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Michael Shoulders
Motivational Assemblies
For Elementary Students
District Ten
ALT
Please type or print. (If you need additional room, please add separate sheets of paper to
the Entry Form.)
District: Ten
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Name of Altrusa Club: Altrusa International Inc., of Montrose, Colorado
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Project Title: Dr. Michael Shoulders Motivational Assemblies for Elementary Students
Project Description:
The narrative must not exceed 1,000 words, must be typed, double-spaced, and on
plain white paper. In developing the narrative, Clubs should refer to the judging criteria
and score sheet. Please refer to the section entitled, "Entries," #4 for questions that
should be addressed in the narrative to assist judges in evaluating your submission.
The winning entries at the District Conferences must reach the International Office by
June 1st to be considered in the International competition.
Print
Author and literacy speaker Michael Shoulders was invited to provide
stories become books, and about how writers of books go about writing,
extensively in the United States and Europe teaching children how stories
make books and how much fun reading can be. See his web site at
www.michaelshoulders.com .
New Project.
Montrose is blessed with good schools that meet most of the state's
than 50% of our students are eligible to get free or reduced cost meals,
which means that those families are of a low enough income level to qualify
for this assistance. Often these households do not have the funds left over
for books or other fun learning related activities. This is where Altrusa could
make a difference.
funds for speaking fees into the 2009-2010 committee budget and tried
again. We were approached by the author in late 2009 about his planned
Oak Grove Elementary, lunch with Altrusans at their regular noon meeting,
and then two more assemblies that afternoon at North Side Elementary.
Olathe, Colorado at the Elementary School there and then came back to
Montrose in time to have a long lunch with local Montrose Library staff.
After his lunch meeting the author took the short plane trip back to Denver
students and 108 teachers within these schools had the opportunity to see
and hear the author's entertaining slide show involving music and an
alphabet rap-song which engages not only the imagination of the young
students and may well inspire then to try their hand at writing an alphabet
book about their own mom, dad, family, pet, etc., but also to experience
Speaker fees were paid for through the funds designated in Altrusa
transportation from Denver to Montrose and back, and lodging and meal
expenses were solicited by writing grants to two local clubs; the Montrose
Rotary Club and the Academic Booster Club of Montrose. A grant to each
organization explained the need for additional expense money to cover the
author's visit. Rotary of Montrose awarded a grant for $500.00 and the ABC
gave a grant of $300.00. Total expenses for the visit, excluding speaking
view the assemblies where possible. A copy of the itinerary was e-mailed
before the visit and an accounting of funds were sent after the visit to
Several schools sent thank-you notes along with drawings and posters
expressing their fun and delight with the visit. Many teachers also
commented and thanked the club for the extra learning experience. Thank-
you letters are still coming in from schools and individual students a month
K-2 40 minutes
3-5 60 minutes
Arrives Sunday Jan 31 at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Susan will pick him up and take him to Holiday
Inn. Dinner with Susan and Val.
February 1, 2010 - breakfast with Becky and Donna - take him to Cottonwood
February 2, 2010 - breakfast with Lorie and Carolee - take him to Oak Grove
Febraury 3, 2010 - breakfast with Jeanne and Cheryl - take him to Olathe Elementary
Margaret and Roberta pick him up at Olathe Elem and take to Stone House
OES 9:00 k-2 Olathe Elementary
10:00 3-5
Lunch with - Amy McBride / library staff
Mike will leave Montrose on the 4:40 plane on the afternoon of the 3rd. He should be at the airport
by 3:30.
MONTROSE DAILY PRESS LOCAL TUfSOAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2010 A3
••
n glno Stu t
MONTROSE -
BY MATT LINDBERG
DAILY PRESS WRITER
I iln"&iJJlll&A!W"OOX1
Children's author visits Montrose County Schools hopes his presentations inspire fami-
lies to read more often.
"I think parents should instill a love
Local elementary of books in their children," Shoulders
students are getting said. "I just want kids to enjoy reading
reading and writing a book."
tips from an expert ~ Shoulders spoke with Pomona stu-
this week. "i ';.;
1
dents about his family life, as well as
Children's book how he writes drafts of stories before
author Michael finishing them. He also explained how
Shoulders visited i{:-.::;~~:-:.;: his books are illustrated.
Cottonwood and Shoulders His stories are designed to educate
Pomona elementary readers, but he doesn't spend much
schools Monday to time thinking about story ideas.
talk with students about how his ideas ''Awriter once said, 'Writers don't
become the stories children see in his think of stories, they recognize them,' "
books. Shoulders said.
Altrusa International Inc., a commu- Indeed, he recognized one his first
nity service program that helps build day here, while eating breakfast at Dai-
leadership and personal development, ly Bread, 346E. Main St. Shoulders said
organized Shoulders' visit after receiv- the restaurant has inspired a story he
ing a $500grant from Rotary Club and a will write, though he would not elabo-
$300grant from Academic Booster rate.
Club. After performing two magic tricks
"We saw him at a conference in New and talking with kids, Shoulders per-
Mexico and thought he was so enter- formed an alphabet rap that put smiles
taining," said Susan Woody;Altrusa's on Pomona students' faces.
Literacy Committee chairwoman. "We "He's engaging with the students, and
couldn't get him here last year, but that's really a big focus for us here this
when he said he was coming to Denver MATT LINDBERG/DAILY PRESS year - engaging students with teach-
this month for a conference, we were Author Michael Shoulders encourages Pomona Elementary students to ''throw their ers," said Don Davidson, Pomona Ele-
able to make it work." hands in the air" as he performs his alphabet rap. mentary principal.
Shoulders has had nine books pub- Shoulders will make presentations at
lished since his first, "V is for Volun- Award. before retiring in 2005.He began writ- Oak Grove and Northside elementary
teer," was released in 2002.Other titles Shoulders got his degree in education ing after participating in the Tennessee schools today and at Olathe Elementary
include "Natural Numbers" and "Say from Austin Peay State University in Governor's Academy for Teachers of on Wednesday.
Daddy," the latter of which earned a 1976and worked as a teacher and feder- Writing in 1995.He now travels the For more information, visit
National Parenting Publications al programs supervisor in Tennessee world speaking on literacy. He said he michaelshoulders.com
IN BRIEF
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