Welcome to Our New Sites
Brimfield Family Health Center,
Brimfield
Kids on the Common, Grafton
Performance Pediatrics, Plymouth
Danforth Exhibit Opening April 15th
The Danforth Museum and School of Art is pleased to collaborate with Reach Out and Read on The Giving Tree Project, a unique exhibition in support of children's literacy. Initiated by Newton middle school student Isy Mekler as part of his Bar Mitzvah preparation, The Giving Tree Project features original work by more than 27 children's illustrators who responded to the seventh grader's call to create "trees" (using Masonite templates) for a Reach Out and Read fundraiser.
The Danforth exhibition features 27 three-dimensional "trees," and will be on view in the Children's Gallery from Sunday, April 15 through Sunday, August 17, 2012
|
Have You Ever Dreamed of Writing a Children's Book?
If so, Charlesbridge Publishing and Reach Out and Read Massachusetts invite you to attend
" So How Do I Get My Children's Book Published?"
Thursday, May 10, 201
6:30-7:30 pm
Charlesbridge Gallery~1st Floor~85 Main Street~Watertown
An evening with an editor, a national book buyer and a children's literature specialist. Come and ask our experts everything you have ever wanted to know about getting published!
For information or to reserve a seat, please email Jackie.Miller@reachoutandread.org or call 617-455-0666.
A $10.00 Donation Supporting Reach Out and Read is appreciated.
|
Notes from National
The Reach Out and Read National Center recently unveiled its new 2012 national promotional video.
Please feel free to share this 4:30-minute video featuring CSI New York star Hill Harper with your staff, community members, donors, families, social networks, or anyone interested in learning about Reach Out and Read! This video will be particularly helpful when paired with your Adopt A Site efforts!
Capitol Hill Day
Reach Out and Read healthcare providers across the country positively influence the lives of 3.9 children and families by volunteering their time to prescribe books and encourage families to read together. On March 6th, along with over 100 Reach Out and Read State Program and Medical Directors, I attended Reach Out and Read's annual Capitol Hill Day" to educate our legislators about the effectiveness of Reach Out and Read, and to lobby for next year's federal funding!
We were a force to be reckoned with! Nearly 300 meetings were held with members of congress or with their staffers, including Senators Kerry and Brown, and Congresspeople Tsongas, Delahunt, Lynch, Tierney, Markey, Keating and Capuano.
If you would like to host your State or Federal representative at your Reach Out and Read Program, please contact Heather, Laurie, Nora or Alison for help with the invitation process.
|
|
|
Reach Out and Read New England
Massachusetts Newsletter
Spring 2012
228 Sites Providing 349,768 books yearly To 204,349 MA children Our newsletter has information for providers, coordinators, volunteers, and partners ... so be sure to forward it to your pediatric and family practice staff as well as to friends, volunteers and supporters. Send us email addresses and we'll make sure they automatically receive our quarterly newsletter! |
|
|
Dear Reach Out and Read Colleagues,
I hope you are enjoying this remarkable Spring, and that at least some of you have been able to take time with your families during our traditional vacation week. As I tried to explain the Patriots Day holiday (not to mention Marathon Day, Opening Day, Evacuation Day, etc.) to my counterpart in Connecticut, I reflected once again on how lucky I feel to live in Massachusetts!
Aside from the traditions mentioned above, I am particularly grateful on a professional level for the support provided in this state by Commissioner Killins and her staff at the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. The DEEC has been our partner in the series of Journey to Literacy Conferences, the most recent of which was held in Brockton on April 4th (see below); we hope to schedule another in Western Massachusetts in the Fall.
In addition, the book awards that you will be receiving by the end of May would be far more scanty without the support of our elected officials. It is commonplace to say that Massachusetts' common wealth is our children and their future as educated citizens; what is uncommon is that elected officials of every party and at every level of government--Senators Brown and Kerry, Governor Patrick, and our Federal and State legislators--share a clear understanding of the importance of early language and literacy development.
And just as we receive support from these state-wide groups, Laurie, Heather, Nora and I hope to support you--from solo practitioners to networks of hospital-affiliated Sites--in bringing books and a love of reading to your youngest patients. Visiting Sites and seeing the work that you do is always inspiring; thank you for the energy, enthusiasm and creativity you bring to it.
Warm Regards,
Alison
Alison Corning Clarke, MA, MSW
Massachusetts Programs Director |
|
|
April 30th Deadline to apply for a Target Grant.
Last month, Reach Out and Read Sites received application materials and reminders to submit an application for a Target Grant. Last year, Target store grants totaled more than $300,000 for Reach Out and Read Sites and Coalitions, including several in Massachusetts. You can find the template for the Target grant application online here, and some FAQs here. Also, here is a fiscal sponsorship agreement for Sites that are not tax exempt and need Reach Out and Read to act as their fiscal sponsor for this grant. |
| | |
HELPING YOU FUNDRAISE
Adopt-A-Site Materials available !
Three successful Webinars were held this winter to introduce New England Reach Out and Read Coordinators to the new Adopt-A-Site materials. These Webinars also provided feedback for the National rollout of the materials, which are designed to help Sites fundraise with local businesses and community organizations.
