"Comments such as 'he kept them focused and having fun at the same time' and 'his control of such a large group of kinders was fabulous' have been pouring into my office..."
We had the pleasure of having Mr. Chris Espinosa visit our Kindergarten through 4th grade students on March 11, 2004. From the moment Mr. Espinosa arrived, I knew it was going to be a super day!
I originally saw Mr. Espinosa at another Northside ISD school after he had contacted me about coming to our school. I have to admit that I was a little hesitant, but after previewing his primary show, I knew he would be great at Thornton!
He was prompt, well prepared, and extremely organized. Mr. Espinosa did 7 presentations (4 for K-2 grade students, and 3 for 3-4 grade students). Once I had the students seated, I felt like I didn’t need to be in the library because he had an immediate rapport with both students and teachers. Mr. Espinosa grabbed every child’s attention and kept them mesmerized with his stories, voices, and animated demeanor. His ability to get the students so excited and then be able to calm them down quickly was amazing! He allowed many opportunities for students to “help” him with his presentation.
Each program varied depending on the students that were present. He let the student’s creativity guide the program; therefore each program was special in its own way. His ability to communicate and interact with the kinder and first grade students was phenomenal! The Story Window program for the
primary grades kept the students involved in the program at all times and inspired them to go back to their classrooms to become better writers. The game show format of the older students' program allowed the students to become part of the presentation. They were able to learn new facts about Texas while having a blast!
Teachers continue to come to me and tell me how much they enjoyed Mr. Espinosa’s show and how beneficial Mr. Espinosa’s program was to their children. Comments such as “he kept them focused and having fun at the same time” and “his control of such a large group of kinders was fabulous” have been pouring into my office since Mr. Espinosa left yesterday.
Another great thing about Mr. Espinosa was the fact that he carries, signs, and delivers his books the day he attends your school. Students who didn’t bring money until the day of the program were still able to receive their autographed books. I have had authors in the past that require minimum book sales or they did not have enough books available to be purchased the day of the appearance. Mr. Espinosa was prepared with many additional books that allowed extra purchases.
I was very impressed with the quality of his program, his organization, and his pleasant demeanor with the students and teachers. I will definitely be inviting Mr. Espinosa back to our campus next year!
Meredith Hankins, Librarian
Thornton Elementary - Northside ISD
San Antonio, Texas
