Shandy's Legacy

Gators!

2012-01-29T21:44:00.003-06:00

From Picture of the Week 2012

We've been told numerous times that, "Where there's water in Florida, there are gators," and it certainly seems to be true. This guy here though is the biggest one we've seen yet--must be almost 10 feet long.

So imagine our surprise when the very next day we see he has a buddy the same size. Yikes! Nice to know they have each other but I'm sure glad they like to sun on the far side of the pond.

Turkey Trot

2012-01-20T21:48:00.003-06:00

From Picture of the Week 2012

There are lots of wild turkeys in Solivita and it's always fun to see them out for a stroll. Snapped this photo from my bike while riding home from the pool. Apparently the male and female turkeys flock separately. These are the ladies--the males have a funny feather that hangs down that's called a beard--you can see it here and learn more about them. I'd been looking forward to seeing the mating rituals until I read that their gobbles can be heard up to a mile away. It may be a very loud spring.

A Picture a Day

2012-01-07T09:30:00.007-06:00

My friend MK has committed to drawing every day this year and posting a picture a week. I love this idea! Seems like a great way to help focus on each moment in each day--there's something to capture no matter where you are.

However, drawing is something my inner artist has yet to embrace. But I do take at least one photo or video almost every day so I'm committing to making it a daily thing and posting a photo or video of the week. It may be the best one or just the most interesting.

Here's the first. (Click on photo to see larger image.)

From Picture of the Week 2012

A Christmas Card for You!

2011-12-24T15:15:00.006-06:00

We put together a little video Christmas card for friends and family. Hope you enjoy it.

May all your holiday wishes come true!

PS Couldn't resist including one of my favorite Christmas photos--that's Kathy's baby, Matt, way back in 1999. And, Matt, you're still just as cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePDObYjmEj8

The FL Adventure Continues

2011-12-05T15:48:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow it will be three weeks since we arrived in Solivita. Whew, we've been busy. Getting the house together took a lot more work than we thought--hey, shopping is tough when it's a job--but we're loving it.

In case I neglected to get you our address, it's 483 Davinci Pass, Poinciana FL 34759. Our cell numbers are the same.

Below is a link to some more photos to show what we've been up to. If you don't want to see sunshine and fun, don't click on the photo. Can't say you haven't been warned. :-)

Hope to see you soon!

Fl Adventure 2011 Pt 2

Start of the Florida Adventure

2011-11-19T09:42:00.003-06:00

Well, it's official, we're temporary Floridians! Arrived at Solivita on Tuesday and have been having fun getting settled into the new house. There have been some not so fun adventures--no water--but we're feeling mighty blessed to be here for the winter.

Below are some photos of the first few days (click to see larger). I'll keep you posted on how we're settling in and hope to see some of you down here soon! If not, look for us on the deck in Chicago in April or May. Cheers!

The Next Adventure

2011-09-19T09:43:00.004-05:00

Well, today marks the start of my first full week of not working and I have to say, I like it! Time for meditation and yoga in the morning feels quite luxurious and Bandit will enjoy lots of extra walks.

Of course, I'll miss the daily interaction with all the great friends at SitStayRead but I look forward to discovering the next adventure.

Not sure yet what focus Shandy's blog will have but I promise to keep you posted. In the meantime, please keep in touch by phone (same cell #) or email (click here for new address.)

Let's get together for lunch or coffee. Hope to see you soon!

Saying Good-bye to Maggie

2011-08-10T10:50:00.006-05:00

Saying good-bye is the most difficult part of loving our canine friends. We're so sad to report that Rick and Lauren Johnson's beloved Maggie died of a stroke last Friday.

That's Maggie on the left with her partner in reading, Baguette, at their annual Halloween party in 2008.

Both Maggie and Baguette have been SitStayRead dogs almost from the beginning. They were certified in 2004, just a year after the founding of the organization, and continued to spread joy year after year.

Maggie's sweet, calm presence made her a favorite with kids and adults alike. Her enthusiastic tail wag in greeting always brought smiles--and if she was lucky, a treat from her admirers. Maggie will be greatly missed by so many. Thank you, Rick and Lauren, for sharing her with us.

Reflecting on the Pact We Make With Dogs

2011-07-09T09:18:00.006-05:00

It's a year today that we said good-bye to our beloved Shandy. She enjoyed life to the end--that's her at a concert in the park on our last evening together.

I miss my brown-eyed girl every day, but I also feel her presence every time I think of her, which is often. At night I sleep with my legs bent to keep her spot on the bed--a 17 year habit is tough to break even if you want to, and I don't. I wish I could still hear her gentle snores.

A lot has happened this year, some good things, some not. But even in the not so good times, I get comfort from thinking of Shandy. And from remembering my friend Johanna's blog post "On The Pact We Make With Dogs". It's a beautiful piece. Her phrase, "Their partnership was legendary", helps when I'm particularly sad because it feels like I did justice to Shandy's many gifts--most especially her love of children. Shandy led, I was just her human partner on the other end of the leash.

Johanna lost her beloved Oskar recently and I wish I could return her kindness with a similar comforting thought. I don't have her gift though so all I can say is, "Johanna, you walk in integrity wherever you go and Oskar, Ulani, and all the animals in your life are the luckier for it. You honor them by acknowledging them for who they are. Thank you for sharing your stories."

Feeling the Love at NTA

2011-06-02T10:35:00.007-05:00

As you can see, the Reading Rewards Celebration at National Teachers Academy was a love fest. That's Slugger giving a kiss.

The students received their Summer Reading Fun Packs, chose books to keep and to pass along, and had a chance to say good-bye to their canine reading buddies.

These celebrations are a great opportunity for major donors to see what they make possible and we were happy to have two visitors--Maggie Mastellone from Allied World Assurance Company and Caitlin Rosberg. Caitlin presented SSR with a $5,000 check from the Kluth Family Foundation. Through her job at CouponCabin.com Caitlin had the opportunity to choose a nonprofit to receive a grant and we were honored that she chose SitStayRead.

Thank you to all our donors for making these Reading Reward Celebrations possible and for giving our students the tools they need to keep reading and writing all summer long!

Presenting Smokey and the Bandit

2011-05-23T14:49:00.005-05:00

SitStayRead's Hollywood night at Kinowerks Studio was a smash hit! As you can see from Smokey and the Bandit, guests were dressed in their finest for the big night. (Smokey is actually wearing a tux!)

Guests enjoyed food and drinks while touring the facility and everyone was in awe watching The Matrix in the private screening room of the Wachowskis who wrote, directed, and produced The Matrix Trilogy.

Nearly $2,000 was raised at this blockbuster event--all of which will help more kids learn to love reading! Click on Smokey and the Bandit to see more photos of all the fun.

Our thanks to everyone who attended and helped with this event, and a special thanks to Kinowerks and the Wachowskis for hosting SitStayRead in their star studded studio!

Go Hollywood with SitStayRead!

2011-05-13T14:57:00.005-05:00

The Wachowskis, American film directors, writers and producers, most famous for creating The Matrix trilogy, are graciously allowing the use of their private screening room for a fundraising (and fun-raising!) event to benefit SitStayRead on Saturday, May 21, 2011.

Join us at the Wachowski's ultra-glamorous Chicago studio, Kinowerks, complete with all the Hollywood touches including the Wachowski's Oscars and MTV Movie Awards, memorabilia from V for Vendetta, The Matrix and more!

