Read through the results of surveys that were submitted after some of our performances. https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-LHYTS8Y8/
A letter of congratulations regarding the Oviedo Woman's Club Philanthropic Award.
Storytime:
Thank you so much for coming and performing for our campers. They had an amazing time! Members of my admin team made a comment on how engaged you had the campers.
Recreation Program Department Head for OCA: A Special Place for Special Needs—July 2021
Storytime:
On behalf of the UCF-Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, we would like to thank you for your dedication to children in the ASD community! During the 5th Annual Hispa Autismo Conference, your team provided stimulating entertainment and a memorable experience for the children. We hope you had a similar experience, and come back again! It was our pleasure to collaborate for this event.
November 2018
Tales Alive! at Florida Hospital:
Hello Diane,
I just wanted to let you know of some serious praise you and your literacy troop received from a patient and family after your visit yesterday. Mom said that you were all that this boy talked about until it was time for bed, and that he was so busy talking about the stories and puppets that he didn’t even finish his dinner. You guys have created a budding storyteller!
You bring so many smiles to the hospital and I just wanted to share this with you and thank you for all that you do!
Also, we LOVE all the new puppets and stories! We are always entertained!
February 4, 2017
Scrambled Fairy Tales:
Thank you so much for your continued involvement in Give
Kids the World! You add so much to our Tuesday nights, and bring smiles to so many children's faces! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and we're excited for all the magical memories that will be created in 2017!
With all the happiness that inspires hope, The GKTW Entertainment Team
December 2016
Mindful Yoga:
Dear Ms. Bellairs,
I would like to thank you for coming out here and doing yoga with us. It really relaxed me. Yes, it was a little work out but yes it helped. So thank you again for coming out to try to help us.
April 7, 2016
Dear Ms. Bellairs,
Thank you so much for coming and doing yoga with us today. It was a great lesson and I highly want to start more yoga classes. It was an insanely effective class as far as peace of the mind and body. I wish we could have a class like that once a week. I learned how to bring peace to my mind and body whenever I'm feeling tense or agitated. Yoga can help me loosen my body and muscles and bring utter peace to myself.
April 7, 2016
Dear Ms. Bellairs,
I appreciate you coming today and spending your time with us in order for us to calm our minds. I would never have thought it would’ve really worked. I hope I see you again in the future so we can do it again one day.
April 7, 2016
JDC:
Dear Ms. Keyes,
Thank you for coming and talking to us about the importance of reading to children. I would like to also thank you for donating books to the Seminole County JDC. If it weren’t for the books here I would have a hard time here. Thank you.
Joey—February 18, 2016
Dear Ms. Keyes,
I appreciate all of your work and dedication to the children that reside in the juvenile detention centers, showing us how much reading affects our life and others as well. I admire how you continue to help people. You’ve given me a better understanding on reading and literacy.
Kareem—February 18, 2016
Book Busters:
I think Book Busters was great! Highly interactive!!
Goldsboro Extended Day—October 28, 2015
I love that music was incorporated into many of the stories because it engaged kids and appealed to kinesthetic learners through dance. Honestly, every performance by this group is professional and entertaining! Thank you!
Goldsboro Extended Day—April 30, 2014
JDC:
Your presentation on how important reading is in our everyday life was not only enlightening but also fun and educational. It has taught me how to make reading fun and also educational for my little sister and all of her friends that I read to.
Thank you again for taking the time out of your day to come and teach us some of your knowledge on the importance of early literacy. Keep doing what you're doing because you're making a change in the world one group of teenagers at a time.
Andrew—March 17, 2014
Thank you very much for the time you took to come out and speak with us. I appreciate the knowledge you have passed on to me today. Not only for that to which pertained to reading to young children, but as well as the ability to openly participate with you and learn through open activity.
To take the time to come out and speak to delinquents like myself does mean a lot, this shows that you care not only for the community outside of jail, but as well as that inside. After my release I will be sure to come and see you to volunteer, this is only because you showed me that if you can take the time to help out and teach the delinquents of this county, I will be more than grateful to volunteer with you and your programs. Again I thank you very much for the time you took to visit us today, and wish you the very best with your further endeavors to teach and inform the youth of America.
