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Good Shepherd School opens new expanded library

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ANDREA GALABINSKI The 4-K class at Good Shepherd Lutheran School enjoys the new library. Class members include Alaina Cardona-Miller, Katelyn Carrigan, Layla Cedeno, Justine Crowder, Jonathan Curls, Tomas D'Aguillo, Jaxton Desguin, Dylan Fretwell, Grace Graff, Jacob Harrison, Kylie LaBrue, Lillie Layne, Lexus Lenius, Dalton Lewis, Araya Myers, Hailey ONeal, Ariana Rivera, Camron Roy and Lenzie Sorensen.
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Student Katelyn Carrigan stops by the Dr. Seuss book area.
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ANDREA GALABINSKI Student Dalton Lewis likes the "Toy Story" section.

It has been months in the making, but now, thanks to staff, volunteers and the PTO – and a reading grant from a local big business – a new, expanded library has opened at Good Shepherd Lutheran School in North Fort Myers.

Target made a sizable reading grant – $2,000 – to help stock the new space with many new books.

Kellie McIntosh is the PTO president and a teacher at the school. “Reading is my favorite thing to do with my kids, so this project was important to me.”

The new library and expansion has been six months in the making, she said. “We’re just very excited to have it done. We wanted a bigger and better library.”

Teachers there are also excited, and went to last week’s preview for the actual opening, signing up for reading days.

New books from a Dr. Seuss collection, reference book and even a Toy Story book area are in the new space.

“We actually have about 5,000 new books from the Target grant, and we are still putting them in.”

The library sports a big wooden boat that bears the school’s name, and can seat about 10 children at a time. “We consider it our reading corner,” MacIntosh said. “Our maintenance man Jim Harrison built it for us, and everyone loves it.

“I think the expansion of the library will benefit all the students and parents,” said the school’s VPK Director Teresa Herrin. “Parents can come in with the students, and we always encourage volunteers to come in and read to the children.”

McIntosh also announced that the school’s Easter Basket Project, which provides hundreds of baskets for children in need, is now in full swing.

“This will be our third year of doing the basket drive. Our goal the first year was to get 500 baskets, and we actually had 1,500 baskets. Last year we did approximately the same number.”

Students, parents and businesses throughout Lee County donate either baskets or basket fillers to the drive. “Our kids always get very involved, with the bulk of our donations coming from our students.”

Businesses from North Fort Myers, Cape Coral and downtown Fort Myers help. “Right now we need businesses that want to be drop off locations,” she said.

They are looking for pre-assembled baskets, but will also accept donations of wrapped candy.

Children from the Children’s Network of Lee County and those in local shelters and referred by local agencies get the baskets each year.

For information on the drive, or to be a supporting business location, call McIntosh at the school at 995-7711.