Dr.

Michael Shoulders
Motivational Assemblies
For Elementary Students

Nomination for Letha H. Brown Literacy Award

March 15, 2010

Altrusa International Inc. of Montrose, CO

PO Box 3184
Montrose, CO 81402
United States of America

District Ten
 ALT

Letha H. Brown Literacy Award

ENTRY FORM

Please type or print. (If you need additional room, please add separate sheets of paper to
the Entry Form.)

District: Ten
---------------------------
Name of Altrusa Club: Altrusa International Inc., of Montrose, Colorado

Address: PO Box 3184

City: Montrose State/Provi nce: _C_O _

Country: United States of America Zip/Postal Code: 81402-3184

Contact Person: Lorie Bollig, Immediate Past-President

Telephone: (970)249-6823 E-mail: lorie.farmersinsurance@bresnan.net

Date (day, month, year): _1_5_M_a_r_c_h_2_0_10 _

Club Membership (as of entry date): _8_6 _

************************************

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.

Altrusa International, Inc.

332 South Michigan Avenue, Suite 1123; Chicago, IL 60604
Phone: 312.427.4410; Fax: 312.427.8521
E-Mail: baras@altrusa.com

Page 7 of 7 Revised July 2007

Print
 Author and literacy speaker Michael Shoulders was invited to provide

motivational assemblies to K-2 and grades 3-5 in 5 of RJ1 District

Elementary schools on February 1, 2nd and 3rd, 2010. Mr. Shoulder's

unique approach to encourage young children to read, to think about how

stories become books, and about how writers of books go about writing,

rewriting and getting their books illustrated and published, encouraged

students to contemplate their own favorite books and stories. The

assemblies also explored the nature of being an author, illustrator and

teacher and what these professions entail.

Mr. Shoulders is an author of children's book and winner of the

NAPPA (National Parenting Publications Award) Gold Award. He travels

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 .

Club members returning from the Altrusa District Conference held in

Clovis, NM in 2007 reported to the club about Mr. Shoulder's presentation.

Discussion resulted on what a great Literacy Project this would provide if

we could bring him in to speak in Montrose schools. Literacy Funds were

budgeted to promote a literacy speaker for the following year's Literacy -

New Project.
 Montrose is blessed with good schools that meet most of the state's

literacy scores at or above standards. One problem though is that more

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.

Due to scheduling conflicts, Altrusa of Montrose was unable to bring

Mr. Shoulders to Montrose in 2008. The Literacy Committee budgeted

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

trip to Denver, Colorado and his willingness to come to Montrose.

A discussion of possibilities entailed through e-mail that resulted in a

window to bring the author to town. He flew into Denver on Sunday,

January 31 and picked up a short flight to Montrose that afternoon.

Shoulders then proceeded to do two assemblies Monday morning at

Cottonwood Elementary and follow up with two assemblies after lunch at

Pomona Elementary. Tuesday, likewise began with three assemblies at

Oak Grove Elementary, lunch with Altrusans at their regular noon meeting,
and then two more assemblies that afternoon at North Side Elementary.

Wednesday morning Mr. Shoulder's schedule included two assemblies in

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

on Wednesday, February 3rd. Altrusans organized members to take the

author to breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as provide transportation to

and from all local schools.

Altrusan Dr. Sheryl Solow, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum,

worked with the district's elementary school principals to schedule school

engagements and assemblies in our district's elementary schools. All 2,205

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

learning through fun, imagination and silliness.

Since all Altrusa International Inc., of Montrose club members help in

the fundraising necessary to support New Projects all members

participated in the project. Please see attached schedule of those who

helped directly with transportation and meals.

Speaker fees were paid for through the funds designated in Altrusa

International Inc. of Montrose Literacy Budget. Additional funding for

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

fees, were $803.71. Both granting club's membership were encouraged to

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

account for all expenses paid.

Feedback from the Project has been satisfying and enjoyable.

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

after the event.

