Classes began this past week, and with the start of a new scholastic year, certain expectations have been put on the children in the Villa. Last year a number of students failed their grade and will be repeating the same classes. In order to avoid a similar occurrence, the administration and mamás have decided to remove the televisions from the six houses that had them, demand a regular study period, and require perfect attendance (except in cases of illness). One result of this exigency has been a large increase in the number of children who come to the Reading Room. In the morning, as many as twelve children at once are in the Room reading or asking to borrow books. This week I am planning to start a program that rewards the children for their interest in the written word. Each time that they complete a book, they will be able to put their name and the book they read in a list. After a certain number of books, they will receive small prizes. I remember Book It from my childhood and how I used to love eating personal pan pizzas at Pizza Hut as a reward. What is most encouraging to me is that the children come and ask me to read at all hours of the day. Regardless if I am in the middle of basketball practice or individual time in a house, the children often will plea with me to give them the key to the Reading Room. I tell them to ask Daisy for the key, but they insist on using mine. Although the children are generally very respectful of the rules in the Reading Room, it is still necessary to have someone in charge of checking-out and returning books. For now, the only problem is having someone for this purpose in the Reading Room at all hours of the day. The children have two hours in the morning with me and two hours in the afternoon with Gray, but there are three hours in the late afternoon in which the Room is closed. This week, I hope to find someone in the Villa who will be able to help out during this time, so that a desire to read will continue to grow in the children.