Event Details

Saturday, May 21, 2011
7 - 10 p.m.
$65 single seats; $150 loveseats (seats 2 people)
Ticket includes a mix and mingle Hollywood happy hour with drinks, appetizers, and a tour of the studio, followed by a private screening of a Wachowski feature film!
All proceeds benefit SitStayRead programs.
Call SitStayRead to purchase your tickets 773.545.6629

Never open to the public, this event at Kinowerks is exclusively for SitStayRead friends and volunteers - you won't want to miss it. Hurry! There are only 5 loveseats (each seats two people) and 8 single seats left. What are you waiting for? Call 773.545.6629 to order your tickets to this exclusive event today.

Big Changes In Store

2011-05-05T15:37:00.005-05:00

In case you missed it, this letter was sent to the SitStayRead email list yesterday.

After much deliberation, I have decided it is time to step down as Executive Director of SitStayRead. Over the past eight years, with your help and support, the organization has evolved from a dream to reality. To each of the 600 children we'll serve this year, SitStayRead means discovery, joy, and learning--something we can all be very proud of.

We have built a strong and durable enterprise that is poised to grow and impact many more children. With the past eight years as our base, I feel it is time to transition to new leadership who will optimize the growth and expansion that is our opportunity.

I will always be involved in SitStayRead as a volunteer and member of the corporation. Although SitStayRead represents only a portion of my work life, it is my life's work. I feel so lucky to have been led to this path by Shandy, the furry bundle of joy who was my constant companion for 17 years. Shandy's love of children inspired me to bring the healing power of dogs into the service of children. I am committed to participating in the growth of SitStayRead in her memory and glad to assist in that growth however I can.

Thank you for your kindness and friendship and for making SitStayRead the great organization it has become. I hope you will join me in continuing to support SitStayRead in its journey of greatness.

Gratefully,

MaryEllen Schneider

Executive Director and Co-Founder

Free T-Shirt for Momofuku Cookies

2011-05-02T15:10:00.004-05:00

Have you heard about these crazy cookies? We were talking about them in the office this morning and all the volunteers asked for the recipe. My sister, Patti, made them over the weekend and they were awesome.

Free SitStayRead t-shirt to anyone who gives the recipe a try and brings cookies to the office to share!

Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie recipe by Christina Tosi (as seen on Regis & Kelly)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp corn syrup [Note: I left this out; not because I'm against corn syrup, I just didn't have it. The cookies came out fine, though may have had a nicer sheen with the syrup.]
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsps Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups your favorite baking ingredients (options: chocolate chips, Raisenettes, Rollos, Cocoa Krispies)
1 1/2 cups your favorite snack foods (chips, pretzels, etc.)

Note: Patti used Ghirardelli chocolate chips and crushed pretzels and potato chips and Rice Krispies.

1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high for two to three minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides with a spatula.

2. On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate.

Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.

3. When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Mix 45 - 60 seconds just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

4. On the same low speed, add in the hodgepodge of your favorite baking ingredients and mix for 30 - 45 seconds until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in your favorite snack foods last, paddling again on low speed until they are just incorporated.

5. Using a 6 oz. ice cream scoop (I'm not sure how many ounces mine is, but it worked well), portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheetpan.

6. Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour or up to 1 week.
DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

7. Heat the oven to 400 F. Take the plastic off your cookies and bake 9 to 11 minutes. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread.

At 9 minutes, the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if these colors don't match up and your cookies still seem pale and doughy on the surface.

8. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan (good luck!) before transferring to a plate or an airtight container or tin for storage. At room temp, they'll keep five days.

Raise a Glass for SitStayRead!

2011-04-25T16:58:00.006-05:00

We're happy to announce that a small quantity of Old Shore Vineyards 2010 "Sofia" Rose of Pinot Noir is now officially available to the public! Click here to purchase.

With subtle aromas of dark cherries, strawberries, and vanilla, this special reserve vintage is exceptional for more than taste; every bottle or case purchased supports SitStayRead. Click on Experience and then, Giving Back, to learn more.

And be sure to read all about the wonderful people at OSV--including the famous Sofia, vineyard dog and latest SitStayRead dog team member (pictured here with her dog team partner, Dannielle!)

Our New SitStayRead All Stars!

2011-04-13T15:35:00.014-05:00

We're thrilled to announce that the 2011 batch of SitStayRead bookmarks has arrived featuring five new furry faces!

From left to right, we have Jack (winner of the silent auction bookmark package), Charlie & Emma (Dogs of the Year!), Bandit (seasoned SitStayRead Dog), and Feste (winner of the online auction bookmark package.)

Click here to find out more about these super star dogs! Give a big round of a-paws to these adorable pups!

Email from a Principal

2011-04-12T09:56:00.004-05:00

That's Shandy with Evion, a young reader at Hendricks Academy, back in 2004. I can still remember how earnest Evion was when reading aloud. He'd be all smiles though when it came time to have Shandy do a trick.

Hendricks was our very first SitStayRead school and it is such a treat for the volunteers and dogs to return there each year. So you can imagine how thrilled we were to get this email from Principal Perisin.

"Here at Hendricks we are working to ensure that our students will have a world class education and you are helping me to fulfill that goal. Next year there will be some changes and we hope that you will still be working with us. You have been an anchor for our literacy program and we want you to continue the work."

Thank you Principal Perisin for your kind words--you can count on us to continue making reading fun for the fabulous students at Hendricks!

Welcome To Our New SitStayRead Dogs!

2011-03-30T13:41:00.007-05:00

Today was an exciting day at the office! Two dogs passed the Dog Team Test to become part of our programs. Congratulations Smokey and Sofia!

Dannielle (on the right) is the proud handler of gorgeous Labradoodle, Sofia. You won't want to miss the new dog-themed wine that Dannielle, of Old Shore Vineyards, will be unveiling in the next few weeks to honor Sofia and benefit SitStayRead. Look for more details to come!

And no doubt you recognize our Admin Asst Amy and our office pup, the adorable Smokey.

Look for these great new teams in programs soon!

A Greater Good For Reading!

2011-03-21T12:16:00.037-05:00

We are excited to share that GreaterGood.org has awarded a generous grant to SitStayRead! The prestigious London-based The Economist Group chose GreaterGood.org to fund an education project in the United States, and GreaterGood.org chose SitStayRead as the recipient. Yeah!! The grant of $11,800 funds an entire class of second-graders for the full school year!

We are honored to be affiliated with GreaterGood.org. Click here to check out the work they make possible through The Literacy Site website and be sure to click every day to help us reach more kids in need!

Here's what Lisa Halstead, board president of GreaterGood.org, had to say:

"We're very grateful to The Economist Group for providing the funding to enable us to support an entire year's worth of sessions for one school's second grade. And we are equally impressed with the quality of the program provided by SitStayRead. Through their innovative use of dogs and their dedicated volunteers, they have made an amazing impact on the lives of the children that they serve."

Click here or on the photo above to see the video that accompanied the grant announcement. The furry stars in this video include our very own SitStayRead dogs: Wrigley, Tojo, Spinny, Laverne, Lola, and Charley!

An Email from a Program Leader

2011-02-09T12:44:00.005-06:00

Jess Biscamp, one of our fabulous SitStayRead program leaders, made our day with this email to her team of volunteers in Ms. Pierre's class at Sumner Academy. We are so lucky to get to work with such great kids, teachers, and volunteers.

Hello, Sumner volunteers,

I didn't want to wait until next week to share Mrs. Pierre's good news and thanks with you. She pulled me aside during the program today and let me know that since we started coming, her students have been asking her if they can take home three and four books to read on the weekends. She said this is a big change in how much enthusiasm they have toward reading.

