Summer Library Fun

I don't know about the rest of you, but I teach at a very low income school. To give you some perspective, the majority of my students speak english as a second language, most don't have help at home because their parents work multiple jobs and/or the night shift, it is not uncommon for a student to have parents who cannot read or write, and we are about 95% free/reduced lunch.

I love my school, students, and their families. No sense of entitlement here. These kids view school as home and the parents are truly grateful for what we do for their children. I know it sounds mushy gushy, but I chose the school I work at because I REALLY feel that I can make a difference in the lives of my students.
With that being said, summer is a tricky time for us. Most students don't read over the summer because their parents can't read with them or even tell if they are doing well or poorly. They spend ALOT of time with digital babysitters. So I sat down one day and created this:

 This is a 12 page document that lists all the fun, free, and educational things students can do over the summer. I tutor at a local library so I picked up their schedule and started plugging in the age-appropriate events. I then noticed that each library had it's own schedule so I collected those and plugged those events in too. Lastly, I scoured the newspaper, town/city websites, and other internet sources and compiled enough activities to keep our students at the library (or outdoors) every day of the week. Every student at my school recieved this document before the end of the school year.

I knew parents were more likely to limit their child's screen time when they were aware of just how much they could do for free. And it is working! I've been taking my nieces to many events while they are visiting and see kids of all ages from my school at EVERY event. I always make sure to say, "I'm so glad you're here! Don't forget to pick out some books to check out and take home!" ;)