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Welcome to the fifth annual HES PTO Readathon. The PTO Readathon is designed to engage students, to support their love of reading and to provide a loosely structured activity for February vacation. The event also serves as an optional fundraiser to increase the PTO’s ability to provide funds for the schools.
The inaugural Readathon was a wonderful success with 59 readers who all together read 37,203 minutes! Last year, 137 readers logged 74,767 minutes! This new record will be hard to break, but we anticipate the students at HES are up to the challenge!
OVERVIEW
DATE: February vacation week, Friday 2/14 through Sunday 2/23
GOAL: Ten days of reading with a goal for every student of reading or being read to for 30 minutes a day or more.
PLEDGES (*Optional*): If you choose to collect pledges students will have the option of gathering flat sum pledges or pledges per minute of reading. New this year: prizes will be awarded to the top three student fundraisers! We appreciate your help in raising funds to support ongoing Harvard Public Schools programs, projects and events. (Go to the Pledges & Donations Page for more information on donating or to fulfill a pledge)
READING: Minutes may be accrued through individual reading at any level, looking at picture books or graphic novels, being read to by another person or by reading books online in EPIC or other sources. All minutes should be recorded on the readathon log to be turned in at the end of vacation week. An adult should initial log entries confirming minutes read.
FOR FUN: Students can fill out the Bingo sheet and submit with their reading log.
RESULTS: At the end of vacation week, minutes should be tallied, donations collected, and reading logs returned by email (preferred), mail, or drop-off at the HES office by Friday, February 28.
RECOGNITION: Participants will receive a congratulatory reading certificate, bookmark, and water bottle sticker. There will be additional rewards for the top readers from each grade. The class that reads the most minutes overall will be awarded with the Readathon Trophy to keep in their classroom for the remainder of the school year, their class name on the new Readathon Plaque in the library, and a Popsicle Party!
Wishing you a reading-filled and happy February vacation week!
SPECIAL READATHON AUTHOR READ-ALOUD
Looking for more Vacation Week fun? Local author/illustrator (and HES parent!) Marietta Apollonio has provided a recorded read-aloud of her book Wombat and the Family Tree. Make sure to watch (and listen) during vacation week!
Marietta also has Jack the Library Cat and Wombat and the Family Tree activities on her website.
Before the Drive Begins:
Click the button below to download or print out a copy of the 2025 Readathon reading log.
If you choose to, encourage your student to ask friends, family or anyone you'd like to support reading and the Harvard Public Schools by making a pledge on your log sheet. Be sure to forward all sponsors this link to submit their donations after the event ends.
During the Readathon
Friday, February 14: start reading!!!
Encourage your student to read or to be read to for at least 30 minutes a day.
Each time your student reads they should list the book and minutes read on their reading log. Adults should please initial the forms to confirm minutes logged.
After the Drive:
On Sunday, February 23, students count up their minutes read and record the total at the top of their reading log.
If you have collected pledges, please reach out and request that sponsors make their donations. (Click here for donation information or to fulfill your pledge.)
Reading logs and bingo sheets should be returned by email (preferred), mail, or to classroom teachers by Friday, February 28. (Email instructions and mailing address below.)
Click this button to print or download a BINGO SHEET
Click this button to print or download a READING LOG:
Click this button to print or download a PLEDGE SHEET:
Click this button to go to the Pledges & Donation Page for more information about donating or to fulfill a pledge:
To Submit Completed Reading Logs & Bingo Sheets...
Snap a photo of or scan your log or bingo sheet and submit by email to HESreads@gmail.com (*preferred submission method*)
OR Students may return logs/Bingo to their homeroom teachers
OR Students may mail logs/Bingo to Harvard PTO, Readathon, P.O. Box 488, Harvard, MA 01451
*Please submit or mail logs/Bingo by Friday, February 28*
SPECIAL THANKS
Thank you to the Little Bee Bookshop in Ayer for their donation of gift certificates to the top individual readers from each grade!
For questions, please contact Maren Caulfield & Danielle Miller at HESreads@gmail.com
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