Reading Around the World
February 24 to March 15

Thank you to everyone who turned in their reading logs early on March 16 and to those who have already donated online. For everyone else, we have a new plan!

Please take pictures of both sides of your reading logs and send them to the Whittier PTA. 

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2020 marks our 10th annual Read-a-thon — our largest fundraiser of the year — and it is vital to helping Whittier PTA fund field trips, classroom supplies, our Spanish language Amity intern, the McPhail music program, and so much more. We need your help to raise as much money as possible! Collecting donations and turning them in by March 18 also enters students into drawings for great prizes! 

READ AND TRACK MINUTES

During the event, the whole school is reading as many minutes as we can and finding sponsors to donate per minute read or flat amount. Students and classes are competing for prizes and recognition based on most minutes read (normalized by classroom size), funds raised, and — teachers and staff are also competing to see who can read the most minutes.

• Classroom reading minutes will be tracked for three weeks on a poster.
• At home reading minutes will be tracked on students’ logs. Family members and friends may read to students — this counts toward minutes read.

HELP SMASH OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL

Please give generously toward our $10,000 fundraising goal! Parents, please contribute $10 or more, so Whittier PTA can continue to provide important resources to benefit the Whittier school community.

New this year: you can set up a donation site just for your student by following these instructions: http://bit.ly/whittier-readathon-setup. Encourage students to be risk-takers and help fundraise.

Students will bring home donation cards. Asking for donations is easy if you think about how much you are helping the school and also about the great prizes students could win. Who can you ask to donate? Think about asking grandparents, aunts and uncles, neighbors, family friends, and check for employer donation-matching programs. Parents can think about friends or co-workers who might help. Be creative!

• Students should track donations on the Donation Log, which can also be downloaded below. Bring the Log and any donations back to school in the envelope provided. 
• Donations can be made:
  • ​On a student’s individual donation website: https://www.givemn.org/team/Whittier-Reads
  • In cash or check payable to “Whittier PTA”
    • Send with your student to school by Wednesday, March 18.
  • On the PTA store at http://bit.ly/whittierpta
    • ​On Checkout screen, be sure to use Note field to list Student's name and teacher or grade
  • ​In order to be eligible for donation-based prizes, please turn in all donations by the March 18 deadline, to teacher or PTA mailbox in main office.

PRIZES AND RECOGNITION

All students who participate will be eligible for prizes such as great books, gift cards and more. Top readers and fundraisers will receive special prizes and we will also recognize the top reading class and Whittier staff/teacher at our Wrap Up Assembly on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Follow Whittier PTA on Facebook to stay up-to-date share our fundraising posts with your friends, and ask for their support: https://www.facebook.com/whittierptampls/

Please support these businesses who have already contributed to this year’s prizes: Magers & Quinn Booksellers, Lerner Publishing Group, Moon Palace Books, and Wild Rumpus.

Enjoy reading!