Fundraising has in the past been less necessary in Massachusetts than in other states, but with smaller sustainability awards, Sites are increasingly challenged to fund the gap between the books they need to distribute and those that are provided by Reach Out and Read. Many creative and successful ideas are already in place, and we hope the new materials will help engender more. One practice responded:
"I spoke with the pediatricians about fundraising and they wanted to hold off on approaching the business community but have agreed to each donate $500 to our Scholastic account. I am very excited about this. I have printed the form to add funding to the account and will be completing within the next few weeks. I wanted to share this good news."
To help you start brainstorming, we've created a double-sided information sheet to guide you through the Adopt-A-Site process, along with suggestions for community outreach ideas. All three materials, which can be edited with Microsoft Publisher, are available. If you would like a copy of them, please email Alison Corning Clarke.
|
Congratulations to Sites with 100% of Providers Trained!
Last winter PA of Fall River set a record with 11 staff members completing the Reach Out and Read online CME Course, and we challenged other Sites to meet or beat it.
Many Sites are only 1 provider short of 100% participation; you know who you are! And if you don't, be sure to check the thermometer at the top of your myror program administration page.
And while no Site has yet matched PA of FR's numbers, many other Coordinators have matched Kathi's powers of persuasion; congratulations to the following Sites that have achieved 100% participation in the Course.
Community Pediatrics of Milford
Family Health Care of Worcester
Foley Family Practice, Athol
Health First, Fall River
Pentucket Medical Associates, Haverhill
Riverbend, Chicopee
Riverwalk Pediatrics, Lawrence
Redwood Pediatrics, East Longmeadow
South Avenue Pediatrics, Attleboro |
|
Third Journey to Literacy Conference focuses on Children Growing Up Bilingual
On April 4th, Reach Out and Read Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care presented the third Journey to Literacy Begins at Birth conference, this one focusing on children growing up as dual language learners. Over 125 early childcare providers, home visitors, early intervention specialists, parents and Reach Out and Read participants met at the Massasoit Conference Center in Brockton to hear Reach Out and Read's Massachusetts Medical Director Marilyn Augustyn, MD; Leyendo Juntos Program Advisor Mariana Glusman, MD; and Reach Out and Read Early LIteracy Research Specialist Jean Ciborowski-Fahey PhD, speak about risks and advantages in the early literacy development of bilingual children, including the latest research on brain development.
In her introductory remarks, keynote speaker, Susana Carella, MA MOM Congress Representative, highlighted several of the Conference themes, in particular the importance of empowering parents to participate in their children's education, and of encouraging them to speak to their children in their primary language.
Participants benefited from the hands-on learning provided by Read Boston and Raising a Reader Massachusetts. Raising a Reader Director of Program Evaluation, Sara Pollock DeMedeiros shared strategies used by Raising a Reader to engage parents in participating in their children's early literacy development, while Kerri Schmidt, Program Coordinator at Read Boston, provided a workshop focusing on the process of supporting early language development.
Another Journey to LIteracy conference is proposed for Fall of 2012 in Western Massachusetts; email alison.clarke@reachoutandread.org for more information. |
|
Kids Helping Kids
It would be difficult for us at Reach Out and Read to help ensure that our Sites have the books they need to create literacy-rich waiting rooms, and to distribute to siblings and sick children, if it weren't for the wonderful volunteers who coordinate book drives and keep us outfitted in gently-used books. The following are a few of the many young people who have donated their time to share their love of books and reading.
The Literacy Committee at Memorial School in Medfield holds a book drive during their annual Read Across America week, which includes a school-wide assembly, a day of community readers and a visit from the Cat in the Hat, who greeted buses and read to the students at lunch.
The school wanted to support a local organization and found Reach Out and Read on line! The project expected to collect between 40 and 60 books; the final tally was 425 books, which they donated to Reach Out and Read Sites at BID Medfield and in Framingham.
Kelsey Francesshelli and Monica Pigeon from the West Bridgewater Public Schools held a book drive to benefit the Children and Youth Clinic at Brockton Hospital.
The Salem State University Preschool's annual book drive this year doubled the number of books collected last year to benefit the Lynn Community Health Center's Reach Out and Read Program. With 400 books donated, it is the preschool's most successful book drive ever. Parents were also invited to read many of the donated books to the children during the preschool's daily story time. Claire Hayes from the Lynn Community Health Center was thrilled to receive the donation and has some energetic sophomore boys volunteering from St. Johns who have been reading in the waiting room.
Jean Bliss of Salem organized an event through her business, Birth Bliss. During her Mom & Baby book club class, participants were asked to bring a new book to donate to Reach Out and Read. All books will be donated to the Reach Out and Read program at the North Shore Community Health Center in Salem.
Some adults got in on the act as well: Sarah Caputo collected over 100 books for the East Somerville Family Medicine Department. And thanks to Janice Grady, new site Pediatric Associates of Norwood and Franklin got their literacy-rich waiting room off to a good start. |
Reach Out and Read QI Project starts June 1.
Reach Out and Read's 6-month Quality Improvement Project, available to all participating Reach Out and Read providers, qualifies for 25 Category 4 Maintenance of Certification (MOC) credits by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP); the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) has also approved the QI Project for Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) Part IV credit, equivalent to one ABFM Performance in Practice Module (PPM). This Performance Improvement in Practice activity, Reach Out and Read: Quality Improvement Initiative has been reviewed and is also acceptable for up to 20 Prescribed credit(s) by the American Academy of Family Physicians. Providers interested in the QI project should complete the application form and return it by May 11, 2012. For more information, see the QI Project Overview or email QI@reachoutandread.org.
|
|
|
|
|
