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| The Harvard Library is the heart of the school. |
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| Children stream in and out of it all day long. When they leave with a book, they carry a precious resource vital to educational life. Thanks to the Charles E. and Patricia A. Tubbs Charitable Trust, our school library has been given a new lease on life. Now—and for years to come—Harvard students will learn to read in an environment that conveys the joy and wonder in the world of books. |
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Librarian Roman Mengistu holds forth behind a fine hardwood check-out desk.
The floors gleam under new lights. Children still read under the beloved learning tree, but it shades a new bench.
A 37 inch flat screen TV is installed with cable and a DVD player. |
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Technology stations allow students to conduct research and take quizzes on books using the Accelerated Reader program. Wellknown Heights-area muralist Suzanne Sellers has rendered scenes from beloved children’s books on the walls. And most importantly, new shelving holds our growing collection of books.
The Harvard community has been hard at work acquiring books. Students sold bookplates throughout the ’06 - ’07 school year to raise money, and friends and neighbors and grandparents bought them. Last year’s first ever Harvard silent auction planned to turn over all its gains (and what a success it was!) to expand the collection. Mrs. Tubbs beat us to it. In addition to all the physical improvements, her donations also provided new books—seven thousand of them—plus thirty newspapers and periodicals and bookplates and bookends for all.
We asked Mrs. Tubbs what moved her to help so generously with Harvard Elementary.
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“It’s a school of excellence,”
she replied.
"Why a library? . . . I’m not interested in leaving buildings or bridges. . .
I’m interested in leaving changed minds."
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"I believe if we nourish children, we will have a better society."
"If we help children today, there’s no telling how far they will go tomorrow.” |
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| She’s right. Libraries are powerful places. And ours is warm and wonderful. Library is one of the seven ‘specials’ through which each Harvard class regularly rotates. A trip to read in the library means something pretty terrific nowadays. |
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On August 8, the Houston Independent School District’s Board of Education honored Mrs. Patricia A. Tubbs with a Board Commendation and officially named the new Harvard library The Charles B. & Patricia A. Tubbs
Children’s Library. Stop by to see it soon. The Annual Bookfair, November 12 - 16, presents the perfect opportunity. Harvard Elementary is growing and changing. Our new library
is but one sign of the direction we’re headed. From the heart, Mrs. Tubbs, we are so grateful! |
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