Dear Friends of Reading Quest,
Thank you to everyone who has been supporting Reading Quest during this very challenging time for all of us. Children who struggle with reading are finding this time especially difficult as much of their schooling consists of online worksheets and reading material that is often quite hard for them; and they are not able to be with their friends.
Our Reading Quest team has been working incredibly hard to serve 200 students every week who are in need of extra reading support. We have created a very effective program of exciting, online reading activities, virtual field trips and games which our students are loving! A major message to each child is “You are important!”
Nothing can replace the power of face to face relationships, but we are doing our best to create a magical online experience for our students and we are now gearing up for our new virtual summer program called, Reading is Wild!
Thank you to everyone who has been supporting Reading Quest during this very challenging time for all of us. Children who struggle with reading are finding this time especially difficult as much of their schooling consists of online worksheets and reading material that is often quite hard for them; and they are not able to be with their friends.
Our Reading Quest team has been working incredibly hard to serve 200 students every week who are in need of extra reading support. We have created a very effective program of exciting, online reading activities, virtual field trips and games which our students are loving! A major message to each child is “You are important!”
Nothing can replace the power of face to face relationships, but we are doing our best to create a magical online experience for our students and we are now gearing up for our new virtual summer program called, Reading is Wild!
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Supporting Teachers and Parents "This training teaches us to think outside the box. Thank you for spreading the reading love. Your tutors are fabulous!" "Thank you for one of the most enjoyable trainings I have ever had." "The training gave me, as a parent, solid information and tools that I can take home with me to empower my children." These are quotes from grateful teachers and parents who recently attended a Reading Quest online workshop. The need to move our work online has sparked us to produce numerous online reading workshops this month for teachers at Southside Santa Fe elementary schools as well as for parents and tutors in other programs. The Reading Quest approach was highlighted in a national workshop for over a hundred educators with“Reading with TLC” and our resources are being shared nationwide. |
Reaching Out to Others in Need
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Reading Quest recently partnered with Desiree Turner and the Children, Youth & Families Department to provide 1800 books foster children across the state. Through this donation, children will have books, even if they don’t have access to WiFi, their family members and friends during this time of quarantine. Shortly after giving away all of our back up books, we were gifted with several incredible boxes of books from local families and we trust that donations and gift certificates to local bookstores will continue to come in.
Thank you to our anonymous angel donors who are helping us support our families in need of wifi and support with bills! Our Reading Quest Ambassador in Training, Braulio, a 6th grade student at Ortiz Middle School, was deeply moved upon hearing that many local families were in need of food and he decided to do something about it. Braulio has been making these kittens as his way of raising funds for Food Depot. |
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Just make a donation to Food Depot HERE and then come and pick up a kitten of your choice. Just email readingquestcenter@gmail.com after making your donation and we can arrange your kitten pickup. |
Santa Fe Community Foundatio
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We are sending a HUGE THANK YOU to the Santa Fe Community Foundation Covid-19 Fund who made it possible for us to deliver 30 sets of headphones to students who really need them. Some of our students are living in crowded conditions with multiple families. Being able to hear clearly during online lessons makes a big difference for these students. We are very grateful for their ongoing support which is also supporting us to continue to make our instructional reading videos!
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Thank you to everyone who nominated Reading Quest as the Best Youth Non Profit and Best Summer Camp for Santa Fe Reporter's Best of Santa Fe 2020. Final Voting is now open until May 30th! We need your votes. Please click HERE to vote! Thank you! |
Thank you! Please visit our website, readingquestcenter.org to see our reading resources. Any support you can give would be especially helpful at this crucial time.
With gratitude,
Rayna Dineen, Executive Director
and the Reading Quest Staff & Board
With gratitude,
Rayna Dineen, Executive Director
and the Reading Quest Staff & Board
Dear Friends of Reading Quest,
All of us at Reading Quest are feeling very grateful that we are able to continue supporting our students during this time of school closures and sheltering in place. Our amazing team of tutors is excited and passionate about reaching out to the 300 students we tutor every week! We are also doing whatever we can to support parents and teachers during this challenging time of online learning!
As soon as we learned of the possibility of schools closing, we began preparing in case we were not going to be able to continue meeting with our students in the public schools or at our Reading Quest Center. We sent home books and other reading materials with many of our students before spring break and let parents know that we would continue tutoring no matter what. Now that the schools and our center are closed for the rest of the school year, we are happy to report that our early planning has really paid off and we are already working with students every day.
