North Middle students donate books to Spencer library

Published 12:00 am Thursday, January 6, 2011

By Megan Braun
North Rowan Middle School
North Rowan Middle School’s eighth grade AIG (academically and intellectually gifted) language arts classes recently gathered books for the reopening of the Spencer Library.[0xa0]
The library had been closed for a lengthy period of time.[0xa0] Renovations have recently been completed, and the library has reopened.[0xa0]
And students wanted to be involved in a project that would support our community and encourage reading.
The students wrote letters to multiple book companies asking for donations and two of them sent four boxes of books — Mondo Books and Orca Book Publishers.[0xa0]
Caroline Billingsly and Taeya Teasley held a book drive through their Girl Scout troop, and other students brought in books as well.[0xa0]
At the school’s book fair, some students earned and chose books to be donated by the school’s library.[0xa0]
Students earned these books by volunteering to work at the book fair.[0xa0] Students donated approximately a dozen large boxes of books.
For all their effort and hard work, these students were nominated to receive[0xa0] the Service Above Self Award sponsored by the Rowan Rotary and United Way.[0xa0] Students were recognized at the Service Above Self ceremony held at Keppel Auditorium.
“We worked so hard to receive donations, and we are honored to have been nominated for this award,” student Taleia Hopkins said.
When asked about how she felt about the fundraiser, Rosalina Blakeney said that it was a “gateway to provide a better future for the residents of Spencer and the surrounding communities.”
“This was a wonderful opportunity for my students to experience the joy of giving back to their community,” said Angie Fleming, AIG teacher at North Rowan Middle. “I am very proud of their efforts.”
Fleming and student representatives presented the books to Mayor Jody Everhart and to Cyndi Atwell, the Spencer librarian, during the Spencer Town Board meeting in December.
Megan Braun is a student in Angie Fleming’s AIG language arts class at North Rowan Middle School.