The Wonders of a Good Book

As you all know, we have been working on an English Resource Room/Library at my school.  Well I am pleased to say that it is finally finished and up and running. YAY!!!  For the past two weeks kids have been coming before and after school to return and get books in English to read.  At the beginning our shelves looked full, but now are slowly getting smaller and smaller, which is a good thing because that means that the kids are enjoying the books and keep wanting to read more.

Just as a reminder....this is the before shot.

And....................................

This is the after shot!!!  Carpet on the floor, new desks and chairs for the kids to come sit and read, books on the shelves, and we made bulletin boards out of the old windows.

 The other side.  Here is the working area for the teachers and where the students come when they want to take a book out.  The cabinet is where the teachers can hold their English resource materials.  I can't forget Maria's, one of the English teachers, beautiful hand work on the walls.

More of Maria's handy work with posters.

 Boban, was our first student to come and check out a book.

 Irena checking some of the girls out.  We had each student that wanted to use the library take home a "contract" and read it over with their parents.  They had to provide some information (name, grade, email, etc).  We had some rules about what would happen if they returned a book late, damaged or lost one along with general library rules.  The kids had to have their parents sign it and they too had to sign it and once they returned the form they could start getting books. As of yesterday we had around 100 students turn in forms and more are coming!!

 Some of the 6th grade girls after school looking up words in the English-Macedonian dictionaries.

You can now always find someone reading!!!  It has been a nice sight seeing the students come and getting books; and then when they return them saying it was "good" and how they can't wait to get another.  I have also enjoyed seeing the kids reading the books during their free time or after they finished an assignment in English class.  The kids reading for pleasure; something that I had not seen before. The library will always be a work in progress; but as the years go on, I know it will be something that these kids will always enjoy having.