Congratulations Rogers and Binford students!  Yes, the second annual Read-a-thon fundraiser at Rogers and Binford was a fantastic success!  The primary objective of this event was to stimulate our students’ love of reading, and this three week event certainly did that.  Over 80% of students at both schools submitted weekly reading summary tickets which lead to a variety of individual and class prizes.  Our students read over 650,000 minutes from October 1^st to 21^st!  In addition, Rogers and Binford students rose to the fundraising challenge with 50% of our students bringing in pledge forms and donations totaling $33,190!  When we add in the $1,000 from sponsorships, the total money raised is $34,190 – up 14% from last year!  This equates to $41.41 per student based on the total number of students, and $81.93 based on those who participated in the fundraising.  This is an outstanding result that we can all be very proud of!

During the three week Read-a-thon, Rogers students accumulated their reading minutes and followed Ms. Frizzle’s The Magic School Bus path through the solar system to reach six “planetary destination” class prizes.  Once a class’ total average minutes read reached each successive goal, planetary “destination” activities were awarded:  free recess on “Mercury”; rocket popsicles on “Venus”; a special movie showing of The Magic School Bus on “Earth”; a “Martian Madness” party on “Mars”; a “Jumpin’ Jupiter Dance Party”, where else but on “Jupiter”; and finally a “Space Fest” on “Saturn”.  All classes at Rogers earned a trip to the first four destinations – that’s 14 classes!  Ten classes made it to the first five destinations and three classes made it all the way to the final destination for the “Saturn Space Fest!”

At Binford, our students were challenged to reach reading destinations marked by Percy Jackson’s travels in The Lightning Thief.  Once a class’ total average minutes read reached each successive goal, Percy Jackson’s adventure “destination” activities were awarded:  free recess at the “Empire State Building”; “Auntie E’s Garden Emporium promised outdoor games; a “Blue Bash” filled day at the “St. Louis Arch”; a “Denver Water Park” water balloon challenge; what else but an Elvis dance party at the “Las Vegas Lotus Casino”; and finally, a mystery prize will be unveiled at the “LA DOA Studio.”  All 17 classes at Binford reached the first four destinations!  Nine classes made it to the first five destinations and six classes made it all the way to the final destination!

The final chapter of the Read-a-thon included recognizing and rewarding our super-reading students.  The “Superstar” readers from both schools are the top two readers in each grade and the top 20 overall fundraisers.  In addition, ten “Wild Cards” were drawn from the pool of readers who met the Read-a-thon goals (read at least an average of 15 minutes per day and collected at least $25).  One Wild Card winner was drawn from each grade in addition to three random wild card winners (from any grade).  The “Superstars” and the “Wild Card” winners will ride in limousines to a movie theater to see a new feature film based on a book, during school hours.

We wish to extend our thanks to our digital book mark sponsors:  Katy Börner & Rob Goldstone, The Village Deli, Carl Lamb & Associates Attorneys at Law, Goods for Cooks, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Pavilion, Liberty Family Dentistry, and Avenues Realty Group.  Thank you also to our sponsors who donated the weekly individual student prizes:  Wonderlab, T.I.S. College Bookstore, MC Sports, GameStop, Suburban Lanes, Game Preserve, Bub’s Burgers, Learning Treasurers, Scholastic Book Fair, Steak-n-Shake, Hoosier Heights Indoor Rock Climbing Gym, and the IU Tennis Center.

The success of this Read-a-thon could only have been achieved through the creative genius and stamina of the core read-a-thon team, the tireless efforts of our small group of superhero parent volunteers, the support and encouragement of our students by their families and our teachers and staff, the ever-so-cooperative Principals, and of course, our fabulous super-reading students and their reading sponsors.  For further information, including book reviews by our students and photographs highlighting the destination events at each school, please go to www.Love2Readathon.org.

At our PTO this evening we decided to add the opportunity for all students who meet the goals (Read at least an average of 15 min/day and collect at least $25) to have a chance to go to the movie in a limousine.

There will be 1 Wild Card winner from EACH GRADE.
PLUS 3 random Wild Card winners (any grade could win).

All reading wraps up this Thursday. Be sure to bring in your reading tickets this Friday. If you forgot to bring in previous weeks tickets, you can still bring them in. This will help your class average minutes.

Let’s finish strong . . . and remember this is a fundraiser to support student learning in our schools!