On Friday, Oct. 29, the students at Gladstone Elementary School received a number of treats to kick off their weekend.

Representatives from the RI Federation of Teachers (RIFT), the Cranston Teachers Alliance (CTA), and the Cranston School Department joined the Gladstone Elementary School community in handing out two books, masks, bookmarks and other goodies to the Gladstone students, thanks to books from the First Book organization. Kona Ice stood ready to greet students outside, handing out a refreshing treat.

Frank Flynn, president of the RIFT, explained that he was contacted in the summer by an AFT representative offering nearly $10,000 to be used in Title I schools in collaboration with First Book to create an opportunity to gift students with new books from First Book. Flynn reached out to CTA president Liz Larkin to see about using a portion of the donations in Cranston Public Schools and doing a kickoff event at Gladstone School, Cranston’s largest Title I school, with subsequent events to happen at each of the Title I schools in Cranston thereafter. Larkin reached out to Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse, who was in full support.

On Oct. 29, as the students entered the school’s auditorium, they were greeted by the sight of two tables loaded with colorful books for all ages and all interests. They squirmed excitedly in their seats and reacted with surprise and audible gasps of delight when Larkin announced that not only would each student be allowed to choose two books to take home with them that day, but that the books were theirs to keep.

“The kids are so excited that these books are theirs to keep,” Larkin said. She noted how grateful she was not only to those at the AFT and RIFT for choosing Cranston’s Title I schools for the First Book donation, but also to her local CTA team representatives who were there that day to help with the event. She particularly noted the great job done by those who organized the event, Kathy Torregrossa and CTA vice president John Thompson.

“They worked with Frank [Flynn] and ordered 4,700 books,” she said. “We are very excited to be giving back to the community.”

Dates for the other Title I school events will be announced shortly. Title I schools are defined by the percentage of low-income families enrolled in the school.