Our Annual Tradition

Read-A-Thon is a Normandale Hills annual school event where students, staff, and families share our love of reading and practice our reading skills by counting minutes read (or read to)! This is also our biggest fundraiser where we raise money to support our school. 

For 2026, Read-a-thon kicks off at school on January 9th. Students will earn minutes not only by reading outside of school hours, but teachers and staff keep track of minutes read in the classroom as well, ensuring 100% participation. Read-a-thon ends at 3pm on January 23rd, when all reading tracking sheets should be turned in.

Students are racing to earn their reading minutes - and just like any good racer, sponsors help make the race extra-rewarding. Students can ask family and friends to sponsor their reading efforts, either per-minute read or with a flat donation.

This year we are partnering with MyBooster.com to handle donation collection and promotions. They bring an easy-to-use fundraising platform that helps us track our goals, allow for electronic donation payment handling and even provide ready-to-share promotional materials to help spread the good word of your student's efforts.

Each year the teachers and staff of Normandale Hills puts together a promotional video that provides a theme for that year's Read-a-thon, which is kept under tight security until the start of Read-a-thon.

Students can earn minutes both in and after school. They can read to themselves, with someone, or even earn minutes when they are read to by someone else. Minutes count if they are LOOKING at the words while reading or being read to. Listening to audio books or reading captions of a TV/movie don't count.

Parents can promote reading at home to help each student meet or exceed their goals. Every minute counts! Driving somewhere? Ask your student what the signs say on the way. Establish a reading time before bed to help students calm down and give their dreams fodder for the night.