New moves, new books, new year!

As we enter the Year of the Horse, LINC’s Staten Island team enthusiastically breathed fire into the passions of young readers. On Thursday, February 12, with the support of our friends at New York Taekwondo Park and Most Terrific Child Center in Rosebank, LINC delivered an unforgettable morning of Lunar New Year treats, crafts, and stories to dozens of families.

Master Ray Park, the Korean martial artist, started off this program with taekwondo exercises that got the children moving in unison and voicing their appreciation for their parents. 

Just like reading, martial arts promote self-confidence and mental discipline, fitness for the mind and body, that sets a strong foundation for children. To add to our good fortune, Master Park distributed red envelopes to the caregivers that contained $200 gift certificates for his classes. 

The smell of lucky oranges filled the room as children enjoyed a read-aloud of Chloe’s Lunar New Year by Lily LaMotte and focused on decorating their own mini orange trees. 

Each family received a literacy activity packet and their own copy of Amy Wu and the Patchwork Dragon by Kat Zhang to take home, along with unlimited fortune cookies. 

As the director of Most Terrific Child Daycare, Ms. Asmaa joyfully shared, this marks the third year we’ve come together to learn and celebrate—and with such wonderful community spirit, it certainly won’t be the last!

Start your year with a love of reading and let the stories move you! To register for LINC’s latest programs, visit us at www.lincnyc.org and for more information about our Staten Island programs, contact atopallaj@lincnyc.org.