She also showed me the improvement in some of their reading fluency scores (i.e., DIBELS testing). Many of the students started the year in the 45-70 words-per-minute range and have now reached 90-120 words-per-minute! They are considered at grade level if they reach 90-words-per-minute at the beginning of third grade, and many of the students have already surpassed that in second grade. I cannot begin to express to you just how thankful Mrs. Pierre is for all the time and effort you are putting into helping her students improve their reading and writing; she said that the added excitement of new people and dogs has really pushed the students to do their absolute best. She was positively joyous while telling me about it!

Thank you all for the effort and time you put in to help these students. You are making a huge difference in their lives.

Happy Reading!

Jess Biscamp

Reading Fun at NUSH!

2011-02-06T12:25:00.006-06:00

Our newest after-school programs at Northwestern University Settlement House (NUSH) just finished-up and the response from the kids, volunteers, and NUSH partners (thank you Mr. Jesse!) was overwhelmingly positive!

The NUSH e-newsletter included a slideshow of the fun--that's Spinney and Sandy with a young reader. To see a slideshow of more photos, click here.

Many thanks to our friends at Bears Care for bringing SitStayRead and NUSH together to help students read! We look forward to returning in spring for another session.

Dogs for da Bears!

2011-01-16T11:02:00.010-06:00

Bears fans all across Chicago are excited about today's big game and that includes our dogs! Sure, they're loyal to the hometown team but our dogs also know that Bears Care is a BIG supporter of kids in Chicago and especially SitStayRead.

Check-out these photos of the Bears with SitStayRead through the years and then email us (info@sitstayread.org) photos showing how your dogs show their Bears team spirit. We'll add them to the album for all to see. (Click on photo for larger version.)

GO BEARS!!

The Year In Pictures 2010

2011-01-05T13:14:00.002-06:00

Just in case you missed our New Year's email, here's a look at SitStayRead's Year in Pictures!

Do You Have a Target Red Card?

2011-01-01T13:14:00.003-06:00

How's this for an easy way to help our partner schools--register your Target credit card and 1% of all your purchases goes to the school of your choice. Takes less than a minute when you go to the Target Take Charge of Education page.

You can register for any school you like but, of course, we hope you'll choose one of our SitStayRead partner schools (listed below)--we know they'll put the money to good use and you can check on how much has been raised right on the Target page.

Faraday

Gale

Hendricks

Lowell

Manierre

National Teachers Academy

Sumner Academy

Thank you, and be sure to encourage your family and friends to register, too!

SSR Holiday Cookie Walk!

2010-12-17T15:00:00.005-06:00

What a BLAST we all had at our first annual Holiday Cookie Walk event! With yummy treats and great company, we all lost track of time and chit-chatted all morning long. Thank you to Anita, Jean, Bonnie, Nora, Kara, and Nancy for celebrating the holidays with us and making it such a fun day in the office!

There was a wonderful assortment of cookies that were exchanged, and boy were they delish! To put the icing on top of the cake (literally), Kelsey brought in snowmen cake pops for everyone to decorate and take home. For those who are unsure of what a cake pop is, in plainest terms, it is cake on a stick! Mixed with frosting and molded to whatever shape you wish, cake pops are a HUGE hit and we had such a fun time decorating our very own snowmen cake pops.

Check out all the fun here, and thanks again to all the volunteers who came to celebrate with us! If you couldn't make it this year, there's always next year. Best wishes to all for a joyful holiday and a happy new year!

First Midwest Bank Rocks!

2010-12-15T14:27:00.003-06:00

Manierre Student Authors

The final fall dog visit to Manierre School was such fun! Not only did each student receive their very own self-authored book, but Ms. Ernetta Roper from First Midwest Bank was on hand to make the day even more special.

As a member of the First Midwest Charitable Foundation board, Ms. Roper presented SitStayRead with a grant check for $5,000! That goes a long way towards making the program at Manierre possible.

Ms. Roper, daughter of a school teacher herself, spent the entire hour in Ms. Oceguera's classroom listening to student's read her their stories and helping them edit--doing her mother proud!

Many thanks to First Midwest for their commitment to children's literacy! Be sure to click on the photo to see lots more pictures of the kids and dogs at Manierre.

Celebrity Sighting!

2010-12-01T12:48:00.004-06:00

That's award-winning actress Rondi Reed with SitStayRead dog Milo at Saturday's CARE Faire!

Sarah Scott reports that Ms. Reed was quite taken with the idea of kids reading to dogs and would like to get involved. Woo hoo!

Can you imagine Rondi Reed as a guest reader in a SitStayRead classroom? We can! Very exciting. Actors read the book Broadway Barks, by Bernadette Peters to a class of 2nd graders and talk about why reading is important in their profession, as well as to them personally. No telling how many kids might be inspired to become actors!

Goodbye to an Old Friend

2010-11-28T20:06:00.005-06:00

That's author Beth Finke and her seeing-eye dog, Hanni, during a guest reader visit to Mr. Groves' class at Faraday last year.

It's hard to believe that it's been three years since I met Beth and the fabulous Hanni at a Barnes and Noble book signing. And even harder to believe that Hanni is now retired. We're so grateful to Beth for sharing Hanni with the SitStayRead students and we wish her lots of fun times and good belly rubs during her retirement.

You can read more about Hanni's latest life phase on Beth's blog post. And we'll be sure to keep you posted on the new canine partner in Beth's life. Wishing all the best to Hanni, Beth, and the new addition.

What Are You Thankful For?

2010-11-24T12:26:00.004-06:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Of course food is a big part of the reason--turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie. YUM! But I also like the reminder to be thankful.

Today I am so thankful for the time I get to spend with the wonderful SitStayRead students, volunteers and dogs.

Usually I'm in the office, but last week Bandit and I were last minute subs at Lowell School and got to read with Leonardo (seen here) and his classmates in Ms. Cavallery's room. As you can tell from that big smile, we had a great time.

Then today I helped out at Hendricks Academy--our very first SSR school. I always love going back there and it was a joy to see the excitement of the kids as they read with the dogs and volunteers. There was a substitute teacher today and she went out of her way to tell us how impressed she was with the session saying, "You really keep the kids engaged."

Many thanks to everyone who makes SSR possible. I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving. I'll be thinking of you tomorrow.

Everyday Miracles

2010-10-14T13:46:00.004-05:00

It's been an exciting week as the SitStayRead volunteers head back into the classrooms! We're in 7 schools (soon to be 8) and class sizes are as large as 32 students. Despite the close quarters, everyone makes room and has a great time reading and writing.

Allison Jasinski, (shown here with a student from last year's program) had a wonderful surprise today at the dog safety presentation at Near North Elementary. When it was time for the students to practice approaching a dog safely the classroom teacher let Allison know that one of the students is non-verbal in social situations so probably wouldn't be able to ask permission to pet the dog. To everyone's surprise the young girl walked right up to the dog team and with perfect articulation asked, "May I pet your dog?" She then sat down next to Brady and chatted about his soft fur, smiling from ear to ear as she gently pet her new friend.

We can't wait to hear about the progress she makes when reading to the dogs next week. An everyday miracle indeed.

New Logo Debut!

2010-09-20T14:45:00.005-05:00

We are so excited to announce the debut of our new logo!

After an intensive review of SitStayRead's communications this year by a team of doctoral candidates from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), it was determined that a new logo was needed to clearly illustrate our commitment to childhood literacy.

We think this simple silhouette of a child reading to a dog evokes our core mission and the clean lines give SitStayRead a refreshed look. What do you think?

Visit our online store to shop for tote bags, tees, and other fun items sporting the new logo!

"Why I Give" by Elana Mendelson

2010-09-17T11:30:00.015-05:00

We love hearing stories from volunteers about the programs, the kids, and fun events, but Elana wanted to tell us about why she gives to SitStayRead. Elana is a friend, volunteer, and dedicated board member. You're a rock star Elana, and we're lucky to have your support!