Corey—March 17, 2014
Thank you for teaching us about what is fascinating about reading to children and tips about reading to them and when I leave I'll read to my baby cousins and I bet that they'll like the story and thank you again and I hope to see you again.
Rashaun—March 17, 2014
Thanks for the presentation. I like the bubbles that you did with the little miniature hula-hoop and when we blew into the bottle and made the bubbles. I am glad you came here and spent your time reading books and rhymes with us. I hope that things go great with you and your library and I might come there and get some free books and spend time and tell you thank you.
Samuel—March 17, 2014
Thank you for volunteering to come to JDC and teaching us all those cool things. I appreciate that you took your time to show us all the stuff with the bubbles. I had a good time and now I will be able to teach the things that you taught me to someone else. I am also thankful for the books you gave to us.
Kevin—March 17, 2014
Puppet Shows:
Please accept our appreciation for the time the Literacy Alliance has dedicated to our facility. We are truly blessed to have your support for the patients and families at Florida Hospital for Children. We look forward to an ongoing relationship with you in the years to come.
The Volunteer Team of Florida Hospital for Children—August 2013
6th Grade Booktalks:
On behalf of the sixth grade team, I just wanted to say thank you for coming in once again for our sixth graders. It is always such a wonderful way to get them ready for summer reading. Two days after your book talks, I saw one of my students reading Son of the Mob! How exciting! I'm sure there are many more throughout our school who have already begun reading books from your list. Thank you for making it a memorable experience. We look forward to seeing you again next year!
Melissa Brown, Jackson Heights Middle School—May 29, 2013
JDC:
Dear Diane and Jennifer and Jillian,
Thank you for coming and reading and singing poetry to us at JDC! IT was fun and it made me laugh and have a good rest of the day. :)
I hope you had as much fun as I did.
I just want to thank you again for coming and cheering us up.
January 2013
Elementary science program:
Dear Ms. Diane and Ms. Sydney,
Thank you for showing fun science!!!! First, I like the worm and the caterpillar that turned into a butterfly. Next, I learned that we are 70% water and 97% of Earth is salt water. Then, I learned that some turtles live in salt water and will die if it is stuck in a bag or bottle. Also, I leaned that caterpillars turn into butterflies. At last, my favorite part is the puppet with the parts and you threw some parts at us. This was fun!
Sincerely, Cassi
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Dear Ms. Diane and Ms. Sydney,
I liked the zip line. I loved the leatherback sea turtle. My favorite part was the part where you put the pencil through the bag. Did you squeeze all the air out of it? Thank you for teaching us. It was cool.
Sincerely, Colin
Dear Ms. Diane and Ms. Sydney,
Thank you for all of the stuff that you did for us!!! First thing I liked is when you poked the pencil through the bag. Next, another thing is the planets. Then, another thing I liked is you used the puppets.
Sincerely, Mckenzie
December 17, 2012
7th Grade Booktalks:
Thanks for coming to share the books. I love when you come. You are funny and fun I hope you can come to our school again and share. ~Gabriel
Thank you so much for coming and sharing all those wonderful books. ~Isabella
Thank you for explaining the books. I checked a couple of books out. ~Erica
Thank you Ms. Keyes. The booktalk was very good. Those books were interesting. ~Jensen
December 2012
Poetry Reading:
Dear Diane & Jennifer & Jillian,
Thank you for coming and reading and singing poetry to us at JDC! It was fun and it made me laugh and have a good rest of the day : )
I hope you had as much fun as I did.
I just want to thank you again for coming and cheering us up.
December 2012
7th Grade Booktalks:
Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to tell us about some amazing books. My mom & I will soon go to the library to get some new summer books. Lots of the books you talked about put me on the edge of my seat! Like The View from the Cherry Tree. You added lots of details so I knew the book just by listening. Thank you for volunteering to tell us about these amazing books!
Thank you for spending your Friday with us. I'm not that big on reading but when you talk about books--Wow. You made me interested! Thank you.
Thank you for coming and doing the booktalk with us. It has inspired me to start reading. Well, reading once again. All of those books were very interesting and I would read almost all of them. I appreciate you coming because I am going to start reading again. Who knows, maybe I'll read one of those you told us about. I just want to thank you for everything.
