Thanks for joining us! We hope you enjoy these stories as much as we enjoyed reading them to you!
Tonight is our final read aloud! What better way to celebrate than learning about a famous storyteller? Before Augusta Braxton Baker became a storyteller, she was an excellent story listener. Her grandmother brought stories like Br’er Rabbit and Arthur and Excalibur to life, teaching young Augusta that when there’s a will, there’s always a way. When she grew up, Mrs. Baker began telling her own fantastical stories to children at the 135th Street branch of the New York Public Library in Harlem. But she noticed that there were hardly any books at the library featuring Black people in respectful, uplifting ways. Thus began her journey of championing books, writers, librarians, and teachers centering Black stories, educating and inspiring future acclaimed authors like Audre Lorde and James Baldwin along the way.
Listen along with Indian Landing principal Mrs. Ware as she reads Go Forth and Tell.
Juneteenth is the smell of brisket filling the air. Juneteenth is the sounds of music, dancing, and cheering ringing from the parade outside. It is love. It is prayer. It is friends and relatives coming together to commemorate freedom, hope for tomorrow, and one another.
This book is an ode to the history of the Black community in the United States, a tribute to Black joy, and a portrait of familial love. Listen along with Ms. Sankoh (our Director of Culturally Responsive Curriculum & Student Supports) as she reads Juneteenth Is.
Congresswoman Barbara Jordan had a big, bold, confident voice—and she knew how to use it! Listen along with grade 3 teacher Mrs. Gocker and learn all about Barbara Jordan's amazing career in this picture book biography of the lawyer, educator, politician, and civil rights leader. Even as a child growing up in the Fifth Ward of Houston, Texas, Barbara Jordan stood out for her big, bold, booming, crisp, clear, confident voice. It was a voice that made people sit up, stand up, and take notice. So what do you do with a voice like that?
Barbara took her voice to places few African American women had been in the 1960s: first law school, then the Texas state senate, then up to the United States congress. Throughout her career, she persevered through adversity to give voice to the voiceless and to fight for civil rights, equality, and justice. Get ready to read What Do You Do With A Voice Like That?
Constance Jenkins was born in New Rochelle, New York, on May 19, 1928. No one knew what an important Civil Rights leader she'd become in another New York town that was 300 miles away. Constance's courage would inspire Rochester residents to stand up for their rights and help make the city and the world a better place. Little did she know that her real life would prove to be full of unexpected twists and turns -some great and others frightening. Listen along with kindergarten teacher Mrs. Saxon as she reads Constance Mitchell Stands Up and learn about a local Rochester hero.
"I can hear change humming
In its loudest, proudest song.
I don't fear change coming,
And so I sing along."
As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes—big or small—in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves. Listen along with Mrs. Conway, our K-12 Director of Humanities, as she reads Change Sings by Amanda Gorman.
Booker T. Washington had an incredible passion for learning. Born enslaved, he taught himself to read. When the Civil War ended, Booker finally fulfilled his dream of attending school. After graduation, he was invited to teach in Tuskegee, Alabama. Finding many eager students but no school, Booker set out to build his own school. Listen along with IL literacy specialist, Mrs. Picard as she reads With Books and Bricks and learn how Booker T. Washington built a school.
Ada Twist’s head is full of questions. Ada has always been endlessly curious. Even when her fact-finding missions and elaborate scientific experiments don’t go as planned, Ada learns the value of thinking her way through problems and continuing to stay curious. Inspired by real-life makers Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie, Ada ,Twist Scientist is read by our K-12 Director of STEAM, Kim Gebhardt. This story champions STEM, girl power, and women scientists in a rollicking celebration of curiosity, the power perseverance, and the importance of asking “Why?
Billie Holiday—also known as Lady Day—had fame, style, a stellar voice, gardenias in her hair, and lots of dogs. She had a coat-pocket poodle, a beagle, Chihuahuas, a Great Dane, and more, but her favorite was a boxer named Mister. Mister was always there to bolster her courage, even at her legendary appearance at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Listen along with IL's instrumental music teacher Mrs. Sansone as she shares the story, Mister and Lady Day.
Who do you see when you look in the mirror?
