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North first-graders donate books to Akron Children’s
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Logan Kopp (left) and Gage Hunter took a last happy look at the books they donated to Akron Children’s Hospital, knowing that they’re going to a special place.
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North teachers Ruth Metzger and Linda Resch depended on the generosity of their first-graders during a book drive for Akron Children’s Hospital. On April 7, the last day of their collecting, the students of both classrooms posed with the 240 books they donated for the hospital.
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Ryan Russo (left) and Dominic Klase looked happy with their classroom’s collection of books.
By SARAH FOOR
During the month of March, North first-grade teachers Ruth Metzger and Linda Resch taught their students about the power of books. Whether it was a book becoming an important part of one’s life or a book changing the way people thought, the classrooms spent a lot of time considering what books can do.
“In our classrooms, we stress the importance of community service,” said Metzger, speaking of both first-grade rooms. “We decided that the best way to show the power of books was to share them.”
The two teachers contacted Akron Children’s Hospital, and the facility said they would happily take new or gently used books. Any books donated to the facility go to waiting rooms for children to enjoy, or to the hospital’s Reach Out and Read program, which both hope to foster a love of reading at an early age.
Each classroom promised to collect 50 books, but by their final collection day on April 8, each classroom had brought 120 books. The two classrooms sent their total of 240 books to the hospital in paper-covered cardboard boxes, which were decorated with art and the signatures of the students in Resch and Metzger’s classrooms.
“We’re thrilled with the work of the students. There was a very friendly competition going on between the classrooms to see who could collect the most. It was a very kind rivalry because the students knew the books were going to a wonderful place,” Resch said of the book drive.
“I think the kids liked doing good for other kids their age, and making another child smile,” Metzger said of the program. “That’s really the most important lesson we hoped the students would learn.”