TEMPLE, Texas — Kindergartners and first graders across the Temple Independent School District are receiving a gift of reading through a partnership with service organization Altrusa International of Temple this week. The organization is presenting a program featuring a book written by local authors to each of TISD’s eight elementary schools as part of Read Across America week.
Representatives of Altrusa International of Temple are visiting each of Temple ISD’s elementary schools with a presentation featuring the book “Dragoo Goes Pop!” written by Temple residents Johnny and Lisa Walker. Guest readers have been reading the book to kindergarteners and first graders at each of those presentations. On Wednesday, author Lisa Walker read the book to students at Scott Elementary School. Students also sang a song encouraging them to be like Dragoo, a dragon who steps in to help his community when hot, dry weather threatens the corn crop that supplies food for the residents.
“We have seen the kids light up when they mention that the authors are local,” said Sherry Burnett, coordinator of library services for Temple ISD, and Temple High School librarian. “There is a realization that they are real people, and they live here. It is a good character story about Dragoo helping his community, but also having good character traits of kindness, being smart, and problem-solving. We are extremely grateful for this partnership, which has been instrumental in providing resources and support to foster a love of reading and cultivate strong literacy skills in our community.”
The Walkers donated copies of their book to Altrusa International of Temple and every kindergartner and first grader in the district will receive a copy of “Dragoo Goes Pop!” to take home as part of the program. The organization is also working with community partners to provide materials and resources for optional lessons teachers can use in their classes to relate to the message of the book.
“When Sarah Davison, a representative from Altrusa, reached out to explore a potential partnership with our school district, my immediate response was yes,” said Dr. Sara Watson, executive director of elementary education for Temple schools. “Providing the gift of reading to our children is an invaluable opportunity. The journey from our initial conversation to the full development of the project is difficult to fully express. The Altrusans took the lead in creating the additional lesson plans but sought our input to ensure alignment with our kindergarten and first grade reading and science standards. Our Bilingual Director, Connie Sisneros, also had the privilege of reviewing the Spanish translation of the book. The presentations at the elementary schools have been truly heartwarming. Watching our students embrace the books they received and hearing their excited reactions brought a smile to my face. I hope our Altrusa partners understand the profound impact they’ve had on our students.”
Tuesday’s presentation to Scott Elementary students was the fourth over the past week. There are still presentations scheduled for Hector P. Garcia Elementary, Kennedy-Powell Elementary, Raye-Allen Elementary, and Thornton Elementary before the end of this week.
The Walkers wrote the book for their own children when they were growing up and decided to share the message with other children by publishing the book. “Dragoo Goes Pop!” has also been translated into Spanish for students participating in TISD’s Bilingual/ESL program.