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Features

[JULY 8, 2002]  Cathy Hawkinson, a third-grade teacher at Jefferson, has once again tapped into her passion for gardening to promote children’s excitement over reading.

Her integrated teaching and gardening ideas began with a butterfly garden put together by her 1999-2000 class. In 2001 her dream of an 1850s-style garden with book-themed plots landed the school a $6,800 grant from Barnes and Noble through the Illinois Literacy Foundation.

Now the garden, across Sixth Street from Jefferson School, boasts several book-themed plots, such as the "Petunia Goose" and the "Charlotte’s Web" plots, as well as a sunflower house where classes gather for special outdoor book-readings, a prairie garden, a butterfly bush, a rainbow garden and several raised gardens surrounded by even more flower beds. Also in the garden, a log cabin built by Pete Fredericks houses the Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz" and gardening tools. For the supplies, Hawkinson found many generous donors within the Lincoln community.

She approached the Lincoln Public Library about bringing their summer reading program to the Jefferson School Children’s Garden. As a result, children and parents gather on Wednesday mornings to sit and read for an hour in the shade of the garden.

[Photo by Trisha Youngquist]
[Debby Simpson takes time out of her day to sit and read with her daughter Katie. Katie has read more than 400 books this summer!]

Assistant children’s librarian Linda Harmon brings a box full of books from the library and spreads them out on the grass. Kids glance over the books and hurriedly find a square of carpet to sit on and read. And when they have finished one book, they quickly find and devour another. The entire hour is spent reading one book after another. Parents who accompany their children sit while their children read aloud to them.

State Farm Insurance sponsors a midhour drink break. Agent Rick Hamm also brings safety programs to the school during the year.

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The library program extension allows children who live in the neighborhoods near Jefferson to participate in the reading program, since the school lies within walking distance. Already this summer 15 kids have participated at the location and filled out reading logs.

Kids write down in their reading logs all the books that they read and use it to keep track of their reading goals. Children set their own reading goals in this program that has over 500 participants.

[Linda Harmon awards Amanda McCray a "Reading Rocks" T-shirt for meeting her reading goal.]

Rewards encourage them toward their personal goals. When a child reaches his or her reading goal, the reward is a red "Reading Rocks" T-shirt. Weekly prizes for children who have read the most during the week are also given out. Area merchants have donated hundreds of prizes for the weekly honors. An anonymous donor supplied the prizes for the summer’s top readers.

At the library, charts on the walls reflect individual progress as well as progress by school. Schools compete in most books read for a trophy. Jefferson has never won the trophy, but this year they appear to be strong competitors, vying closely with Washington-Monroe for first place.

As Linda Harmon was quick to point out, though, it would not be possible without Cathy Hawkinson. "She’s the impetus behind the whole thing. I just bring the books."

[Trisha Youngquist]

Honors & Awards

[AUG. 30, 2002]  NORMAL — Heartland Community College Foundation has announced the winners of a variety of student scholarships for the 2002-2003 academic year. A total of 32 full- and part-time students from area high schools were chosen to receive scholarships that fund tuition for one year.

HCC provides scholarship opportunities to support student excellence and learning. Scholarships are supported through the generosity of individuals, businesses and organizations. These scholarships reward student achievement, encourage student leadership and provide financial assistance.

The following students were awarded scholarships:

Bloomington: Christine Esposito, Megan Kerns and Christine Zvonar

Colfax: Paul Armstrong and Nicholas Reynolds

Danvers: John Bierbaum

Fairbury: Heidi Dotterer

Gridley: Callie Prevo and Erin Witzig

Lincoln: Sarah Carrillo and Ruth Underhill

McLean: Bonnie Holland

Pontiac: Angelia McReynolds and Joshua Tuley

Bloomington: Huda Nur-Awaleh

Normal: Kathy Sekiguchi

Forrest: Rachel Walter

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Bloomington: Melissa Nehlsen

Danvers: Joan Hodge

Normal: Amanda Loy

Bloomington: Lolita Poore

Bloomington: Audrey Rinker

Normal: Linda Stroh

Cooksville: Brett Wade

Danvers: Angela Meacham and Zachary Mohr

LeRoy: Kristin Carlton

Normal: Phillip Adams, Sasha Jennings, Donald Spaulding II and Brandi Troutman

Bloomington: Danielle Handley

For more information on scholarship opportunities at Heartland Community College, contact the financial aid office or visit www.hcc.cc.il.us.

[HCC news release]

Announcements

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