Senate Memorial 39
48TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 2007
Introduced by
Cynthia Nava
A memorial declaring November 1, 2007 as "READ TO A CHILD DAY".
WHEREAS, a team of fourth- and fifth-grade students at La Union elementary school in the Gadsden independent school district conducted a community literacy initiative and from what they learned, they wanted to give every third-grade student in New Mexico a book; and
WHEREAS, this team of students began research on New Mexico authors, found over forty authors, developed a rating rubric and narrowed their list down to fifteen; and
WHEREAS, the students contacted a group of adults who were representative of the state and invited them to be part of a selection committee using their rubric to narrow the list of books to six; and
WHEREAS, the students invited the governor to make the final decision on a book, and he selected "Santero's Miracle" by Rudolfo Anaya, with a copy to be given to each third-grade student; and
WHEREAS, the book will be accompanied by a web-based teacher curriculum and a hard copy of a parent curriculum that will be tied to the New Mexico curriculum standards; and
WHEREAS, the governor selected November 1, 2007 to distribute the books to every third-grade student; and
WHEREAS, November 1 marks national family literacy day and approximately eight thousand literacy programs will hold readings, workshops and family activities across the country; and
WHEREAS, reading aloud is a time-honored tradition for parents, caregivers and children, especially in a child's formative years; and
WHEREAS, reading has a lifelong impact on a child's learning experiences, developmental progress and even social interaction;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that November 1, 2007 be declared "Read to a Child Day" and that this day become an annual celebration about the importance of reading; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of public education and the governor.
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