Michael Shoulders Literacy Assemblies Schedule

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

CES 9:00 k-2 Cottonwood Elementary

10:00 3-5
Lunch with Natalie and Diane - take him to Paoma

PES 12:30 k-2 Pamona Elementary

1:30 3-5

Dinner with Anita and Christy

February 2, 2010 - breakfast with Lorie and Carolee - take him to Oak Grove

OGE 9:00 k-2 Oak Grove Elementary

10:00 3-5
Lunch with Susan and Marylee and meet with Altrusa general meeting- take him to Northside

NES 12:30 k-2 Northside Elementary

1:30 3-5

Dinner with Sheryl Solow and Susan Bony

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
MONTROSE -
BY MATT LINDBERG
DAILY PRESS WRITER
I iln"&iJJlll&A!W"OOX1
Local elementary
students are getting
reading and writing
tips from an expert ~ Shoulders spoke with Pomona stu-
this week. "i
Children's book
author Michael
Shoulders visited i{:-.::;~~:-:.;:
Cottonwood and Shoulders
Pomona elementary
schools Monday to
talk with students about how his ideas
become the stories children see in his
books.
Altrusa International Inc., a commu-
nity service program that helps build
leadership and personal development,
organized Shoulders' visit after receiv-
ing a $500grant from Rotary Club and a
$300grant from Academic Booster
Club.
"We saw him at a conference in New
Mexico and thought he was so enter-
taining," said Susan Woody;Altrusa's
Literacy Committee chairwoman. "We
couldn't get him here last year, but
when he said he was coming to Denver
this month for a conference, we were
able to make it work."
Shoulders has had nine books pub-
lished since his first, "V is for Volun-
teer," was released in 2002.Other titles
include "Natural Numbers" and "Say
Daddy," the latter of which earned a
National Parenting Publications
LOCAL TUfSOAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2010 A3
••
n glno Stu t
Children's author visits Montrose County Schools hopes his presentations inspire fami-
lies to read more often.
"I think parents should instill a love
of books in their children," Shoulders
said. "I just want kids to enjoy reading
a book."
';.;
1
dents about his family life, as well as
how he writes drafts of stories before
finishing them. He also explained how
his books are illustrated.
His stories are designed to educate
readers, but he doesn't spend much
time thinking about story ideas.
''Awriter once said, 'Writers don't
think of stories, they recognize them,' "
Shoulders said.
Indeed, he recognized one his first
day here, while eating breakfast at Dai-
ly Bread, 346E. Main St. Shoulders said
the restaurant has inspired a story he
will write, though he would not elabo-
rate.
After performing two magic tricks
and talking with kids, Shoulders per-
formed an alphabet rap that put smiles
on Pomona students' faces.
"He's engaging with the students, and
that's really a big focus for us here this
MATT LINDBERG/DAILY PRESS year - engaging students with teach-
Author Michael Shoulders encourages Pomona Elementary students to ''throw their ers," said Don Davidson, Pomona Ele-
hands in the air" as he performs his alphabet rap. mentary principal.
Shoulders will make presentations at
Award. before retiring in 2005.He began writ- Oak Grove and Northside elementary
Shoulders got his degree in education ing after participating in the Tennessee schools today and at Olathe Elementary
from Austin Peay State University in Governor's Academy for Teachers of on Wednesday.
1976and worked as a teacher and feder- Writing in 1995.He now travels the For more information, visit
al programs supervisor in Tennessee world speaking on literacy. He said he michaelshoulders.com
IN BRIEF
A
 FrlhIt N(,"clNlf.( t5~tI~/~ tt.Jdw1e

PO o o EI m n ary - on ro ,CO
February 1, 2010

This is what a class of GREAT STUDENTS looks like. This is a classroom of

fantastic readers at Pomona Elementary in
Montrose, Colorado. I had such a great time
speaking to them this afternoon about what
authors do when we write books. Thanks for
a wonderful day, Pomona!! !!

Earlier in the day, I visited Cottonwood

Elementary. I was so impressed with the
teachers, students, and administration at both
these schools. Altrusa International, a service
organization, organized and obtained funding
for my visit to this district.

A big "shout-out" to Altrusa ! , ,

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