The Friends of the Corpus Christi Public Libraries held a kick-off event on September 13, 2007, promoting the Corpus Christi Reads program at the Central Library, downtown Corpus Christi.

Corpus Christi Reads is partnering with The Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment of the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. This program is also in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Several local prominent figures, including Dr. Carbajal, Loyd Neal, Lee Sausley, Katia Uriarte, to name a few, were invited to participate at a Celebrity Check-out event held in conjunction with the kick-off.

Bless Me Ultima is the literary work selected for this year. This classic novel by Rudolfo Anaya is often described as "one of the most respected works of Chicano literature." Bless Me Ultima tells the story of Antonio Luna Marez, a young boy who grapples with faith, identity, and death as he comes of age in New Mexico.

For a list of book readings, seminars, panel discussions and other events, log on to www.library.ci.corpus-christi.tx.us/ccreads.htm

The Education Service Center, Region 2, announced at a press conference on September 4, 2007, it had received a $998,216 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to improve the quality of American history education. The Education Service Center will use the grant to provide professional development to educators aimed at improving the teaching of American history.

Karen Howden, a Flour Bluff Junior High history teacher, was selected as one of four master teachers to participate in developing the curriculum for the grant. The ESC-2 will partner with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History to provide teachers with hands-on training that will focus on the colonial period, constitutional era and the Civil War. A total of about 60 U.S. history teachers from grades 4 through 11 will receive training through the grant.

Cynthia Tunches, the Janet F. Harte librarian, has announced the next book discussion group meeting for the Teen Book Club. Teens in grades 8-12 are invited to register to participate in a Teen Book Club discussion of Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me Ultima at the Janet F. Harte Library in Flour Bluff. Participants will meet to discuss the book in the library's meeting room from 4-5 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2007. Teens can register by calling 937-6569 or by going to the library to register at the front desk.

Several campuses have scheduled open houses and book fairs for the next two weeks. Progress reports are due to be sent home on September 18 and 19. Following is a schedule of events:

High School & UPHSP Open House	September 17	6-7:30 pm
Early Childhood Center Open House	September 18	6-7 pm
Elementary School PTA Meeting	September 18	6:30 pm
Elementary School Open House	September 18	7-8 pm
Intermediate Open House	September 20	6-7 pm
Primary/ECC PTA Meeting	September 25	6 pm
Primary School Open House	September 25	6:30-7:30pm

Book fairs are scheduled at the Early Childhood Center, Elementary and Intermediate Schools on September 17-21. The Primary School will hold their book fair September 24-28.

Friday 9/14-15 - JH Volleyball Tournament @ FB
Friday 9/14-15 - Little State Tennis @ CCISD
Friday 9/14 - Volleyball w/West Oso @ FB
Saturday 9/15 - Hornet Football w/Ray @ Buc Stadium
Saturday 9/15 - Cross Country Meet @ Malaquite Beach
Saturday 9/15 - TFA Invitational Tournament @ FBHS