Elana tells us, "Why I Give..."
"I was raised to believe that no matter how much or how little you have, there is always an opportunity to give back. I began giving my time as a Dog Team and fell in love with the SitStayRead program. Seeing firsthand what the children got from reading to my pug Slugger was a powerful experience.

After spending some time in the program, I realized that any financial commitment no matter how big or small could help. This past summer I made a pledge of $1,000 to be taken monthly out of my checking account. Even though I don't make a lot of money, I realized that there are children out there who need help developing the basic skills necessary for success and my support would make a difference.

SitStayRead has developed a successful program with proven results. You only need to step into a classroom once to see the powerful impact. That's why I give."

The Best P.S.

2010-09-13T23:17:00.002-05:00

Don't you love it when one little thing turns your head around and suddenly you see everything clearly?

Arrived home from a SitStayRead board meeting at 10 tonight and, though it was a wonderfully productive, engaging meeting with people I adore, I was wiped out. As I dragged myself through the chores of getting ready for some sleep, I checked my email. What a treat awaited me.

An email from one of our teachers about the details of finalizing a school program (and there are a LOT of details in getting the programs started) included a P.S. that put everything in perspective and made my whole week. Here it is:

"P.S. My students were asking about SitStayRead on the first day of school. :-)"

Thank you, Ms. Nolin. Please tell your students we can't wait to see them again!

Bears Care Helps Kids Learn to Read!

2010-08-26T11:51:00.005-05:00

What a great weekend! Last Saturday, winning volunteers and teachers watched the Chicago Bears play at Soldier Field. What could be even better than winning tickets to the Bears game? Being ON the field!

SitStayRead co-founders, Sarah Murphy and MaryEllen Schneider, were presented a GIANT CHECK by Caroline Schrenker (left) and Marge Hamm (right) on the field before Saturday's kickoff. Many thanks to Bears Care for awarding SitStayRead this generous grant of $25,000! Just think how many kids will learn to read with the HUGE SUPPORT from Bears Care. That's a touchdown win in our book!

Bears Winners

2010-08-18T09:32:00.005-05:00

We're happy to report the winners of the tickets to Saturday's Chicago Bears game are:

David Groves, teacher

Carly Loosevelt, volunteer

And we're even happier to announce that our great friends at Bears Care donated additional tickets so we have additional winners--YEAH!!

Also receiving tickets are:

Betsy Lane, volunteer

Joe Pryst, volunteer

Beth Finke, volunteer Guest Reader (along with her seeing eye dog, Hanni--be sure to check-out their blog)

"Why I Give" by Mimi Manzler

2010-07-20T10:35:00.006-05:00

We truly appreciate all our rockstar supporters, like volunteer Mimi Manzler! As an experienced book buddy, program leader, event volunteer, and donor, Mimi tells us, "Why I Give."

"When we came to Chicago, I wanted to get involved in something and literally stumbled across Sit Stay Read. Using Volunteer Match, I entered three interests: kids, literacy & animals and up popped Sit Stay Read. I could not believe it – what could be better – kids, books & dogs!?! This is MADE for me, and that is how it all began.

Even before that though, I have always been a reader, from when I first read aloud Green Eggs & Ham to being inspired as a kid by From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler & The Phantom Tollboth. And, I have always had a strong sense that reading (& writing) is power – if you can read & think critically, and you can express yourself eloquently, what more do you need? These are the keys to success in my book.

I enjoy being with the kids and dogs, but it’s truly moments like the other day when I stood with two book buddies & two dog teams outside of Marshall’s Place. Some students from Manierre School were walking by and one young boy asked, “Excuse me, are those Sit Stay Read dogs?” He then proceeded to tell us about his experience with Sit Stay Read and how much he enjoyed reading with the dogs.

Reading with the kids is just plain FUN—it’s something that anyone would love to support! "

Shandy Girl

2010-07-11T08:34:00.007-05:00

It is with a very sad heart that I tell you our beloved Shandy girl is gone. We were so lucky to have her for almost 17 years but that didn't make it any easier to say good bye on Friday.

This photo of Shandy on her way to school for a Sit Stay Read program is how I remember her best--happy in knowing she's going to see kids.

We'll post a tribute as soon as we're able but, for now this eloquent post by Johanna Humbert comforts and inspires. Many thanks for your kind words, Johanna.

PS Here's Shandy's video tribute by Kelsey.

E-Chievement Award--What an Honor!

2010-06-28T17:07:00.003-05:00

A big thank you to E-town radio for honoring the work of Sit Stay Read with the prestigious E-Chievement Award. Listeners from around the country send in nominations and we were chosen!

Here's Shandy posing with the award and modeling her snazzy E-town bandanna.

Grammy winner Jakob Dylan was the featured musical guest on the radio show as well--how cool is that? Click here to listen to the interview online.

This is a very special recognition for Sit Stay Read and the wonderful kids the program serves. Many thanks to our fabulous supporters and volunteers for making it all possible!

Our Volunteers Know How to Party!

2010-06-11T10:36:00.004-05:00

Volunteer Appreciation Celebration 2010

Sit Stay Read's annual Volunteer Appreciation Party was a ton of fun! Held last Tuesday at Mrs. Murphy's and Sons Irish Bistro, everyone had a great time.

Honoring the hard work of all our fabulous volunteers was the focus of the evening. Among the highlight's was the announcement of Jennifer Cristina as 2010 Volunteer of the Year and a special presentation to our longest serving dog team. Click on the photo to see our special honorees and more action shots by our volunteer photographer, Bill Shomaker.

Many thanks to everyone for making 2009-10 a great year of reading fun!

Fun Packs Instead of Summer School?

2010-06-08T09:47:00.004-05:00

An article in yesterday's Sun-Times, "Are books just as good as summer school?", stopped me in my tracks. As if these smiling faces from one of our Reading Rewards celebrations aren't proof enough, there's new research that shows the importance of children having books to read over the long summer vacation.

By sixth grade the "summer slide" in academics accounts for as much as 80% of the achievement gap for low-income students. But not for our Sit Stay Read students--they have Summer Reading Fun Packs to keep them reading and writing all summer long!

Reading Rewards Underway!

2010-05-27T15:19:00.007-05:00

The Reading Rewards celebrations are underway and, as you can see, the kids are soooo thrilled!!!

We're still up to our eyeballs here in the Sit Stay Read office wrapping-up the school year but you can count on seeing more photos of the on-going RR celebration excitement soon.

New this year, were surprise special guests at the celebrations. Here's a photo of our Hendricks Academy top reader, Rayshawn (62 books read!) with George McCaskey, one of the owners of the Chicago Bears (and a great SSR supporter through Bears Care), and fire fighter Joe Pryst.

Many thanks to everyone who makes these celebrations possible--our generous donors, fabulous volunteers (two- and four-legged), and special guests. As teacher David Groves put it, “Sit Stay Read is so exciting for the kids and sends a powerful message that the community is excited about their accomplishments and is invested in their continued academic success!”

It's not too late to lend a hand--please donate today!

A Dream Comes True

2010-04-06T14:42:00.013-05:00

You may have heard me say that a dream of mine is to have our SSR kids come back to us to volunteer. Well, while I truly believed that would happen one day, I never imagined it would be so soon (kids today are so advanced!)

Meet Carly, age 6, reading to Shandy in our very first program at Sulzer Library in 2003. Seems Carly never forgot her friends at SSR so when she needed a service project for school, she told her mom she'd like to help SSR.

After a visit to the office last week with her mom and her sister Sheila (also in our first program) to learn about volunteering, Carly signed-up to help out in the office after school on Wednesdays. How cool is that?

