Monday, May 6, 2024
Gatesville High School English teacher Melanie Diserens, standing with GHS Principal Marie Barrows, holds a check for $3,400 that was awarded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. (Se’Vette Early photo)
Melanie Diserens, the English resource teacher and campus ESL (English as a second language) coordinator at the Gatesville High School campus was recently awarded a $3,400 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.
Diserens was recognized for the vital role her position plays in the Gatesville community and granted this money to strengthen her literacy efforts in her classroom.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has been helping students for over 30 years increase their potential and pursue their dreams of a better tomorrow through the power of education. The grants awarded by the DGLF invest in local schools and support teachers.
This grant will serve roughly 35 students per year for many years by providing classroom book sets that are appropriate levels for students with disabilities. It will allow for one-on-one instruction and small groups.
“This grant will foster an attitude of confidence, improve reading comprehension skills, and a love for reading,” Diserens said.
This grant also allows the Gatesville High School library to have classroom book sets for students with multiple grade levels to have reading material they can use. This includes students with disabilities, IEPs, 504 interventions, low-level readers, and entire resource classes to read chapter books that are appropriate for their reading level.
Diserens said, “When students have books that are appropriate for their reading level, they can build on and improve comprehension skills where there are severe gaps,” Diserens said. “Reading has been challenging for most students, and they give up before they try." It is important for us as educators to foster a love of reading in them.”