All of our staff have been working intensely to continue serving our students remotely via phones, computers and tablets. We have been able to connect with our students virtually and they are all very excited when we call, text or zoom. All of the students in our school district were sent home with Chrome books and tablets just before Spring Break (way to go SFPS!), and in response, we have set up our own online programs and online reading resources.
All of us at Reading Quest are feeling very grateful that we are able to continue supporting our students during this time of school closures and sheltering in place. Our amazing team of tutors is excited and passionate about reaching out to the 300 students we tutor every week! We are also doing whatever we can to support parents and teachers during this challenging time of online learning!
As soon as we learned of the possibility of schools closing, we began preparing in case we were not going to be able to continue meeting with our students in the public schools or at our Reading Quest Center. We sent home books and other reading materials with many of our students before spring break and let parents know that we would continue tutoring no matter what. Now that the schools and our center are closed for the rest of the school year, we are happy to report that our early planning has really paid off and we are already working with students every day.
All of our staff have been working intensely to continue serving our students remotely via phones, computers and tablets. We have been able to connect with our students virtually and they are all very excited when we call, text or zoom. All of the students in our school district were sent home with Chrome books and tablets just before Spring Break (way to go SFPS!), and in response, we have set up our own online programs and online reading resources.
We are hoping that the promised hot spots come soon so that our students can access wifi in their homes. We have also been providing professional development for our staff so we can offer the highest level of online support possible.
In addition, we have adjusted our previously scheduled workshops for teachers, tutors and parents so they can be offered as online webinars. Any parents or teachers who are feeling the need for more support can sign up for one of our free workshops. Santa Fe Public Schools has offered stipends for teachers who sign up! Reading Quest has been asked to do a national webinar in April via the Reading with TLC program.
We have made our videos available on our website and are planning to make more as soon as possible. We also plan to deliver books and other resources directly to our family’s homes when it is safe to do so. We are sharing community resources with our families on our website and connecting them with much needed support.
If you would like to help support our work, here are a few options.
In addition, we have adjusted our previously scheduled workshops for teachers, tutors and parents so they can be offered as online webinars. Any parents or teachers who are feeling the need for more support can sign up for one of our free workshops. Santa Fe Public Schools has offered stipends for teachers who sign up! Reading Quest has been asked to do a national webinar in April via the Reading with TLC program.
We have made our videos available on our website and are planning to make more as soon as possible. We also plan to deliver books and other resources directly to our family’s homes when it is safe to do so. We are sharing community resources with our families on our website and connecting them with much needed support.
If you would like to help support our work, here are a few options.
- The Gift of Reading: Since we will be delivering books to our students, it would be wonderful if you could purchase a gift certificate from one of the local bookstores we partner with: op.cit, Big Star Books, Garcia Street Books, Beehive Books, and Collected Works Bookstore. This will also be a great help to our wonderful local bookstores. We already know which books we need at each store and they are graciously offering curbside pick up and delivery.
- Resources: Share our website and online reading resources! Spread the word about our upcoming online workshops and the TLC webinar for parents and teachers. We are also offering support for individual teachers.
- And, of course, we are always grateful for your financial support! You can visit our website to donate any amount to help us through this challenging time HERE. Every little bit helps!
And a heartfelt thanks from our Board, our staff and all of our families for being a part of our caring Reading Quest family. This work is only possible thanks to each of you and we are very grateful.
With appreciation,
Connor Brown, Board Chair
Rayna Dineen, Executive Director
and the Reading Quest Staff & Board
I've been greatly humbled by and reminded of how important our work is, especially in this time. I've found myself in tears several times these past few weeks understanding how needed our Reading Quest team is, not only for our literacy support, but for our gentle care and attention to the needs our children and families have. The willingness and love I feel from parents is incredible. Our community needs the brilliance of the children we have the honor of working with and supporting them during a time of great need. We, in return, are also being supported by amazing parents and caregivers. It's a gift for which there are no words.
—Faridah Ndiaye, Reading Quest Tutor
Winter News 2019
Our new Reading Quest teaching videos are now in our video library and on youtube. Thank you to our tutors and students who created these videos and thank you to Arin Dineen for her amazing editing work.
Reading Quest Short Vowel Sound video
Reading Quest Magic e video
Holiday Giveaway!
Thank you to everyone
who helped make our Holiday Giveaway a success!
We gave away over 800 books and toys, clothes and books to all of our Reading Quest kids and their siblings.
CONTACT INFO
Executive Director: Rayna Dineen
Phone: 505-920-9709
Email: readingquestcenter@gmail.com
Mailing Address (for mailing only):
Reading Quest PMB # 652
369 Montezuma Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501-2626
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