But wait, there's more. There's also Ariana, a new friend of SSR. For Ariana's 7th birthday she asked friends and family to donate to SSR in lieu of gifts (see Ariana's tribute page.) She decorated a pail to collect the donations and asked her mom if she could bring her pail to the office and, maybe get to meet one of the SSR dogs.

Perhaps you can see where this is going--when Ariana came to the office she not only met Shandy, the original SSR dog, but Carly helped her read to Shandy! We were bursting with joy at seeing the girls together. Check-out the photos here and let us know what you think of these great kids!

Joan Baez & Sit Stay Read

2010-03-24T12:44:00.006-05:00

Many thanks to Sit Stay Read supporter Brian Gregory for nominating us for our very first award! And not just any award, but the same one that Joan Baez received just two weeks ago in recognition of her music and activism.

The e-chievement award is presented by the national radio show etown to recognize "people around the country who've found positive solutions to challenges in their communities."

SSR will be honored with the award at the live show in Boulder, CO this Sunday. The show is taped and will air on WDCB 90.9FM in Chicago at 9pm on a Friday in a few weeks. We'll keep you posted on the exact air date for our show--which also features Jakob Dylan (son of Bob.) Very exciting!

Bandit & Jack Learn a Trick

2010-03-20T19:00:00.004-05:00

One of the many great things about taking your dog to work is that you have more opportunities for training. Lucky us, Jack and Bandit love to learn!

A Surprise from Ms. Schmidt's Class!

2010-03-19T13:36:00.012-05:00

This week we received a delightful surprise from Ms. Schmidt's 2nd graders at Lowell Elementary. The students loved Sit Stay Read SO much that they each wrote their own story about their favorite memory with the dogs and volunteers.

Ms. Schmidt was kind enough to bind the heartfelt stories into a book for Sit Stay Read to keep. What a special treat to have these wonderful stories in the office! Take a look through a few of our personal favorites from the kids. The illustrations are fantastic, too!

Thank you Ms. Schmidt and all of the students for putting a big smile on our faces!

The Ultimate Book Store?

2010-03-15T10:57:00.005-05:00

Wow! Now that's a book store I could get lost in for hours (even though I couldn't read most of the books.)

Be sure to check-out this photo from National Geographic's current issue. Gorgeous!

Thanks for the link, Norm.

A Visit From Our New Addition

2010-03-09T14:11:00.004-06:00

That's the beautiful Evelyn Gaffney sleeping through her first visit to the Sit Stay Read office last Friday. Could she be any more precious? At four weeks she's a petite 7lbs and has the sweetest smile ever--but is too quick for the camera.

The board made a special request for an Evelyn appearance at last night's meeting and, of course, she was a hit. Seth lulled her to sleep and lamented the fact that son Leo is growing fast--his first birthday is almost here. Time for another visit to SSR, Seth!

Dogs Play By 4 Rules

2010-02-18T11:10:00.005-06:00

If you've ever watched dogs at play, I'm sure you'll recognize the Dog Rules listed in this very interesting Scientific American Mind article by Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce.

Here's Bandit teaching our foster pups how to play fair. They're all grown-up now but that's Cowboy and Ripley bowing to Bandit. Tip's in the back waiting for an opportunity to jump in.

Can you guess the 4 rules of ethical dogs? Check-out the article.

And the Winner is. . .

2010-02-17T00:04:00.003-06:00

Sadie the Scottie may have completed the triple crown in dog shows by winning the Best in Show title at Westminster tonight but the REAL WINNER was Sit Stay Read’s 2010 Dog of the Year, LUCY SHOMAKER, an Italian Spinone!

The bidding was fierce but SSR volunteer, Barbara Shomaker, won the coveted title for her beloved Lucy by outbidding the other contenders. Yes, this is a title you buy, but the proceeds benefit a good cause and keep kids reading so we’re okay with that.

Many thanks to all 120 guests who made Sit Stay Read’s Best In Show event a huge success tonight. We had guests who walked from home to Fat Cat, in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, and others who flew in from Florida and New York just for the event. Whatever mode of transport brought you to Best In Show, we greatly appreciate you for being there!

These Kids Get an "A" for Awesome!

2010-02-12T07:08:00.005-06:00

Many thanks to Jen for pointing us to this great video. Beyonce's got nothing on these Scholar Ladies. Their smiling faces are sure to make your day!

Welcome to the World Baby Evelyn!

2010-02-06T08:19:00.004-06:00

We are thrilled to announce a new addition to the Sit Stay Read family!

Tara and Cory Gaffney are proud parents of the gorgeous Miss Evelyn. Born on Tuesday, Feb 2nd, Evelyn weighed in at 7lbs 3oz and 20.5 inches long.

Best of all, everyone is happy, healthy, and doing well! Congratulations Tara and Cory--we can't wait to meet Evelyn!

For a short time you can view more photos of Evelyn at Bella Baby, enter password 0202evelyngaffney. I can't stop watching the slideshow--she brings a smile everytime.

Kids Need Play to Learn

2010-02-03T21:31:00.003-06:00

"Playing to Learn", an article by Susan Engel in the NY Times, does a great job showing how schools could be exciting environments for true learning for children. I can't do it justice here but so many of her points are exactly what happens in a Sit Stay Read program. I hope you'll read the article but here's a favorite part of mine:

"Research has shown unequivocally that children learn best when they are interested in the material or activity they are learning. Play — from building contraptions to enacting stories to inventing games (I'd add: "to reading to dogs")— can allow children to satisfy their curiosity about the things that interest them in their own way. It can also help them acquire higher-order thinking skills, like generating testable hypotheses, imagining situations from someone else’s perspective and thinking of alternate solutions.

A classroom like this would provide lots of time for children to learn to collaborate with one another, a skill easily as important as math or reading. It takes time and guidance to learn how to get along, to listen to one another and to cooperate. These skills cannot be picked up casually at the corners of the day."

I'm sure all you SSR program volunteers will agree that working together in small groups and taking turns to go read to the dog teams helps our kids learn to collaborate--as does brainstorming for their stories.

Remembering Tibbie

2010-02-01T18:37:00.008-06:00

Tibbie

It is with a very heavy heart that I report that our dear Sit Stay Read dog, Tibbie, left this world today. He was in liver failure and his family made the difficult decision to let him go. Seth tells us, "He went peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. . .we should all be so lucky."

Tibbie was always a favorite with the kids--one look at that face and you can see why(click on photo to see more.) Only last week he and Seth were part of the team in Ms. Nolin's classroom helping more kids learn to love reading. Kennell, a second-grader dedicated his book to Tibbie: "I dedicate this book to Jerry and Tibbie because Tibbie is a loving dog and I take care of him."

Thank you Seth for sharing Tibbie with so many. We are forever grateful for having you both as a Sit Stay Read team.

Crain's Features Sit Stay Read!

2010-01-24T12:14:00.004-06:00

Since the very beginning it's been a goal of ours to have Sit Stay Read in the estimable Crain's Chicago Business and today was the day!!

Not only did they mention our impressive evaluation results, they illustrated the story with this great photo of Demarlon reading to Nancy and Brady.

Be sure to check-out the full article online and share it with everyone!

"Wrigley Will Always Help Me"

2010-01-15T10:55:00.010-06:00

From Student Stories

Because Sit Stay Read programs are so much fun, it can be easy to forget the impact the dogs and volunteers have on our fabulous kids. Reading fluency scores are certainly improved but there's also the personal impact.

When Stella, Brady and Bandit visited Mr. Groves' 3rd grade classroom last week, the students wrote about them in their stories, but many of the kids chose to write about the SSR dogs they remember from last year in 2nd grade--Wrigley, Rocky and Blue.

