SCHOOLS BENEFIT FROM YELL LITERACY GRANTS

Jackson South Elementary bought the Boxcar Children books with their grant.

Mrs. Hutson students at Jefferson school use Sunshine books to help them learn to read.

Central High School librarian Julia Jorgensen wanted to share her love of reading last winter, so she started a book club.

But Jorgensen, a prolific reader but thrifty spender, didn't want to spend a large portion of her budget buying multiple copies of various books. Thanks to the YELL (Youth Education Literacy and Learning) literacy grant she received, she didn't have to.

Jorgensen received a $500 grant from the YELL Foundation to purchase multiple copies of books for her Central High School Reading Club. The extra books mean Central and Notre Dame High School students and teachers and interested readers from the community can check out copies of selected books to prepare for the monthly discussions.

The reading club was one of 17 school-based organizations in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties awarded literacy grants since the YELL Foundation was formed last fall. In all, 23 literacy programs have been awarded some $37,000 in grants this year.

Each year organizations may apply for grants to fund special literacy projects or to purchase supplies needed to further literacy efforts, such as books or dictionaries. Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City participate in the YELL campaign. The money earned in each city stays in that city to benefit its residents.

Any organization may apply as long as the objective of the project being funded is to help increase literacy.

Other secondary school programs also received YELL grants last year. Nancy Branson with Cape Girardeau Adult Basic Education said the $700 she received purchased a number of different learning devices. Most of the funding was spent for literacy level reading materials, she said. A computer program that develops reading, spelling and penmanship skills also was bought along with a coin recognition kit and numerous calendars and clocks for hands-on learning.

Bonnie Matzat, a teacher at L.J. Schultz School, used a $400 grant to purchase paperback books as incentives for a school reading fair held last spring.

Most of the grant recipients were elementary school teachers and librarians. Many used the additional funding to purchase classroom or school reading materials.

St. Vincent de Paul teacher Becky Crow received a $300 grant to purchase novels for her sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students. Crow said the grant will help her share her love of literature with her students.

"Every year I see the seeds of my efforts take root when some mom says, 'My kid never picked up a book until now,'" she said. "I know I lose a few along the way, but at least they've had three years of good literature -- enough, I hope, to hook them for life."

Jefferson Elementary School teacher Sandy Kelly used her YELL grant to purchase magnetic boards and letter manipulatives for her kindergartners.

Nancy Seyer, a first-grade teacher at Immaculate Conception School, purchased additional reading support materials for her class with the $300 grant she received.

Alma Schrader teacher Sherry Spencer bought paperback books for the reading curriculum with the $300 grant she received.

Cathy Kapfer, a teacher at Franklin Elementary School, used a $300 YELL grant to purchase 100 books for a morning reading incentive project. Books and magazines are available for students to read before school. If teachers see students reading or looking at the books, they give the students tickets with their name on it, making them eligible for small prizes at the end of the quarter.

The books are shared with the Salvation Army during the summer for its camp programs.

Charlotte Knaup, the librarian at North Elementary School in Jackson, received a $300 grant to purchase new books for the school library.

Pat Haenni, a teacher at St. Joseph School in Scott City, also received a $300 grant. She used her grant to buy science resource books and new books for her third- and fourth-grade class library.

Alan Lipke, principal at St. Paul Lutheran School, said a $250 YELL grant was used to help purchase the Standardized Test for Assessment and Reporting. The test is an informal, computerized reading program that helps determine a student's reading level.

Both Monica Macke, a teacher at St. Mary Cathedral School, and Karen Whitaker, Chaffee School District librarian, used YELL grants to purchase computer software and books for their Accelerated Reader programs.

Clippard school teacher Linda Robert bought paperback books to be used by early literacy groups in first and second grades.

Dr. Barbara Kohlfeld, principal at May Greene last year, said her YELL grant was used to purchase books for the Social Skills library. The school promotes citizenship through the Boys Town model.

"These are children's books that have messages about making good choices," she said. "We think books like "Peter Rabbit" send a good message about making good choices and help with literacy at the same time."