Morrison Visits King Elementary School Students for Reading is Fundamental Program
Tuesday, 11.10.2009 / 6:18 PM
/ Community
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ARLINGTON, Va. – Washington Capitals center Brendan Morrison visited Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School Tuesday and participated in Reading is Fundamental’s (RIF) live cultural exchange between King Elementary School in Washington, D.C., and William Tyson Elementary School in Anchorage, Alaska.
The students from Tyson Elementary School read aloud a book on American Indian/Alaskan Native culture to 20 first-grade students from King Elementary School, Skype via an Internet video service, in honor of National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. After the book was finished Morrison talked to both classes about the importance of reading and why the students should continue to read books and learn as much as they could. The hour-long program ended with Morrison fielding questions from students from both classes.
“Books make you feel things through your emotions, they open up your imagination,” Morrison told the students. “The more you read the more you learn new and interesting things.”
Slapshot met and took pictures with the students from King Elementary School. Both classes received a signed photo of Morrison.
King Elementary School is one of two schools that the Capitals adopted before the season to help them through the school year with different activities. In the summer the Capitals participated in the DCPS Beatification Day and helped clean up both of their adopted schools’ campuses.
Reading Is Fundamental is the nation’s oldest and largest children and families’ literacy nonprofit organization. Founded in 1966, RIF motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age eight. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year.
The students from Tyson Elementary School read aloud a book on American Indian/Alaskan Native culture to 20 first-grade students from King Elementary School, Skype via an Internet video service, in honor of National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. After the book was finished Morrison talked to both classes about the importance of reading and why the students should continue to read books and learn as much as they could. The hour-long program ended with Morrison fielding questions from students from both classes.
“Books make you feel things through your emotions, they open up your imagination,” Morrison told the students. “The more you read the more you learn new and interesting things.”
Slapshot met and took pictures with the students from King Elementary School. Both classes received a signed photo of Morrison.
King Elementary School is one of two schools that the Capitals adopted before the season to help them through the school year with different activities. In the summer the Capitals participated in the DCPS Beatification Day and helped clean up both of their adopted schools’ campuses.
Reading Is Fundamental is the nation’s oldest and largest children and families’ literacy nonprofit organization. Founded in 1966, RIF motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age eight. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year.
