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Health & Fitness

Changing Lives, One Book At A Time.

From our entire family here at The Goddard School, we wish you a happy and healthy start to 2014!

The holiday season is always a time to think about those in need. Our Plainfield preschool and its partnership with Bernie's Book Bank (http://www.berniesbookbank.org/) has already achieved tremendous results. All Chicagoland Goddard Schools, including our location, are working with Bernie's to highlight the important role that books should play during early education.

In the span of a few short weeks, 1,624 books have been donated! Our students, teachers, and parents are immensely proud of this milestone.

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But even with this great result, it makes Karen and I pause for a moment to remember how special this book drive is for us on a personal level. We are blessed in many ways. From our beautiful children who attended Goddard, to a supportive community, we are certainly lucky. However, we can never forget how far we have come in life.

Growing up in two low-income families in North Carolina (Karen) and New Orleans (Rundy), organizations like Bernie's Books didn't exist during our childhood. Without access to such a resource, Karen and I missed out on many of the genuine learning experiences that books help foster.

Find out what's happening in Shorewoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

And just like our mutual experiences all those years ago, it's still shocking to hear that 61% of underprivileged families lack access to any books whatsoever. It should be the job of preschools in Shorewood to make a difference for their community's children.

Books serve as valuable learning tools that help our community's children grow socially and emotionally. Students from low-income families oftentimes arrive on their first day of kindergarten never having opened a book. It's estimated that children can never recover from this and it can set their schooling back permanently.

Sadly, there are countless families in immediate communities of Shorewood, Plainfield, and Crest Hill that need our help right now. And that's why all Chicagoland Goddard Schools have partnered with Bernie's Books to make a difference. The Plainfield preschool here at Goddard wants to change this alarming trend.

Each location has dedicated themselves to collecting at least 1,500 new or gently-used books, but Karen and myself know we can reach even higher. That's why we've set our collection goal at our Plainfield preschool at 5,000 books. So far, we're off to a great start, receiving well over 1,000 from students, family members, and close friends.

In addition the collection boxes here at our school (5005 West Theodore Street), we have drop-off locations at Saint Joseph's Hospital (333 Madison Street in Joliet) The Shorewood Chamber of Commerce (1 Towne Center Blvd), and The Timbers at Shorewood (1100 North River Road).

To help reach that 5,000 book goal, we need your help! Here's how you can give back to your local Shorewood preschool:



1. Search your home for new or gently used children's books. Drop them off at your local Goddard School at any time during our regular hours (Monday-Friday: 6:00AM -6:00PM).

2. Inspire your family, friends, and neighbors to donate. The more we spread the word, the more children we help. Get them involved!

3. If you don't have any children's books laying around, no worries! Visit your local Dollar Store for a wide range of affordable children's books.

4. Use our book drive as an opportunity to teach your children the value of helping others. Help the Goddard teachers motivate our Shorewood childcare students to be active in a great cause!

The students here at the Goddard preschool in Plainfield have been busy too! Each classroom has decorated their own book donation box and placed it outside of their class. Stop by and take a look at their work!

And at the end of the book drive, the group of students that gets the most books wins a very special treat: A pizza party with Clifford, The Big Red Dog!

From our Goddard Family, thank you for your constant support and donations! See you on Saturday, January 18th right here at your favorite preschool in Plainfield – The Goddard School!

Warmest Regards,

Rundy & Karen Wells

On-Site Owners, The Goddard School of Plainfield

For more information on signing your child up for preschool program, stop by The Goddard School of Plainfield, or visit our website at http://www.goddardschool.com/chicago/plainfield-joliet-theodore-street-il.

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