Submitted by Jackie Miller
November 30, 2009
Project Read, under the direction of Dr. Fox, provides Pleasant Valley with volunteer readers from business leaders in our community. Support has come from the community including members of local school boards, City Councils, Harrisonburg and Rockingham Education Foundations, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance, The Arts Council, Rosetta Stone, Eastern Mennonite High School, Neilson Construction, Weaver Flooring and Wall Covering, Blue Ridge Community College, Steven Toyota, Harman Construction, Tenneco, Walker Manufacturing, and a growing list of business partners.
We are excited about our new "Rockin Reader" program sponsored by Cracker Barrel which is a perfect match and extension of the Project Read program. The "Rockin Reader" program establishes a comfortable reading space by providing Double Rockers in each of their partner schools. Pleasant Valley is one of eight of those schools in Virginia. Volunteers read one-on-one to students as they spend time together in the Double Rockers. At our celebration assembly, we had a ribbon cutting for our rockers and books that were donated by Cracker Barrel. We were honored to have managers, Chad Barker, Scott Pastalove and Employee Trainer, Jackie Fishel join us for the ribbon cutting ceremony. A special thanks to Cracker Barrel, Chad, Scott, Jackie, Dr. Fox and all of the volunteers that have made a difference for our students.
Pleasant Valley chose Skyline Literacy as the recipient for their Character Counts project this year. Green Valley Auction and Moving, Inc. and a mystery donor, each promised to give $500 to Skyline Literacy if the students read 1,000 books, during school, in one week! Students met that goal and more! They read 1,486 books! On the day that Beth Rodgers from Skyline Literacy came to receive the $1000.00 check , students were gathered on the blacktop outside. Mrs. Frazier had been giving them clues for weeks, about how the check would be arriving. Students had been guessing and guessing. One student even thought that it was coming on a giant roller coaster! Mrs. Frazier finally explained that a helicopter would be coming and landing on the playground, before their very eyes! Almost immediately, students looked up and could see and hear the helicopter. There were squeals and cheers and waves! When the helicopter landed, the door opened and out came two former Pleasant Valley students, Sam and Mac Evans! Sam and Mac, along with their brothers Scotty and Ryan, presented the check to Ms. Rodgers. After the presentation, Mr. Tim Lacey, who very graciously agreed to fly for this project, answered questions about his helicopter. Pleasant Valley was very happy to be able to help all the wonderful programs that Skyline Literacy offers! Thanks to all for making this project successful and for showing that Character Counts!