Dr. Susan Deaton, Union education faculty member, reads to a small group of Flat Lick Elementary second graders during the Christmas Literacy Event.

Union Education Students Bring Christmas Literacy Event to Flat Lick

Christmas came early this year for second graders at Flat Lick Elementary.  

On Friday, Dec. 5, Union education majors who are members of the student chapter of the Kentucky Education Association (KEA-SP) visited the school with Santa, an author and a musician in tow.

The college students also brought Christmas gifts:  three new books for each student.

The Flat Lick visit was conceived by members of Union’s KEA-SP chapter.  According to Dr. Melinda Rice, associate professor of special education at Union, “they wanted to contribute something focused on literacy to a local school, and Christmas presented a nice occasion.”

Union’s education students brought along author Silas House, musician Jason Howard and state KEA-SP president Mallory Farquhar.  House read a children’s book by Kentucky author Anne Shelby.  He also talked with second graders about other area children’s authors.  

Howard played the autoharp and invited the children to join him in singing Jingle Bells.

After Howard’s performance, Santa Claus arrived and presented each child with three new books.  As children waited to visit Santa and have a photo taken, Union students and faculty read to the second graders in small groups.

Rice says Union students have also raised enough funds to provide each second-grade classroom at Flat Lick with 50 new books.  The books were funded through donations from Union faculty, staff, students and a small grant.  Union’s library also donated books to the effort.

Union’s KEA-SP chapter plans to continue the Christmas Literacy Event each year.  

December 9, 2008

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