Nishuane School continued its literacy outreach project, Pennies for Pages, in which students read and raised funds for the Montclair Public Library. Every book read by a student during this initiative, in school and at home, earned one penny to donate towards the library.
Pennies for Pages began on Dr. Seuss’ birthday during Read Across America Week in February. The students took part in different activities that showcased a love of books and sparked an interest in reading. To celebrate Dr. Seuss during the kick-off week, students wore their pajamas to school (I Am NOT Going to Get Up Today), completed a random act of kindness (Horton Hears a Who!), wore their clothes inside out, backwards, or mismatched (Wacky Wednesday), voted for their favorite Dr. Seuss book, and wore silly socks (Fox in Socks).
Throughout the month of March, students participated in a Book Swap. Children brought in books from home, which were then organized into categories such as grade level, nonfiction, chapter books, etc. The students were able to “swap” their book with a different book from another Nishuane student. Many students were able to read and enjoy “new” books!
In April, Nishuane School enjoyed two author visits. Jorge Aguirre, the author of the series The Chronicles of Claudette, shared one of his books with the students. He spoke with them about the process of writing such as generating a topic, revising and editing, and publishing a book. At Nishuane’s Super Family Literacy Night, Jason Kirschner shared parts of his book Mr. Particular. Families then broke into groups to complete a variety of superhero themed literacy activities.
To reveal how much money the students earned for the Montclair Public Library, Nishuane had a Pennies for Pages Celebration on May 25. Students listened to a story read aloud by Principal Jill McLaughlin. Nishuane then presented Lisa Sedita, the Youth Services Supervisor at the Montclair Public Library, with a check for $479.00. The students read a total of 47,900 pages. Through this initiative, the students imagined, invented, studied, laughed, enjoyed, and learned. Nishuane School was thrilled to partner with the Montclair Public Library to instill a love for reading in children.