EVERY KID COUNTS

EVERY KID COUNTS 

Adults always tell us that “school days are the best ones of your life!” This is our story: Every Kid Counts!.  

Character Little K believes that if every kid counts then we must hold every kid accountable for their education.

It’s Wednesday morning and Little K and her Mom are leaving the dental office and notice K’s school mate, Robert, sitting in the local soda fountain shop.  

It’s a school day and every kid should be in class.  K is wondering why Robert is sitting, playing video games on his phone and not at school.  Mom and K decide to speak to Robert. and discover he is truanting.  After a brief conversation, Robert is walking back to school with Little K and her mother.  K does not want him to get into trouble so she tells Robert that he must speak to the teacher himself and    explain the situation.

It’s family time at home and K is watching her favourite news station which is reporting that Kamala Harris is running a campaign called “Every Kid Counts” which is aimed at encouraging children to remain in school and make the most of their young lives.

This campaign captures K’s attention.  The next day, she speaks to Miss Braun, her teacher, and they agree it would be nice to address the issue on the school radio.  K has an idea: how can she persuade the children to attend school every day?  She decides to enlist her mother’s help.  Mom is a journalist and her editor agrees that K can post an article in the newspaper for her book that she will write.  The child with the most improved attendance, especially if they achieve 100% attendance, will be the story’s main character.

Little K makes the radio announcement and it is heard by Susie’s Mom who is a television talk show host.. Mrs Crowley calls the school and requests the appearance of Little K and her venture to become a guest on the show to speak on the subject of kids attending school and working hard towards a perfect attendance.  

Today is Friday. the day in which K’s idol and mentor Senator Kamala Harris will be a guest on the show.  Mrs Crowley will hold the surprise until Little  K arrives at the studio for her appearance.  Everyone is so excited and on board to make her idea a complete success.  Mrs Crowley has arranged all media and press agents in the green room for Little K and Senator Kamala Harris.

 The pair join forces and K asks Senator Harris to visit her school and speak at a special assembly.  This is quickly organised and K is delighted by the response. 

The following day, K is overwhelmed when her Mom tells her that First Lady Michelle Obama watched the television broadcast and has invited her to the White House for a special Children’s Awareness Presentation.  

Senator Kamala Harris and K are the guests of honor and explain their plans for the exciting event – they are greeted with overwhelming support and help.

By the end of term, attendance has sky rocketed and K is faced with a dilemma.  Three children (not counting herself) have achieved 100% attendance and that the school now has the highest attendance rate in the state – children all over the country have taken this campaign to their hearts.  She discovers that the tables have been turned – children are getting their parents up so they can be in school on time, and they are ensuring they eat a great breakfast.  After all: A winning breakfast makes a great scholar!  She is delighted – but how can she    include all those who have made the effort to come to school every day?  In the end, the answer is simple: Write a sequel and include more children in that.       

Before she knows it, she has a whole series of books planned, each containing      characters who attend her school and have taken the message to heart:   Every Kid Counts!

     “If EveryKidCounts, then we must count every kid”..

EVERY KID COUNTS ©2014 BOOK EXCERPT-

K listened carefully to Mrs Braun who had just finished asking the class to read from a book by Mark Twain called ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ - a classic novel about the adventures of a young boy and his pal, Huckleberry Finn, on the Mississippi River.   Each of the children had to stand up and read a page from the book. There was only one person who had trouble reading when it was his turn and that was Robert Crump. He was tall for his age and very good at sports. Robert was always confident and cheerful when he was outside school, but when it came to sitting in class, he lost all that confidence and desire to pay attention and learn. 

Robert was a very slow reader and had trouble pronouncing words – even short ones.    Although Robert was an intelligent boy he found reading very difficult, so Mrs Braun took pity on him after he had read just a few lines and told him to be seated.  

 After all the children had read, Mrs Braun gave them a spelling test with a difference. She reached for a thick dictionary from the book case at the side of the room and stood in front of her desk, facing the class. 

“We’re going to play a little game,” she explained. “I’m going to ask you to choose a letter. I will find a word from this dictionary which begins with that letter and ask you to spell it. Then I'll ask you to use it in a sentence which shows how the word is used or that you understand what it means. Now who would like to go first?” she smiled. 

K put up her hand as usual, but Mrs Braun wanted the other children to have a chance first for a change. K usually sat near the front but for this lesson she sat at the back, at Mrs Braun’s request.  The teacher wanted to give the other children a chance to shine. K was always first to put her hand up and give an answer. Even if she was wrong, at least she tried and got credit for that.  Her enthusiasm was infectious but Mrs Braun   knew that the rest of the class would let K answer all the questions and make it easy for themselves if they could, so she reversed the usual arrangement of the children and those who usually sat at the back, were told to move to the front.  Today Mrs Braun wanted to see how well the other children spelled and how much she would have to assist them with their school work. It was 3 months into the first term and Mrs Braun knew some of them were struggling a little.  She realised that Robert needed a little extra help with his reading and numeracy. 

“English is one of the most important subjects we teach here in school because it's used every day.” Mrs Braun looked around the room, carefully meeting everybody's eyes. “If you have a good understanding of language then you have a better chance of achieving your grades.  You can turn all your dreams into reality if you just work hard, especially at English and math."

Tom Hutch lazily put up his hand. It was characteristic of his relaxed attitude to all the subjects in school, except sports which he really enjoyed and put all his effort into. 

“Excuse me, Mrs Braun,” he said politely. Mrs Braun smiled back at Tom, waiting for him to speak. “I want to be a professional baseball player. You say that English and math are the two most important subjects to learn. Why would I need to use them in my chosen profession?” he asked. “All I need to know is how to hit a baseball ‘out of the park’,” he smiled, causing a ripple of laughter around the classroom.   Mrs Braun   smiled back. She was ready for a question like that. “I have been teaching children for many years Tom and I’ve heard this question so often,” she explained. “I once taught a young man who, like you, believed that English language was something you just spoke and that it wasn't important. He thought that math was seldom used in everyday life and, even if it was, he wouldn’t need to have more than a basic understanding.” 

“Like First Base, Second Base, Third Base and Home Plate, you mean?” giggled Tom, causing more laughter - especially from his friends in the school baseball team.   Mrs Braun lifted her head proudly as she remembered that young man, then continued: “The boy became a famous Basketball player. He soon realised that there was more to the game than just adding up to four, Tom,” Mrs Braun said with a grin. “He went on to become a State Governor after his career in sports. As a Governor, he needed a broad base of knowledge about many things but, most importantly, he discovered how important an excellent grounding in English and math was - without it, he wouldn't have been able to carry out his duties as Governor.” Mrs Braun lowered her head as she often did when she was being serious. “Do you have any idea what you want to do after your career in baseball is over, Tom?” she asked him earnestly. …. MORE