K.D. Jones has been a school library media specialist for 17 years now, and will host our visit to Radley Elementary in May of 2023!

She kindly took a few minutes to answer a few questions about her work, her colleagues, and the students of Radley Elementary.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
My parents were both dedicated educators, so from birth I was surrounded by the love that educators share with the world. I couldn’t wait for my turn to share love through education!

WHAT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL MAKES YOU PROUDEST?
The community of folks who rally together to create rad moments for our 465 students and ensure a safe, caring learning environment that encourages each student’s success!

WHAT DO YOU WISH PEOPLE BETTER UNDERSTOOD ABOUT TITLE I SCHOOLS?
Empathy is a superpower! Once people better understand the challenges, they may be more willing to be part of the solution.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SCHOOL TRADITIONS?
We are an Olweus Anti-bullying school. Each year we have a theme, complete with matching t-shirts. This year our theme is ‘Effort: Don’t Stop Until You’re Proud’. We’d love to know Matthew and Robbi’s t-shirt sizes so we can include them in our order for next year! 🙂

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TOUR WILL BRING TO RADLEY?
Our students, like so many around the world, have ridden the wave of unknowns like champs over the past two years! Meeting an illustrator/author duo and being gifted a book will be the highlight of their year, without a doubt… a treat! The energy that Matthew and Robbi (and their tiny home companions) bring will foster a flame of excitement in our students and staff too! Who knows?! Maybe next school year’s theme will center around a message from one of Matthew and Robbi’s books!

We can’t wait to share our story and our books with K.D. and the rest of the Radley Tigers — in all our matching t-shirt glory!