Springdale Public Schools

Literacy has been alive and well at Sonora Elementary School since the building opened but the Sonora Scholar Student Leadership Team wanted to promote literacy at an even higher level. Through a partnership with Lakeside Junior High teacher Kristin Pennington and her students, two Little Libraries were constructed and installed at Sonora Elementary.

“I meet with our leadership team every week,” said Sonora principal Regina Stewman. “They pick the projects. They know one of our school goals is to increase literacy. Our students like books and they suggested a Little Library so students would be able to take books home, read them, share them with family members and perhaps bring back books from home to share with other students.”

The suggestion was taken to Lakeside and a partnership was formed. Designs for the Little Libraries were found on Google. Students decided on an owl at the school’s front entrance. Sonora’s mascot is an owl and its’ nickname is the Scholars.

Since the other Little Library was to be placed at the school’s rear exit which leads to where buses deliver and pick up students before and after school, it was decided to use a bus to store the books in the back.

“Lakeside students made the pieces and our students helped in the construction by gluing the pieces together,” Stewman said. “Once the glue had dried, our maintenance department put them up for us.”

Each Little Library can hold 15-20 books. Stewman said the leadership team, which consists of two representatives from each third, fourth and fifth grade class, has “left a legacy for the younger students who are here and will be coming later.”