Thank you for coming to my school. I had so much fun hearing you act like you were in the books. That was the second time I have heard you act like you were in a book and I loved it both times. I really hope you come again.
Thank you so much for coming to our school and sharing books with us. I never really like reading, but the way you explained about the books makes me want to read more. The one book that really stood out to me was The Wreckers! I love the way you put the story. The sound effects were amazing and made your voice stand out. I hope that you will be able to come when I am in eighth grade. Thank you so much again!
7th grader—May 2012
Book Busters:
The students enjoyed, as always. I can't think of anything that could make the presentation any better.
Wanda Reading, Casselberry Elementary—May 9, 2012
OMG the Book Busters were here today and they are better than ever. It was amazing. My group enjoys them so much.
Barbara Lawson, Bentley Elementary School—April 25, 2012
Booktalks:
Thank you for coming to our school and making me laugh. My favorite part was when you showed us the story Talking Skulls. I thought you were going to be boring but, I was way wrong. You didn't just do language arts stuff, but also a science experiment.
7th grader—February 2012
Book Busters:
Excellent program! Keep up the good work! Thank you for joining us again. We wish you could come more than once a year.
Wanda Reading, Casselberry Elementary School—December 7, 2011
Puppet Shows:
What an amazing gift the arts are. Thank you for giving our kids the memories of your puppet shows. You have made our kids feel so special. May your days be blessed as you have blessed us.
Coalition for Homeless of Central Florida—October 2011
Booktalks:
Thank you for coming to the Kindergarten classrooms at Geneva Elementary School. We loved the magic trick that turned the scarves into an American flag. We really enjoyed when you made a scarecrow at the end of The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. It was funny to see the little old lady puppet become really plump at the end of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie. We can't believe she swallowed a pot. Our classes really enjoyed the last story you shared with us. We loved how you threw the puppets up in the air when the mouse sneezed. We hope to hear you tell us more stories again! Thank you!
September 2011
Thank you for coming to JHMS. I really liked the background noises/songs. All the books you shared were great. The props really did help. The way you talked about the story was amazing. You would stop at an exciting point which would make us want to read the book. My favorite books that you shared were Ashes of Roses, Something Upstairs and Mr. Was. Thank you for coming.
7th grader—May 2011
Thank you for putting on such a GREAT show! I really enjoyed all the books and in fact I actually started reading one! I also enjoyed reading and listening to all your different voices and tones! Once again, Thank you!
6th grader—April 2011
Book Busters:
The Book Buster Storytelling crew was fabulous! And the cause of many smiling faces. THANK YOU for joining us again this year to make the event special and a success. You inspire kids to read!
With much appreciation, The Children's Committee, UCF Book Festival Literacy Program—April 2011
They were great as always. The kids clapped when they heard they were coming!
Goldsboro Extended Day—March 30, 2011
Community Outreach:
Thank you so much for volunteering your time and putting together science and activity tables. The children at the Hearts of Autism Walk loved the art and science. You helped make this walk a success. Please extend our gratitude to the group of students that assisted you at the walk.
Hearts of Autism Walk—February 2011
Book Busters:
The Book Busters were at Bentley yesterday and my kids enjoyed them a lot. They were very well rehearsed and patient with the children. I have some autism children that make noises, but they never missed a beat. Even the adults had a good time. I told them that I would like to book them again in the spring when they change to their new routine. This group is A+ and all extended days should have them.
Barbara Lawson, Bentley Extended Day Site Coordinator—November 4, 2010
Booktalks:
Thank you for visiting my students. We enjoyed the many books you shared and you opened the students' eyes to the many books that are available in the library. Thank you for sharing your love of reading/books and your talent for storytelling.
Winter Springs ESE teacher—April 23, 2010
Diane is very energetic and dramatic. She really held the students' interest. This was a 5 out of 5 performance.
Rock Lake Middle, 6th grade—April 16, 2010
Thank you so much for your dynamic energetic, and enthusiastic presentation. You really kept the students' interest. I hope to have you back again next year.
Rock Lake Middle, 6th grade—March 10, 2010
Book Busters:
The Book Buster group was here at Goldsboro yesterday afternoon. They are just great. The young people do such a great job at entertaining the kids. They laughed and laughed. Thanks so much for sending them to us.
Goldsboro Extended Day—November 5, 2009
