Lake Charles, Louisiana

Book Character Day

The ATP at Clifton Elementary combined Book Character Day with its Fall Festival to involve more families with students on literacy activities.  Students and teachers dressed as their favorite book characters.  Parents volunteered to monitor student activity booths, such as Clifford’s Reading Station, Pedestrian Safety, Bean Bag Toss, and Face Painting.  Americorps volunteers set up booths and donated Clifford books to teachers.  There was a pledge banner set up so that children could pledge to be a Safe Kid.

Community members donated incentives for prizes and judges were selected to identify student and teacher winners of the Book Character contest.  Teachers set up games to use in the classroom after the events in the gym were held.  Students benefited from this event by dressing as a book character and retelling the story of the book they read.  It was fun for students to see their teachers telling the story of their book characters. Parents and students agreed that this was one way to combine fun with learning.

Clifton’s Community Closet (DeWanna’s Closet)

At Clifton Elementary, a classroom-size closet serves students, parents, and teachers with clothes, and with school supplies that would, otherwise, be difficult for many to afford. Just about all students at the school are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and many students’ families are living below the national poverty level.  In looking at trends in school attendance, the principal noticed a recurring problem: When students grew and needed new uniforms, some were absent from school.

A good community business partner donated uniforms and school supplies for students who could not afford them.  Officials reported that school attendance rose and bullying decreased.  The program grew to serve students and families living in poverty in schools throughout the district.  Parents of elementary, middle, and high school students may donate and retrieve items from the The Community Closet (also named DeWanna’s Closet for one of the founders, see on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DeWannasCloset/).  The social media presence helps families stay abreast on inventory and tag friends to let them know about new items in the closet.

Clifton’s Community Closet (DeWanna’s Closet) is featured in Promising Partnership Practices 2017.