Comments on: Letter From JHHS Librarian

By: Jan Coffman, J-HHS Counselor

Jan Coffman, J-HHS Counselor — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 23:57:10 +0000

A big THANK YOU to those of you who left positive notes and said nice things about Stefani and me. Both of us are educators because we love kids and want them to succeed in life. In the 40 years that I have been an educator/counselor, many things about kids’ and parents’ values have changed, but we as educators are still “responsible” for educating them and helping in any way we can. As a result of Stefani’s message. 20+ gently- used books have been donated by cheerful givers. THANKS!

By: Outside looking in

Outside looking in — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:22:15 +0000

Amen!!!!!

By: Stephen Treadway

Stephen Treadway — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 14:36:11 +0000

I am amazed that so many people will post negative comments about a high school library wanting / needing books. Regardless of how close Jackson Parish Library may be to some of these students a high school … any school needs a good library for their students.

People will complain about poor education, then complain because someone asks that you consider donating some books that you have completed, or IF you are going to purchase some books for perosnal use to consider using a website that will benefit out local schools.

I wonder how many of these posters went to schools without a library. I would guess that each and every one had a library at their school, that was stocked with books, many of which came from private donations.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 07:16:24 +0000

A few things, Stefani, I dont know if you have had much interaction with sites that allow anonymous posting but trust me when I tell you it is not a good idea to put anything with your name on it on a site like this. You have been lucky so far that this has not went way off course and bad. I hope it doesnt, but trust me in the future save yourself from the pain that comes along with your name being on a site like this. It never turns out good. I have nothing but the upmost respect for you and Mrs. Jan is awesome and she is one heck of a good person, so I pray this slips through the “bashers” radar.
Secondly, “retired educator 3″, you beat me to it. People, you all act like Jonesboro is a third world country when you talk about poverty. Let me tell you this! There is no one that can tell me about poverty! We are a one income family, we have one car, and we eat supper every other night, and then it is usually a sandwich at best. Do we run around begging and making excuses? No, we survive! We do what we have to so that our lights stay on. I wish and pray we had it as good as some of these “poverty stricken children” you speak of. I know because I too see them on a day to day basis. Them being able to get to the library is not the problem. Like someone else said, if they wanted to go, they would! I have seen kids as young as 11 & 12 walk from Jody’s store, at one end of the town, all the way to southside because of a “function” they wanted to go to! Their family not having a car is not an excuse, and the one good thing, “THEY” dont make it one!
Truth is they dont want to go to the library, or they would.

I ask you this question, Have you ever went to the parish library, grab a book, and have a seat where you can see alot of the building. Dont read the book you are holding. Just make it appear that you are. Just sit there and watch. Then come back and tell me, HOW MANY KIDS WALKED IN AND ACTUALLY WALKED TO THE SHELVES WHERE THE BOOKS ACTUALLY ARE? NOW, IN COMPARISON, HOW MANY WENT AND SAT DOWN AT ONE OF THE COMPUTERS SO THAT THEY CAN “SURF THE WEB”?
Newsflash people, the majority of the kids that go to the library aint going for books! They go for free movies, cds, and internet use! I see the same poor kids you talk about walk, day in and day out, all over town. I have never once seen a kid walking around town saying, “Man, I wish I could get to the library!” If they wanted to go, they would go! They wanna go to football games, THEY GO! They wanna go to southside for events they have, THEY GO! IF they wanted to go to the library, THEY WOULD GO!
Its a matter of “day and age” not of “poverty”. I have seen families that I would describe as in poverty, but much to my surprise, nearly everyone in the house can, at the blink of an eye, whip a cell phone out of their pockets! This whole “they cant go to the library because they are poor” is the saddest attempt at justifing why kids dont go to the library I have ever heard.
Truth is, if they WANTED to go…
….they WOULD go, so that they could surf the net, not for a book! Make me wrong, do what I have done! Go, grab a book, pretend to read but instead, observe. Then come back and tell me how wrong I was.

By: luckylady25

luckylady25 — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:13:49 +0000

Complaining on a website won’t fix anything. What’s your solution for fixing the problem?

