After 17 years as a teacher and with vivid memories of her own childhood, Rhonda Lucadamo knows how children develop the skills needed to become lifetime readers, and she loves guiding them through the adventure. She noticed that a lot of kids see learning to read as a chore so she wrote her own books, Miss Rhonda’s Readers, to capture the fact that reading is its own reward. So what sets Miss Rhonda’s Readers apart from other books? Each book is a small story rather than just a series of rhyming words, and they are reviewed by early readers themselves, right in the classroom. The results are inspiring.

When I was young, my Christmas excitement was wrapped up in what presents I was going to get from Santa. Now, whenever I think about what meant the most to me in past Christmases I don’t think of the gifts received, but the experiences and emotions shared. An outstanding memory for me is the tradition my parents, both teachers, created for the families from a Head Start summer program. My parents were hired for a few summers to implement the academic program for underprivileged families in a rural area in Ohio. For years, my parents would open up our home and put on a Christmas party for those Head Start families. In advance of the party, they would ask for donations from local businesses so the visiting Santa could pass out gifts to those attending. My parents did not do this as part of a civic club or for their church, they were just ordinary folks finding a way to help those less fortunate. Their selfless acts of kindness showed me the true spirit of Christmas. Like Santa Claus, they dispensed not just Christmas presents but gifts of good works—never expecting repayment in “thank-yous” or financial reimbursement.

Did you know that your old Christmas trees can be recycled and that one twenty pound tree takes up valuable landfill space comparable to a washing machine? Recycling trees creates mulch, fuel, wildlife habitats and other useful material. You can help “Keep Cobb Beautiful,” by recycling your old tree after the holiday season. Keep Cobb Beautiful will sponsor free recycling drop-offs.