HPU Freshmen Share 500 Books with Local Elementary School Students
Cameran Brick, a freshman elementary education major from Southington, Connecticut, smiled as she read to kindergarten students.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Nov. 20, 2024 – High Point University freshmen donated 500 copies of their favorite childhood books, which were delivered to Northwood Elementary School in High Point on Nov. 18. Freshman Education Fellows from HPU’s Stout School of Education read with kindergarten and first-grade students after they delivered the books.
Each year, HPU freshmen are asked to share a favorite childhood book during Welcome Week to encourage literacy in the surrounding community. Education Fellows gain real-life experience in the classroom by reading with elementary school students.
“This is the first chance they get to go into the schools, and I think it confirms to them that they do want to go into education,” said Rosemarie Tarara, instructor of health education and director of Education Fellows at the Stout School of Education. “I also think this is a great way to introduce the schools to the Fellows. They get to work with a small group of students and engage them. I’m impressed with how much they are engaging with students, and they’re not scared. They’re excited. They’ll be in the schools next semester for a class.”
Cameran Brick was among the 30 freshmen elementary education majors who agreed the experience confirmed her career choice to become a teacher.
“It just reassured me that this is what I want to do,” said Brick, who is from Southington, Connecticut. “It felt good to be back in the classroom, and it felt really good to see how kids are – that they still have the same interest, the same passion and they are so sweet.”
Reading “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss to a group of kindergarten students was fun even for the students who knew the story, said Natalie Denson, a freshman from Columbus, Ohio, who is pursuing a double major in elementary education and music.
“I loved seeing how they light up,” Denson said. “Seeing them have those connections was so joyful. You could tell they were into the story. They were saying: Can we read another one?”
Latasha Robinson, a kindergarten teacher at Northwood Elementary School, earned her master’s degree in elementary education at HPU in 2023. She said she was excited to see students from her alma mater get the opportunity to interact with kids in the classroom.
“This is awesome for them to come in and read to the children,” Robinson said. “They’re allowing them to ask questions, as opposed to just reading a story. I love that they come in here because it gives the HPU students a chance to see what they’re actually going to be doing. This is an awesome hands-on experience for the students of HPU and the students at our school.”