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SENATE MEMORIAL 39

TH LEGISLATURE

- STATE OF NEW MEXICO -

FIRST SESSION

, 2007

INTRODUCED BY

Cynthia Nava

A MEMORIAL

DECLARING NOVEMBER 1, 2007 AS "READ TO A CHILD DAY".

WHEREAS, a team of fourth- and fifth-grade students at La

Union elementary school in the Gadsden independent school

district conducted a community literacy initiative and from

what they learned, they wanted to give every third-grade

student in New Mexico a book; and

WHEREAS, this team of students began research on New

Mexico authors, found over forty authors, developed a rating

rubric and narrowed their list down to fifteen; and

WHEREAS, the students contacted a group of adults who were

representative of the state and invited them to be part of a

selection committee using their rubric to narrow the list of

books to six; and

WHEREAS, the students invited the governor to make the

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final decision on a book, and he selected "Santero's Miracle"

by Rudolfo Anaya, with a copy to be given to each third-grade

student; and

WHEREAS, the book will be accompanied by a web-based

teacher curriculum and a hard copy of a parent curriculum that

will be tied to the New Mexico curriculum standards; and

WHEREAS, the governor selected November 1, 2007 to

distribute the books to every third-grade student; and

WHEREAS, November 1 marks national family literacy day and

approximately eight thousand literacy programs will hold

readings, workshops and family activities across the country;

and

WHEREAS, reading aloud is a time-honored tradition for

parents, caregivers and children, especially in a child's

formative years; and

WHEREAS, reading has a lifelong impact on a child's

learning experiences, developmental progress and even social

interaction;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE

OF NEW MEXICO that November 1, 2007 be declared "Read to a

Child Day" and that this day become an annual celebration about

the importance of reading; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be

transmitted to the secretary of public education and the

governor.