The Children’s Book Project is one of the best loved events of the Williamson County Retired Teachers Association. One of the main goals of this project is to promote the love of reading and literacy in young children. One way to accomplish this is to present books to the children for them to keep and take home. This year the group gave books to 519 children in various kindergarten classes in Williamson County.
However, the members don’t just present the books, they actively participate with the children. WCRTA volunteers go to the individual classrooms. Upon arriving in the classroom, there is usually a chair set up in a reading corner with a group of eager kindergarten students smiling, seated and full of anticipation.
After a brief introduction, the volunteers read a favorite children’s book or two. The students enjoy hearing the stories, looking at the pictures and asking and answering questions about the book. They are especially excited to know that they will each get to take home a book from the bag brought to the classroom.
The WCRTA Book Project started 21 years ago in 2002 with the kindergarten classes in Taylor. Later, two Georgetown schools were added, Annie Purl in 2011 and Jack Frost in 2012. In 2018, the project expanded to include kindergarten classes from Deep Wood Elementary in Round Rock followed by Berkman Elementary and Voigt.
In this 2022-2023 school year, WCRTA added kindergarten classes from Coupland and Thrall. Since the inception of this project, 6,307 children have received books. The WCRTA local unit budgets for the book project. However, funds for the books are also collected at each regular WCRTA meeting through the generous donations of members.
On March 6, a total of 66 books were distributed at Annie Purl Elementary in Georgetown. The WCRTA volunteers included Linda Guttman, Cindy Loftis, Melissa Jones, and Martha Woodley. Then on March 9, 52 books were given to students at Jack Frost Elementary.
The volunteers included Randy Woodley, Barbara Stoltenburg and Noel Livaudais.
Round Rock completed their project during the first week of May.
Forty-nine books were put into the hands of kindergarten children at Deep Wood Elementary. The volunteers included Gene Stokes, Regina Lewis and Sara Field. Voigt Elementary received 66 books from volunteers Gene Stokes, Regina Lewis, Meg Beasley and Sara Field.
Coupland and Thrall kindergarten classes were added this year.
On May 3, 30 Coupland students received books under the direction of Dr. Karen Holgersen. On May 4, 60 Thrall kindergarten students got a book to take home. Volunteers included Arlene David, Susan Komandosky, Barbara Yerby and Darlene Rydell.
On May 5, the Taylor group delivered books to 196 students at T.H.
Johnson Elementary. The volunteers who participated in this event were Moppy Miller, Mary Delaney, Lynn Mann, Gloria Gonzales, Randall Craig, Komandosky, David, Yerby and Rydell.
The late beloved Naomi Pasemann of Taylor was a faithful member of the Williamson Retired Teachers Association serving faithfully in numerous positions over many years.
She never missed an opportunity to volunteer for the WCRTA Children’s Book Project and always read “The Rattletrap Car.” In honor of her memory, a Taylor volunteer read it to one of the classes once again.
The love of children and learning called these retired educators to become involved in the education of our young citizens. Now that they are retired, that same love lures them back into some Williamson County kindergarten classrooms each year. The group always looks forward to the delightful experience of visiting the classrooms, reading stories, and presenting books for the children to take home.