In addition to Dajanae's story about Wrigley (the title of this post), Tyshawn wrote about "The Adventures of the Mighty Rocky" and Katrina's story told how "I Saved Blue". The dogs become a part of the students' lives and they enjoy remembering the time they spent reading together.

Click on the link under the photo to read these and other stories from our young authors.

SSR on "Making a Difference Radio"!

2010-01-05T14:21:00.003-06:00

How did Sit Stay Read get started? Click here to listen to Barbara Talisman interview Sit Stay Read executive director and co-founder MaryEllen Schneider on blog radio and find out!

Get a Disney Day When You Volunteer!

2010-01-03T20:40:00.003-06:00

As seen on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and all over TV tonight, register for "Give A Day Get A Disney Day" and you get a free pass for a Disney park when you volunteer a day with Sit Stay Read!!

Our Best In Show benefit is coming up and we'll need lots of help--lend a hand and get rewarded by our friends at Disney!

Partners and Volunteers Make BIG Things Happen

2009-12-09T15:34:00.009-06:00

Books Books Books Fall 09

It's been crazy busy around the SSR office but in a good, no GREAT, way! In addition to this being the final week of dog visits in five of our school programs--which means laminating and binding a self-authored book for every student--we were the recipients of a fabulous load of brand new books to give our students.

Thanks to our generous partners at Rock For Reading and their partner, Borders, every one of our 360 students gets to choose a book to take home to inspire them to keep reading over the holiday break. In addition, they get to choose a book to give to a younger reader--to share their love of reading. Our teachers are always looking for ways to keep students reading during break so we're thrilled to be able to help.

We rely on our hard-working volunteers to get the student-authored books bound and they came through for us, as always! And, as you can see (click on the photo to see the album), Laverne was there to supervise the job.

After the binding session, it was time to sort and pack the new gift books to get ready to deliver to the classrooms. How lucky were we to have volunteers from the Gap come in to lend a hand? We've never seen such organized workers!

Many thanks to our volunteers and partners for making this a wonderful holiday for all the second- third- and fourth-graders in our programs. Those books will be around for years to come and the kids will remember all you've done to help them "Keep Reading!"

Surprise! Sit Stay Read is Published!

2009-11-29T09:24:00.007-06:00

Yesterday's weather was perfect for strolling along Michigan Ave and enjoying the holiday cheer downtown. As we passed the Cultural Center we noticed a sign we couldn't resist--an exhibit at the Tourism Gallery across the street on Randolph--"Sidewalks: Photographs by Charles Osgood and Stories by Rick Kogan". Of course we had to check it out and, boy, what a surprise we got!

The photos on display are from the "Sidewalks" column in the Tribune Magazine. As you may recall, Sit Stay Read was featured in March 2008. Well, look who's now in the latest book, "Sidewalks II"--that's Lisa Wiersma with her SSR dog, Turner! How cool is that!!

Be sure to drop by the gallery to see the exhibit and, if you time it right, you can even join Rick for a lunchtime discussion.

Shandy's Portrait Unveiling

2009-11-15T18:40:00.002-06:00

We couldn't resist inviting some friends over on Friday for the unveiling of Shandy's incredible oil portrait! That's Cody and Tish posing in the background with Bandit.

Our friend John painted Bandit's portrait last year and then recently surprised us with one of Shandy. Aren't we lucky to have a friend with such talent?!

You can click on the photo for a closer view but it really doesn't do the paintings justice. John did a great job of capturing the personalities of both pups and the texture of the oil on Shandy's chest looks just like her fur. Amazing!

Shandy's Kidlet Visitors

2009-11-10T11:52:00.005-06:00

Shandy might be an old gal but she still wanted to be right in the middle of the action when Mike and Gracie Murphy visited the office this morning.

Mom, Sarah Murphy, is SSR's co-founder so, of course, Mike and Gracie are book lovers. At this point Gracie prefers to eat books rather than read them but it's a start.

Spooky Pooch Was a Blast

2009-11-01T09:37:00.003-06:00

Pooch Parade 2009

Sarah Scott and her team, Debbie, Stacy, Sarah, and, of course, Milo and Lulu had a great time talking with folks at the Botanic Gardens' first Spooky Pooch parade on Halloween.

The costumes were a riot and everyone had a smile on their face. I think we have a new Halloween tradition! Click on the photo to see the full album. You won't believe the creativity.

Gorgeous Jack O Lantern Pups

2009-10-27T23:11:00.007-05:00

Not sure where these photos came from so my apologies for not being able to credit them but they were too good not to share. Of course I love the Beagle one because it looks like Shandy.

Moved to Tears--In a Good Way

2009-10-21T07:19:00.006-05:00

I dare any dog lover, but especially our Sit Stay Read volunteers, to read Joy Butler's incredibly touching story about Shandy and not be moved.

True, I may be biased, but the final paragraph brought me to tears and sent me looking for Shandy for a hug.

Although she spends most of her workday under my desk Shandy still finds time to take new dogs, like Jack here, under her wing and show them the ropes. That's my girl!

Sit Stay Read in Today's News!

2009-10-08T07:30:00.004-05:00

We're so excited!

Be sure to pick-up today's Chicago Sun-Times and check-out the great article on the Sit Stay Read program at Sunlight African Community Center! You can read the story here but you'll want to grab the newspaper so you can see the photos of Tojo, Stella, and the kids.

He Says Reading Saves Lives

2009-10-07T14:57:00.005-05:00

Members of the President's cabinet are in Chicago today to address ways to combat teenage violence. I hope they read the article Mourning in Chicago in the October issue of The Atlantic.

I'm sure it's no surprise that the story is about the terrible toll murder is taking on the children of our city. Told through funeral home proprietor Spencer Leak Sr, the article chronicles the loss of young lives on Chicago's south Side.

It's not a pretty story but one worth reading. The final paragraph is especially compelling. Mr. Leak ends with a hopeful appeal to President Obama to, "devote some attention to low-income children who can't read. They are our future murderers," he says.

While I agree with Mr. Leak, at Sit Stay Read we prefer to present ideas in a positive light. Hence our new t-shirt design--Teach Reading, Save Lives. Yes, it's that important.

A Rottweiler's Vigil

2009-10-05T16:32:00.002-05:00

This story from the CBS Sunday Morning News will warm your heart.

Be sure your pup is nearby because you'll want a big furry hug. We never know what the next moment will bring so keep your loved ones close.

This is an Original David Hockney

2009-10-05T07:41:00.003-05:00

Reading The NY Review of Books sometimes feels like doing homework--it's challenging, it opens your mind, you know you "should" finish it, but it feels daunting. What keeps me reading is finding a gem that makes me wonder where else I'd find that article or hear about that story.

Today's gem is an article on David Hockney's passion for using the iPhone Brushes app. A wonderful glimpse into the mind of a creative genius who, at 72, is still embracing new tools to share his vision.

And, because of that, I'm able to share an original David Hockney with you! This is one of a series of paintings of dawn seen from his bed. How cool is that?!

Only thing cooler would be seeing it on an iPhone. I'd even break the bank and buy one if I was on Mr. Hockney's speed dial list.

Lawrence Weschler's article is well worth reading in full but this closing quote is my favorite, "People from the village," he says, craning back over that shoulder, "come up to me and tease me, 'We hear you've started drawing on your telephone.' And I tell them, 'Well, no, actually, it's just that occasionally I speak on my sketch pad.'"

Librarian Changed his Life

2009-10-02T07:38:00.003-05:00

If you're in need of a lift today, look no further than this inspiring story.

