LYNN– The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and AFT Massachusetts donated $10,000 to CASA for a new library that will be opened in the fall. In addition to the library, students were able to pick out books to take home.
“Today, we are doing a book giveaway… each one of you will take home a book and probably a little bit more because we got 1400 of them here,” Lynn Teachers Union President Phil O’Connor said.
President of AFT Massachusetts Jessica Tang said the organization has a “wonderful partnership with the organization called First Book. Through this partnership, AFT has given away 11 million books, and 1 million of those books have been just here in Massachusetts.”
Principal Chris Norkun of CASA shared that the space that city leaders, CASA students, and educators were seated in had started out as an empty room in September.
“It has grown from a space into a studio. Students come here to create, to build, to learn drama and act, and to play music.” Norkun said.
Nearly 30 sixth-grade CASA students headed home with a book or two. According to Norkun, the remainder of the sixth-grade class will receive their books when they return to school from February break.
Norkun also took the time to thank a specific CASA teacher, Aemi Herrera, who is “the catalyst behind these books.”
According to Norkun, Herrera researched, advocated, and networked to facilitate this program. Norkus shared that she has been vested in the community and found the generous donors who wanted to jumpstart CASA’s library collection.
“Literacy is the very backbone of education, picking up, getting lost in books, learning other stories, learning other cultures in those books,” Superintendent Molly Cohen said. “We’re really excited to be able to open a library here.”
Mayor Jared Nicholson also attended the event and showed gratitude towards the American Federation Team of Massachusetts.
“The collaboration that you all do in your day-to-day work on all of your projects. The Lynn Teachers Union (with the) AFT is such a wonderful example of collaboration on it,” he said.
With a diverse selection ranging from science fiction to historical fiction—and even a Spanish-language pick—these sixth graders are all set for a busy February break spent with their noses in their books.
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