As we get ready for summer, Laurel Ridge Elementary PTA’s DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and Family Engagement Committees are excited to announce a partnership with Brave + Kind Bookshop, a locally owned, community bookshop. The project will include a Summer Reading Challenge, a special book shopping opportunity, and a PTA purchase of new books for our very own LRES library!

 

As a key part of the partnership, we are excited to announce a new LRES Summer Reading BINGO Board Challenge for students. Just have your student complete and return via photo here by July 15 to be entered into a raffle for a B +K swag bag!

 

They have also curated diverse and inclusive book lists to help you complete your BINGO Board and for students to enjoy this summer via this special link on their page where you can also order books directly. Just use the password bingo and mention LRES in the notes when you order.

 

For any books you purchase at Brave + Kind, they are generously giving LRES PTA 10% back in credit to buy more books for our school library. Brave + Kind will pack your purchases up and have them ready for pickup at the shop or for an additional fee, they can be shipped straight to your home. Each LRES purchase also comes with a FREE TOTE! You can email bookfairs@braveandkindbookshop.com with any questions or issues.

 

You can also find more Reading Resources, including Clever, DeKalb County Public Library and Little Free Libraries for your readers to utilize this summer here.

 

In addition, the committees have also been working with Teacher-Librarian Ms. Guyton-Edmiston to select and purchase over 150 new book titles from Brave + Kind to further enrich the Laurel Ridge library. Many of the titles listed in the B + K book lists will be available to all students throughout the year. Students can look forward to checking out those new books during Fall 2022.

 

A big thank you also goes out to all our community members who donated books during the past month. We collected over 400 new and gently used books for students to shop! Our Student Engagement Committee was able to work with DEI & Family Engagement and Ms. Guyton-Edmiston to create a summer reading shop with these books.

 

Our DEI Committee encourages students to intentionally choose books with characters that have different identities than their own, so your family can learn about a variety of communities, cultures, and ways of being through human-centered stories. Seeking opportunities to learn about the diversity of people that make up our community helps Laurel Ridge Elementary School be a welcoming and equitable place for each of us. 

 

Thank you to Brave + Kind, Ms. Guyton-Edmiston, and all the committees who worked hard to put this program together. We hope our LRES Eagles have a wonderful summer and enjoy all the places reading can take you!