Being the only brown girl in a classroom full of white students can be hard. When the teacher talks about slavery and civil rights, she can feel all the other students’ eyes on her. In those moments she wants to seep into the ground, wondering, is that all you see when you look at me?
Having gone through the same experiences, the girl’s mother offers a different, empowering point of view: she is a reflection of the powerful women that have come before her, of the intelligence, resilience, and resourcefulness that have been passed down through the generations. Her history is a source of pride, a reason to sit up straight and recognize everything beautiful and powerful in herself.
Emphasizing the strength, creativity, and courage passed down through generations, listen as math specialist Mrs. Bennett reads A History of Me and shares a joyful new perspective on how we look at history.
When Bellen Woodard’s classmates referred to "the skin-color” crayon, in a school and classroom she had always loved, she knew just how important it was that everyone understood that “skin can be any number of beautiful colors.” Listen along with 2nd grade teacher Ms. Nevins as she reads More Than Peach... a story of inclusivity, empowerment, and the importance of inspiring the next generation of leaders.
For more information on how Bellen is changing the world, check out Bellen's More Than Peach Project website.
Meet Henley, an all-around good kid, who hates to read. When he's supposed to be reading, he would rather do anything else. But one day, he gets the scariest homework assignment in the world: find your favorite book to share with the class tomorrow.
What's a kid to do? How can Henley find a story that speaks to everything inside of him? Listen along with 1st grade teacher Ms. Green as she reads My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World.
Tonight we have a very special read aloud shared by Indian Landing school psychologist, Ms. Melendez and special education teacher, Ms. Bowen as they share the book Skin Like Mine in both verse and ASL. Look around and you will see that people come in different shades of color with a variety of tones. It is the richness and colors of our skin tones that makes us each beautiful in our own skin.
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.
In Jacksonville, Florida, two brothers, one of them the principal of a segregated, all-black school, wrote the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing" so his students could sing it for a tribute to Abraham Lincoln's birthday in 1900. From that moment on, the song has provided inspiration and solace for generations of Black families. Mothers and fathers passed it on to their children who sang it to their children and grandchildren. It has been sung during major moments of the Civil Rights Movement and at family gatherings and college graduations.
Listen along with Mrs. Mahreen Mustafa George (Penfield's Director of Student Engagement & Cultural Relations) reads Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice and Sing Inspired Generations, a story about the generations of families who gained hope and strength from the song's inspiring words.
Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything. Listen along with Assistant Principal Eric Traugott as he reads Sulwe, a powerful, moving picture book about colorism, self-esteem, and learning that true beauty comes from within.
We are finishing up our first week of read alouds with Dr. Maloney, Penfield's Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction. Listen along as Dr. Maloney reads I Promise by LeBron James. In this book, NBA star LeBron James knows the key to a better future is to excel in school, do your best, and keep your family close. The book, I Promise reminds us that tomorrow’s success starts with the promises we make to ourselves and our community today.
The year is 1960, and six-year-old Ruby Bridges and her family have recently moved from Mississippi to New Orleans in search of a better life. When a judge orders Ruby to attend first grade at William Frantz Elementary, an all-white school, Ruby must face angry mobs of parents who refuse to send their children to school with her. Listen along with third grade teacher Ms. Rinere as she reads The Story of Ruby Bridges, the true story of a Civil Rights icon.
In tonight's story, a young girl named Coco helps her friend who is a large bear. Bear is often seen as "mean" because he is big. Together, Coco and Bear help to show his true nature by spreading acts of kindness. Listen along with Indian Landing's favorite social worker, Mrs. Tessa Perez as she reads Spread Some Kindness, Shed Some Light, by Apryl Stott.
Mrs. Kumba Sankoh is Penfield's Director of Culturally Responsive Curriculum and Student Supports. Listen along as Ms. Sankoh reads I Am Enough by Grace Byers. This story is a an ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another. It celebrates how our differences are truly what make us special.
We are kicking off our Black History Month Read Alouds with Penfield Schools Superintendent, Dr. Potter! Listen along with Dr. Tasha Potter as she reads I Am Perfectly Designed by Karamo Brown and his son, Jason Brown. This story celebrates the special bond between a father and son, emphasizing the message that everyone is "perfectly designed" just as they are!
