Celebrating the End of the Year with Girls LitClub In Baltimore!

For our final gathering, we invited families to join us to hear about and celebrate the wonderful work the girls have been doing for the last 12 weeks. They described books and poems we shared, and the girls read some of their own work in addition to some of their favorite authors. It was great to hear them excited to share and discuss their thoughts with everyone. The moms who were able to attend were delighted to see their daughters so engaged and enthusiastic about reading and writing and thinking. We enjoyed snacks, and I sent the girls off with mini-notebooks and pencils so they can write their observations and ideas wherever they go!

Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Virginia Crawford

Girls LitClubs Baltimore: Hope is Me & You.

*This entry was submitted by our Girls LitClub Facilitator in Baltimore, Virginia

This week's Girls LitClub topic was Hope. We read a poem by Sri Chinmoy, and the girls understood that we are all the same, that all people are connected, and that by acting from that place of understanding, we can overcome any obstacle.

Then we read and listened to several pieces from Hip Hop Speaks to Children (my goodness how much that book is loved!), and the girls wrote their own ideas about hope. Several knew a dance to one of the hip-hop pieces and performed that for us, another wrote and sang an original song for us!

If their creativity is anything to go by, yes, Hope is alive and well! As we near the end of this first part of our club, my hope is that the girls remember the connectedness we have discovered and always act from that place of understanding.

Girls LitClub in Baltimore Enjoy an Author Visit!

This week we were lucky enough to have Monalisa DeGross visit our club! She has published three books and is writing her fourth. She also works in a library, so she knows quite a lot about reading and writing. The girls were very excited to ask her about her books as many had already read at least one of them. Monalisa! 

Ms. DeGross described each of her books and gave some excellent advice for anyone who might want to write books: Read! Observe! and Write! She pointed out that we all "tell stories" even if we're just describing the trip to or from school and that each of our voices is valuable.

 She even brought us gifts! Each girl received a copy of The Three Questions (adapted from Leo Tolstoy), Donavan's Word Jar by Monalisa herself, and a note pad and pencil all tied together with bright shoe laces. It was a lively and delightful afternoon! Thank you, Monalisa!

Submitted by Girls Club Facilitator Virginia

Giving Thanks with Girls LitClub in Baltimore

This week my club discussed things we love and feel thankful for. We read Eloise Greenfield's poem, Honey, I Love and discussed what she loved: her mom, her cousin, her friend and playing dolls. Then we considered what we love, and being the day before Thanksgiving, what we feel thankful for. One of the girls mentioned how she enjoyed making turkeys by tracing the outline of her hand on paper.

We did that and then wrote one of our items in each of the turkey's "feathers." At least one girl was so appreciative she filled the entire shape! We made a collective list and found that we are thankful for many of the same things: our families, friends, homes, school and even our club! Here's hoping you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that we all remember to be appreciative every day.

--Virginia

We Are Thankful for Girls LitClubs in Baltimore for their Generosity!

Today we completed our food drive. Our boxes were so heavy we had to ask for help getting them to my car!

The GirlsClub members of City Neighbors Charter School decided they wanted to do something to help people who suffer from hunger. They made beautiful posters and hung them around the school. Families brought in donations, and today we delivered them to The House of Ruth. I'm so proud of them for putting kindness into action!

pictured: Ashley from House of Ruth, Virginia, GirlsClub Leader, and Luca, GirlsClub representative

Submitted by: Virginia Crawford