Books for Babies

We did a fundraiser at school to raise money for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.  This organization sends every registered child born in the state of Tennessee a free book every month from birth to age five.  With children having access to multiple books in the home, literacy rates and interest in reading is of course higher.  Sam is a member of this program, so it is near and dear to our hearts.  

Anyway, back to the fundraiser...  Each teacher brought in a picture of themself as a baby or a young child.  We also brought in a copy of our favorite book when we were little with a short written explanation of why we liked it so much.  All baby pictures, books and write-ups were displayed in the trophy case of the front of the school.  Then students would go and look at all their teachers as babies and young children and pay $1 to vote for a teacher in the following catagories:

• Most Athletic Baby
• Biggest Head
• Stinkiest Diaper
• Cutest Baby
• Baby of the Year

All the money raised went directly to our charity.  So, to promote the program, I offered my students a "Reading Log Pass."  I don't give homework, but I do make the kids read 100 minutes independently each week.  For $1 they got a free 100 minutes!  They could vote for any teacher in any catagory, JUST DONATE!  For a week, my students and all 700 other students in the school voted for their favorite (or least favorite) teacher in all the catagories.  And...by the time the contest was complete, I had won not one, but two catagories!  Are you ready to see the photo that won Cutest Baby and Baby of the Year...

What was my favorite childhood book?  I had several, but I settled on Green Eggs and Ham.  And this is what I wrote about it...

When I was a child, I loved Green Eggs and Ham.

Perhaps that's the reason I named my son Sam.

Not on a train, or a plane, or in the rain would Sam eat,

This strange but quite tasty green eggs and ham treat.

'Til one day he tried and what did he declare?

He loved green eggs and ham and would eat them anywhere!