Perseverance. Mixing colors.  Sign language. Budding friendships. Snacks.

What do these five things have in common?!? Thurston Woods Reading Buddies, of course!

Our third year of building relationships with our Reading Buddies program at Thurston Woods Campus began today. Children, educators and parents shared a morning full of joy getting to know one another.  The photos speak volumes about the love, compassion and patience that come from the children.

We started our time together with a read-aloud called The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do, and focused on the importance of trying hard and keeping a “can do” attitude. We used sign language to sing “The More We Get Together.” Then the little buddies partnered with their big buddy mentors who read self-selected books to them.

Ms. Nicole continued our theme of perseverance by sharing a quote by Artist Georgia O’Keeffe: “I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life – and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” Jointly, the partners mixed color and created “tints” to paint an O’Keefe-inspired landscape to donate.

Snacks and casual chit-chat wrapped up our time together before the Thurston Woods students picked a take-home book and headed back to class.  Kudos to the children for demonstrating what it means to treat one another with love and respect!  My heart is filled with hope.

-Lynn Raines

Thurston Woods Reading Buddies Project Manager

Toddlers and Kids on a Mission Co-Founder and Managing Director