By: Stanley W. McKaskle (Weston)

Stanley W. McKaskle (Weston) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:11:39 +0000

Stephanie, don’t be discouraged by some of these comments. I applaud what you’re doing and understand your plight. My love of reading was fostered at Westons library and encouraged by my mother, who, when she could, would take us to the Parish library. We used the Bookmobile when it came and I had several favorites that I checked out over and over again. There’s nothing that can compare to an actual book held in the hands while your imagination travels around the world with the story. Nothing ever created on film can compare to the images that one can form while deep into a story. That said, retiredteacher 1 and 2. anonymous and the rest of you trolls who post on here anonymously, get off your invisible soapbox and stop being such naysaying cowards. Your choice of anonymity versus posting your real name proves one thing. You don’t have the guts to reply for fear of being stood up to. She simply asked for someone to donate some books due to the libraries lack of funding. You don’t have to walk or run for donations. You don’t have to involve physical labor. Simply purchasing a new book and donating it to the library is all it involves. The school library sometimes is the only option some students will have to read a new book. Your litany of excuses for why no one should help really shows your complete lack of character and compassion. I guess when your up every one else deserves to be down, huh? Grow up trolls and go pick on someone using your real name. I’ll bet you won’t be as brave when you do that. No keyboard and pseudonym to hide behind then. Kudos Steph and keep up the good work. I’ll be by there next Monday with some of my favorite authors and hope some more “real” people do the same.

By: Retired Educator 3

Retired Educator 3 — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:42:30 +0000

Are you serious? Where did anyone say that the schools had spent too much? Nowhere, they said that they were tired of excuses, Students today should do more reading than ever before in order to keep up with ever changing technology and business they need to improve and as having taught in a Foreign Country, we are still light years behind in education, so I am fully aware of the learning curve in America.

Children in third world countries don’t make excuses, they walk for MILES and are happy to be able just to borrow a book for a day to read or a piece of a magazine. The Native American children scattered about on the reservations in America are another prime example, They don’t have cell phones, computers, cars or McDonalds. Caring about students lives is what teachers do, they teach, mentor but they should never ever try to make an excuse for a parent that is too absent from their role as a parent to teach their own children what it means to work for what they achieve.

May the parents that chose to take on their role as a parent, to teach their children all facets of becoming a productive citizen and to give back twice as much as they take have the children that will be the leaders of tomorrow. We don’t need another generation of “you owe because I am poor”.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:24:18 +0000

no one has tried to discourage anyone at JH. there are two totally differing views on this topic, one is poor students with evern poorer parents that won’t take the inniative to do their parental job and teach responsibility and a teacher that loves her students and wants to help them. Nothing more or less.

By: SeriouslyShocked

SeriouslyShocked — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:15:22 +0000

Are you people serious? Do you realize that the intent of the letter from the very beginning was to acknowledge the fact that students at JHHS do like to read? Secondly, am employee who is dedicated to the school and students is reaching out to others to assist the students in their continued desire to read. Why do some of you take this opportunity to turn this into something different? Many of you complain that you have already paid your dues with your children and the schools spend too much already. Now someone takes another avenue and you complain again. For those that are not aware, the students today have to do more reading than ever before to graduate. Granted many of our students are not self motivated to do that but those that are we better continue encouraging reading. This only happens if they can find something of interest and not something that is required. Until you walk the halls of any school today and see the challenges the students and teachers face you should keep your negative comments to yourself. For you retired “educators” I am awfully glad that my child would not have you as a teacher. Education has changed and we are no longer able to force kids to “read or else.” Wake up and get caught up on the state of “current education issues”. Thank goodness for retirement opportunities for those who ONLY had a JOB and did not care about students lives. Your check must have really made you feel good. Not only are teachers today educators, they are role models, friends and often times parents. So with that being said, congrats to the teacher that went out of the box to not only help students but to acknowledge that JHHS is not a bad place. Great job!

By: Retired Teacher 2

Retired Teacher 2 — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 23:09:55 +0000

and I bet you walked to the Library and paid your dues and most of all were responsible and never looked for a handout or excuse.