Submitted by The South Sound Reading Foundation
This October, the race is on to see which school will collect the most books! The drive will be held from October 19 to October 30. The school that donates the most books will win an assembly visit from the Mariner’s Moose, while the school that donates the most books per student will win an ice cream social for 100 kids. Participating schools so far include: Seven Oaks Elementary, Tenino Middle School, Pleasant Glade Elementary, Lakes Elementary, Chambers Prairie Elementary, and Griffin Schools.
“We are so grateful to these schools for taking the Grand Slam challenge but we need more school participation… we need books!” says foundation director, Jennifer Williamson Forster. “We want to ensure we can meet the community needs during the holidays and into the New Year.”
Last year, area schools collected over 6,600 children’s books. Multiple schools collected over 1,000 books individually, including Lincoln Elementary, Seven Oaks Elementary, Michael T. Simmons Elementary, and Shelton’s Mountain View Elementary.
Donated books are distributed to area families through the Foundation’s Book Van program at schools, low-income housing units, after-school programs, community events, correctional facilities, child care centers, and preschools.
In an effort to increase the number of children entering school prepared to read, learn, and succeed, the South Sound Reading Foundation works to ensure that every child is read with 20 minutes a day, from birth. This promotes healthy brain development, family bonding, and school readiness. The Foundation does this by educating and reminding families about the importance or reading and by striving to get books into every home so that every child is read with or reads, daily.
Not seeing your school on our list? Get in touch with your school librarian or principal and let them know you and your child would like to participate. If you’re a school librarian, teacher, or principal and want your school to get involved, call or email the Reading Foundation’s new Books Coordinator, Ellen Jilek, at (360) 412-4585 or ejilek@nthurston.k12.wa.us.
For more information, visit www.readingfoundation.org or check us out on Facebook.
