home, they can tell their parents the fun memories they had reading with Wabash players and want to read more.”
Wabash College plans to hold a book night Feb. 7 during a basketball game.
“It’s free to come and watch the game. We are inviting our own families to come to the game as well as other families,” Rohr said. “Any family in the community with kids can get a book. All these books can go home and stay with the families and students.”
So far, the grant has helped secure 330 books and 25 educational games for the students. Both teachers hope to purchase more in the future to keep the program going.
“We are just so thankful for the Montgomery County Educational Foundation for the grant and the Wabash coaches and players for being a part of this,” Rohr said. “We hope we can continue to do this for new students every year.”
