Book Fair promotes reading for all ages
By Kathy Thomson
Books, posters, and educational products for next week’s annual Scholastic Book Fair were expected to arrive at Nancy Smith Elementary School this morning and as of press time on Tuesday, volunteers were still wanted to work during a few slots during the book fair, as well as assistants for set-up and take down, according to Parent Teacher Organization president Ginny Ivy.
The Albany PTO’s traditional fundraiser is set for next week, Feb. 10-14 in the grade school cafeteria and is also available online.
“Volunteers can call me at 325-725-3005 to find out what time slots still need to be covered,” Ivy said. “Flyers for our book fair were sent home last week. We’ll have a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level, and all purchases benefit our school!”
Book fair hours are 10:45 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, Feb. 10-14.
“Parents can come and eat lunch with their children, and then shop at the book fair,” said Ivy.
The theme for the event this year is “Book Fair Jungle: Elephants, Tigers, and Books, OH MY!
Everyone is welcome to “escape into the wilds of reading” during the daily time slot.
The book fair will also be open from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13 for those who prefer an evening option, Ivy added.
“The PTO gets a percentage of the profits from the book sales, and we use that money to help the school with all kinds of projects,” Ivy said, “Teachers are given a chance to look at the books and make a wish list for each of their classes, and the lists are posted at the fair, so shoppers can buy something specific for a particular class if they wish. Members of the community may also make contributions for books for the campus.”
Any parent or community member may attend the event at NSES and/or online and purchase books for their child’s classroom, the school library, and/or for their own children and grandchildren, even pre-school age.
“We will also get a portion of the profits from books bought from the NSES book fair online at scholastic.com from Feb. 5 through Feb. 18,” said Ivy. “It is a great option for those who can’t make it to the school that week and for family members living out of town.”
Online shoppers can choose from a selection of educational products, games, crafts, and kits which are then shipped directly to the buyer.
eWallet
New this year is an option of buying book fair items at the local campus using a digital payment system called eWallet.
Parents or others who wish to use the new alternative payment method need to set up an account for the student ahead of time by going to the NSES portal on the Scholastic web site, creating an eWallet account for the specific student, and depositing funds into the account from a credit card. The student can then use eWallet to buy items at the book fair, up to the amount deposited into their account.
According to the Scholastic website, there is no charge to set up an account, the funds are immediately available for the student to use at the book fair, and the pre-authorized amount allows parents to control how much money the student can spend.
Any funds remaining in a student’s account after the book fair closes will automatically be refunded back to the credit card.
“I think that it will be a good option to offer,” said Ivy. “That way parents don’t have to send a signed check or cash with the student, and the student doesn’t have to worry about losing the money.”
A list of student eWallets accounts will be available for workers to look up at the Scholastic EasyScan register, so students do not need to keep up with their eWallet account number. Instead, they can tell the volunteer their name and grade level when they check out.
Class Challenge
Jars labeled with each grade will be set up in the front hall of the school, and children are encouraged to donate loose change.
“This year, the two grades that raise the most money during the ‘All for Books’ coin competition will be treated to an ice cream party” said Ivy. “The contest starts this Thursday, and I will pick up the jars next Thursday.”
The contributions are used to purchase books.
“We use funds raised by the ‘All for Books challenge’ toward stocking the school library, making sure that all kids have a book they can take home, and filling the teachers’ wish lists,” said Ivy. “We end the coin challenge on Thursday so we can use the proceeds to purchase books on Friday.”
The book fair offers specially priced books and educational products, including new releases, award winning titles, children’s classics, and current best sellers.
In addition to books, there are DVDs, games, posters, bookmarks, and more.
For information about donating books, call the NSES office at 325-762-3974 or visit the book fair when it is open.
“Reading for pleasure inside and outside of school has real and long-lasting benefits,” said Ivy. “We encourage all adults to come to our book fair and help shape our children’s reading habits. See you at the book fair!”
Scholastic was started by Maurice Robinson in 1920 as a classroom magazine and has since grown to be the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, selling approximately one-half of all the children’s books purchased in the US, said the website.
The company’s mission, according to Scholastic.com, is to encourage the intellectual and personal growth of all children, beginning with literacy. They produce educational materials to assist and inspire students.
