McKenzie Tyson points to her book as she reads in Alexandra Derthick’s second-grade classroom at Brookfield Elementary. Franklin Cornelius and Ava Frank, in white, also are shown. Students read in their classrooms as part of Read-A-Thon.
Brookfield Elementary School Principal Stacey Filicky set her sights low for this year’s Read-A-Thon.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still lurking, and the fact that the usual annual fundraiser was not held last year, “We thought it was gonna be a slow year,” she said. Organizers set a goal of $11,500, less than the $13,395 raised in 2019-20.
Sometimes, it’s nice to be wrong.
“They were amazing,” she said of students and parents who raised $21,865. “They just ran with it.”
Students, in class and on their own, read books and logged the minutes read during the fundraiser. Parents, grandparents and other sponsors pledged to pay amounts based on the number of minutes read.
School secretary Barb Simon, who coordinated Read-A-Thon, said it probably helped that the proceeds of Read-A-Thon will go toward upgrading the elementary playground and buying gym equipment.
“It was something very visual,” Simon said. The students had something to look forward to, and the idea resonated with parents, she said.
School Supt. Toby Gibson didn’t hurt efforts when he announced that the school would match whatever the elementary raised dollar for dollar.
“I think that was another reason why it was so successful,” Simon said.
Officials announced the results at an assembly Nov. 1, and saluted the overall effort of the students, the individual efforts of classrooms and students, and the support of those who posted pledges.
“Everybody in this room read in the Read-A-Thon,” Simon said. “You tell your family and friends, thank you.”
Six hundred and thirty-four sponsors contributed to that success, supporting students who read 100,520 minutes.
Second-grader Dylan Darby raised the most money, $1,075. He also raised the most money in 2019-20 as a kindergarten student.
Third-grade student Grace Butler read the most minutes, 3,094.
Shari Ondo’s classroom raised the most money, $2,405, while Sara Parry’s logged the most minutes, 8,914.
Filicky said she plans to poll the students as to what kind of equipment they would like to have in the playground, and she hopes to have the new pieces installed over the summer.