Back in 1956 a boy stole a library book. Unbeknown to him, the librarian saw him take it. Rather than confront him, she came up with a plan to secretly help him on the path to becoming a great reader.

Thanks to StoryCorps, you can actually hear Olly Neal tell his story to his daugher, Karama (pictured.) Awesome.

My Special Pumpkin

2009-10-01T14:52:00.005-05:00

Happy October!

Although Shandy's not a big fan of costumes, she's occasionally deigned to wear something festive for the kids. I can't believe this photo of my little pumpkin is from way back in 2003. Cauren must be in 8th grade now. Wow.

If your pup is a Halloween fan, be sure to enter the photo contest by our friends at Puplife.com You could win a $100 gift certificate!

Faraday Spruce-Up

2009-09-24T16:47:00.003-05:00

Look at the colorful new sign on the children's playground at Faraday Elementary!

During our visit yesterday for a meeting, we saw Principal Dr. Shirley Scott thanking the volunteers from Heitman who spent the day painting, planting flowers, and generally sprucing-up the school grounds.

That's third-grade teacher (and Sit Stay Read supporter) David Groves pictured with Dr. Scott. Although the dogs aren't likely to notice the colorful improvements, our volunteers sure will!

New! Collectible Dog Bookmarks

2009-09-21T10:44:00.008-05:00

Here they are--our fabulous bookmark models!

That's Slugger and Brady the winners from Guest Bartender night at Lizard's Lounge, Rocky our Dog of the Year, and Shandy, the original Sit Stay Read dog.

We're so excited about our first edition of collectible bookmarks and can't wait for the kids in our programs to see them.

For a limited time you can get your very own set of these fun new bookmarks. Simply make a donation before Oct 31st and we'll include all four bookmarks with your acknowledgment letter. You help kids learn to read and get a gift, too, how's that for a win-win!

Today in the Office

2009-09-18T17:48:00.003-05:00

Does this ever happen to you? Everyone's working quietly (or sleeping) and suddenly spontaneous play breaks out. No? Watch the video. You need to work with us at Sit Stay Read.

Pierre--Our Online Star!

2009-09-17T11:19:00.002-05:00

We were so excited when author Joy Butler asked to use a photo of Sit Stay Read dog, Pierre, to illustrate an article about reading assistance dogs!

You can read Joy's article and see Guy Franklin's Pierre here.

Shandy's Birthday Tribute Page

2009-09-16T15:26:00.004-05:00

My sincere thanks to Shandy's generous friends for honoring her birthday by supporting Sit Stay Read.

It was her love of children that got us started on the therapy dog path and look where we are now. Because of one little dog, this year alone more than 500 at-risk kids will get reading help and meet some new canine pals.

To paraphrase one of my favorite quotes, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed dogs can change the world."

A Perfect Day

2009-09-13T08:08:00.004-05:00

Shandy's Birthday Album

Shandy had an absolutely perfect day for her 16th birthday. Great weather, great food, and, of course, great friends. You can see pictures of all the fun in Shandy's Picasa album by clicking on the photo.

Many thanks to Shandy's wonderful friends for making her day so special!

We even had some surprise guests. Mary Pankonen's 16 year-old Kurt Russell was such a trooper to come brave the canine hoards. And I was so excited when two of our foster puppies and their families arrived to help Shandy celebrate! (Look for the "Puppy Album" on Picasa to see photos of them as tiny pups.)

This was a party I'll truly never forget. Thank you again to all Shandy's guests for memories we'll treasure forever.

Shandy's Sweet 16!

2009-09-10T19:26:00.004-05:00

Yes, unbelievable as it seems, our Shandy girl is turning 16.

Please help us celebrate and make it a special day for her this Saturday, Sept 12th (her actual birthday), from 1-3, in the park behind our place, 4900 N. Francisco (near Lawrence & California.)

Shandy loves her friends (two- and four-legged) and food so that's what we're having. Please join us for cake (for people and pups), fun, and a group photo. No gifts but feel free to pamper our girl with treats.

The event is listed on Facebook but, even if you can't access it, just come. She'll be so happy to see you and so will I!

Dinner & a Movie--at the grocery store?

2009-09-02T22:41:00.005-05:00

Ok, so it's not just any grocery store, but the new Whole Foods in Lincoln Park. Still, who'd expect dinner and John Travolta (they showed "Grease") in the parking garage?

Whole Foods is a great community partner (remember the delish food they provided for the Sit Stay Read anniversary party?) Now they're going even further by offering free entertainment.

The store has a ton of food stations with a huge variety to choose from (the blue cheese cole slaw was killer) and plenty of seating with river views--indoor or out.

As you can see, the views are great and, as an added bonus, just as the movie ended, the Navy Pier fireworks started. A fun time. Thanks, Whole Foods!

Can you teach a love of reading?

2009-08-31T16:49:00.005-05:00

There was an interesting juxtaposition of news stories this week.

First there was the sad NPR story about the PBS "Reading Rainbow" TV show ending after a 26 year run. Turns out the show, hosted by LeVar Burton all these years, was the victim of a funding crunch in education. Money is now going to programs that teach kids how to read, rather than to encourage them to love reading. Sorry LeVar, you'll be missed.

Fast forward to Sunday's NY Times and there's a front page article about middle school teachers who are part of a "Classroom Revolution" because they use reading workshops in class and let students choose the books they read--all in an effort to "help build a lifelong love of reading."

I found both stories so interesting because they underscore our belief at Sit Stay Read (and echoed by our program teachers) that the love of reading shown by our volunteers is as important to our students as the impact we have on their reading skills. Rather than "teach" a love of reading, we live it and the kids benefit. I love that!

A Dog Video You Won't Want to Miss

2009-08-27T17:04:00.003-05:00

Whatever your view of God, I don't think anyone can fault this artist for her sweet interpretation of her own personal view. Made my day. Thanks, Holly!

Dog books, what do you think?

2009-08-26T10:44:00.005-05:00

Julia Keller's article in Sunday's Chicago Tribune grabbed me with the title, "Why dog books are so fetching."

She reeled me in with the story of her beloved Ramsey but surprised me when she dissed a book I loved, "The Art of Racing in the Rain." Although, like Ms. Keller, I'm not a fan of dog narrators, I persevered with that book and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I appreciated learning about "A Year of Cats and Dogs", and quickly added it to Shelfari, but Ms. Keller missed another favorite of mine, "Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog." What about you, do you have a favorite dog book to share?

Guest Bartender Night a BIG Hit

2009-08-23T22:38:00.008-05:00

As you can see, the Sit Stay Read crowd had a great time at Lizard's Lounge on Friday night. The electioneering for our new Sit Stay Read bookmark models was fierce but the winners are. . . Slugger and Brady!!

Of course, the real winners are the third-graders at Sumner Academy--$1,006 was raised to bring the SSR program to their class. Woo hoo! Add to that, the generous matching grant from the Kaplan Foundation and that's a whopping $2,012!! Many thanks to our pro bartender, Ruth, our guest bartenders, Elana and Jenn, and all you voters!

Drinks and a Matching Grant!

2009-08-19T11:28:00.006-05:00

Let's get together and have some fun! Join us for Guest Bartender night THIS FRIDAY, Aug 21st, from 8-11pm at Lizard's Liquid Lounge, 3058 W. Irving Park Rd in Chicago!

We'll have Sit Stay Read volunteers, Elana Mendelson (pictured, showing her electioneering t-shirt) and Jenn Dohm, as our guest bartenders for the night. 100% of the tips they make will benefit the Sit Stay Read program at Sumner Academy and every dollar will go twice as far thanks to a matching grant! So be good to your bartenders :-)

PLUS, it's not too late to enter your dog in the competition to see who's canine cutie will be the next Sit Stay Read bookmark dog! Visit our website for all the details.

Free Hotel Rooms Filling Fast

2009-07-23T07:58:00.002-05:00

First, if you didn't read about free hotel rooms for Sit Stay Read volunteers in our E-newsletter, go to our website and sign-up to get our updates!

Second, we heard from Beth Finke that the free hotel rooms are booking up so she suggests picking a hotel and calling ASAP. Beth can't wait to enjoy her free night at the Blackstone! Check-out Give a Day, Get a Night now.

You'll need to volunteer 8 hours between now and December and get a letter from us to bring to the hotel. If you need more hours, Michele will be happy to get you in the office now for some fun projects and the school program schedule will be out in early September. Lots of opportunities to volunteer!

World's Worst Reading Strategy

2009-07-21T16:34:00.003-05:00

Really, it truly is the "World's Worst Reading Strategy".

C'mon, you know what it is, right? The dreaded round robin reading!

Dr. Lanse does a great job on his blog of explaining why it's such a scourge and how to avoid it. It was especially rewarding to read that he recommends the exact strategies we use in Sit Stay Read programs--guided reading, paired reading, and a favorite of mine, echo reading!

A New Young Reader

2009-07-10T19:25:00.001-05:00

Couldn't resist sharing this photo of my great-niece, Maddy. She was visiting from Wisconsin and, at only nine months old, she already loves books. Wish we could start this early with the kids in our programs. What fun we'd all have!

Don't you love her top knot of curls? It reminds me of Pebbles.

New Office Pups & Their People

2009-07-02T17:10:00.004-05:00

New staff in the office means new pups as well. We're missing Jenn, Elizabeth, and Allison but are so happy to welcome Michele Brignoni, our new volunteer manager, and Kelsey Jones, communications coordinator, plus their pups.

Michele's girl, Prairie (on the left), is a doll and looks forward to her office visits. We can't wait for her to become a SSR dog!

Kelsey's Jack is a little sweetheart. A chihuahua Pomeranian mix who just turned a year old, I think he looks like a Mini Me of my Bandit. Click here for more photos and see if you don't agree.

What a Swell Party It Was!

2009-06-17T13:41:00.011-05:00

Sugar's House Party

Sugar and all her canine pals had a fabulous time at the house party she hosted in support of Sit Stay Read. The dogs romped on the beach, people partied, and $3,300 was raised to help kids from Chicago's inner city learn to read! Click on the photo to see all the fun.

A huge thank you to Sugar and her people--Doug and Jim--for all their work to make the first Sit Stay Read house party a terrific success. You're the best!

BTW, if you missed Sugar on the the NBC Nightly News, be sure to check it out here.

If Not Now, When?

2009-06-09T19:57:00.003-05:00

”In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other.”

--From Wangari Maathai's Nobel Lecture, delivered in Oslo, 10 December 2004.

World's Best Bookshops!

2009-06-09T11:53:00.005-05:00

Here are the best bookshops in the world--according to this article from the Irish Independent.

I'd love to make it to every one of these! Have you been to any?

Many thanks to Norm Sloan for the link!

Go See Alice

2009-06-07T17:54:00.002-05:00

Congrats to Alice Peacock and all our friends at Rock for Reading for the excellent article in today's Sun-Times.

Go see Alice at Schuba's!

On the Mound at Wrigley

2009-06-03T22:20:00.005-05:00

Sit Stay Read on the Field at Wrigley

Hey, hey, Briana made the scoreboard at Wrigley!! How cool is that?! Check-out the pitching arm on that girl. Our thanks again to Build-A-Bear Workshop for this dream come true day! Click on the photo to see the complete album.

Briana Scores a Hit

2009-05-30T21:13:00.007-05:00

Briana did an awesome job pitching at the Cubs game today! A great time was had by all.

I'll post more photos as they come in but here's Briana on the field at Wrigley with Bearemy. Many thanks to Build-A-Bear for a dream come true day!

Build-A-Bear Cubs Winners!

2009-05-28T11:44:00.009-05:00

Congratulations to young Sachin Jain and his canine pal, Arthur, for showing their Cubs spirit and winning the drawing for Build-A-Bear tickets to Saturday's Chicago Cubs game for mom, Cathy!

Lowell second-grader, Briana Lopez (shown here with her proud teacher, Nora Garcia) was thrilled to receive a Cubs uniformed Build-A-Bear when Sit Stay Read visited her classroom today to announce that she'll be throwing out the first pitch at Saturday's Cubs game.

See more contest entries and pictures of Briana. And look for photos from the game soon!

Calling All Cubs Fans!

2009-05-20T14:10:00.005-05:00

Everyone in the office was thrilled when our friends (and supporters) at Build-A-Bear Workshop offered Sit Stay Read the honor of having one of our students throw out the first pitch at a Cubs game!

We immediately thought of Ms. Garcia at Lowell School. She's a huge baseball fan so we were sure she'd know a student who loves the Cubs and deserves some special recognition. Sure enough, Ms. Garcia recommended 7-year-old Briana Lopez. What a lucky girl! In addition to loving the Cubs, Briana loves reading and is an excellent student.

Want to see brave Briana throw out the first pitch? Sit Stay Read has TWO extra tickets to the game and we want YOU to be there! Enter our contest to win BOTH tickets so you can be there to cheer on Briana.

The contest:
We want to see who the biggest Cubs fan is! Send us a photo of you, your kids or your dog (like George, pictured here) showing your Cubs spirit! Have some fun, show your Cubs support and you just might win TWO free tickets to the game on Saturday, May 30th at 3:10pm. The winner will also receive our new "Keep Reading" t-shirt to wear at the game to show support for Sit Stay Read and Briana!

To enter, email a jpg file of your most spirited picture to us at info@sitstayread.org by 5pm on Tuesday, May 26th. The lucky winner will be announced Wednesday, May 27th. Good luck and have fun!

Busy Days

2009-05-18T13:37:00.003-05:00

Wrapping-up the school programs and getting ready for the final visits for the year means a busy time in the Sit Stay Read office.

In addition to assembling all the Reading Fun Packs and sorting books, our intrepid staff and volunteers put together the mailing to all our supporters--personalizing, stuffing, labeling, stamping and sealing 1,800 letters!

Many thanks to (from bottom left) Sally, Wei, Kelsey, Elizabeth, Mary, Gail, and Jenn. As well as those not pictured: Barbara Braden, Bea Calcagno, Anita Dasgupta, Jan & Fred Glure, Lauren Krebs, Sarah Scott, Zaneta Zak, and everyone who wrote Post-It notes to let folks know of their commitment to Sit Stay Read. As we say so often, we truly couldn't do it without you!

Our New Bookkeeper

2009-05-15T22:31:00.003-05:00

That's Jack, our new intern Kelsey's chihuahua-Pomeranian mix. Isn't he a charmer?

This was his first day in the office and he and Shandy were a lot of help sorting the books and getting the Fun Packs ready.

See more of Jack (and Shandy.)

Shandy's Doppelganger

2009-05-15T14:45:00.005-05:00

They say we all have one and I think we've found Shandy's.

That's Barbara Braden's lovely Maggie and, of course, that's Shandy next to her (or below, depending on your display.) Two old gals with soulful eyes. Such a pair!

For Brandon

2009-05-14T07:22:00.002-05:00

And your nephew, niece, loved one. I know it's a commercial but the sentiment is wonderful. Stay safe.

An Early Mother's Day Story

2009-04-29T12:51:00.005-05:00

Just had to share this heartwarming video of motherly love at work. Enjoy!

Many thanks to Patti May for sending this along.