Why Is Summer Reading So Important for Kids' Success?
Reading over summer vacation may not be a priority for children, but parents and teachers should make it one. Why? Summer reading is critical to a child's ability to not only retain information learned the previous year but also to grow in knowledge and critical thinking skills for the coming year. Learn more in this Study.Com article
here! And if you are still not convinced, click
here to read a Scholastic article about preventing the summer reading slide.
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Area Summer Library Programs Can Help Kids Read More!
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Alexandria Library's SummerQuest has a
"Universe of Stories" for children to read over the summer months. Programs are geared to birth through rising K, rising 1st-5th grades, and rising 6th-12th grades. Register for all programs at this
link. Plus, there are activities galore throughout the summer at all four Alexandria Library branches. By reading and/or doing literacy activities, children can earn points toward a free book! The program runs through September 8.
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Arlington Library's 2019 Summer Reading Challenge -- in partnership with the Washington Nationals -- started June 1 and runs through September 1. The program's official kickoff takes place at Central Library (1015 North Quincy Street) on Saturday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet Washington Nationals pitcher Aníbal Sáchez as he reads
Curious George at the Baseball Game/Jorge el Curioso en el Partido de Beisbol. Children can read their way to cool prizes, including Nats tickets! Register
here!
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River Oaks Elementary -- "A Favorite Place to Read"
Tammy Vice, librarian at River Oaks Elementary School in Prince William County, held a book distribution the last week of May with the theme:
A Favorite Place to Read. She met with each classroom to prepare students for their RIF of NOVA distribution in the school's outdoor courtyard. Students sat on blankets and bean bags to solve summer puzzles, worked in teams on a scavenger hunt, and visited the planter area to select a perfect summer RIF book. Student volunteers shared their favorite reading spot ideas on video for a school-wide news broadcast. Each reader left with a book, a bookmark, and a brochure detailing summer reading activities at
Prince William County Libraries.
BTW, the PWC library system summer reading program started June 11 and runs through August 11. The Fairfax County Public Library program runs from June 13 through August 31. Learn more about the Fairfax program
here.
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Summer reading outside under a shade tree! What fun!
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Hmmmm. So many great RIF of NOVA book choices!
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Can't think of a better place to read than outside with a friend!
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Some Special Thanks are in Order!
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DO MORE 24 Donors Raise $1,600
To the donors who contributed via the 2019 Do MORE 24 campaign, we toast you with a big thank you! Twenty-five donors contributed $1,600 in just a few short hours. The 800 children who will each get a book -- due to your generosity -- will be so grateful. As are we!
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Middle School Project Raises $400+ for RIF of NOVA! WOW!!!
Thanks also to Carl Sandburg Middle School National Junior Honor Society students Siara Nagda, Addie Clift, and Emery Lindblom. They selected RIF of NOVA for their Honor Society community service project, motivated by the idea that having books at home has contributed to their academic successes. They set up a GoFundMe page for RIF of NOVA, designed and reproduced fliers, and canvassed their friends and neighbors. In less than a week, they raised more than $400. Their efforts will help fund books for the young children at the local Health Department WIC (Woman, Infants and Children) office.
If you or your organization would like to organize a "mini" RIF of NOVA fundraiser, contact us for more information at:
rifnova@gmail.com.
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Remember to Save the Date -- October 12!!!
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...takes place on Saturday, October 12 at 9:00 a.m. at
Bluemont Park in Arlington. This is our major
fund-
and
fun-raiser for the year!!! Please mark your calendars to run, walk, and support this event to help with literacy in our own community! Children, parents, school teams, serious runners, fun walkers...well, EVERYONE is welcome to participate. Our race link is:
https://potomac.enmotive.com/events/register/2019-book-it-for-books-5k. Sign up now and get in on the fun!
We are grateful to sponsors who are signing on to help invest in children's literacy. Sponsors have been, and will be, listed on our website, on the
PR Races site, and/or in the RIF RAP. Several new sponsor partners are noted below...THANK YOU!!! If you would like to sponsor the Book It run or know a business or individual who would like to do so, please contact us at:
bookitforbooks@gmail.com.
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PGIM Real Estate Finance has signed on to support the Book It For Books 5K Run/Walk at the Pulitzer Prize level...PLUS!!! Special thanks to Andrew Stief, PGIM VP and Chief Marketing Officer, for reaching out to help RIF of NOVA!
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ODNB, Old Dominion National Bank, will sponsor at the Bestseller level. Special thanks to Kevin Albrigo, ODNB's Executive VP, and Lesley Vandergrift, VP/Retail Banking Manager, for considering and approving ODNB's Bestseller sponsorship on behalf of the RIF of NOVA community!
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National RIF is contributing as a Paperback sponsor. And Bookworm Central will supply $1,000 worth of books for Book It For Books run day! You and your kids won't want to miss this special event, complete with running/walking, literary character costumes, and
books to take home! Whoo hoo!!
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Some Awards -- and Some Fun -- for the Team
RIF of NOVA volunteers gathered for the annual awards luncheon...a time to celebrate the contributions made by board members (and others!) to RIF of NOVA's operations. Emma Williams, board member from Prince William County, was honored with the
Margaret McNamara Award, named for the founder of Reading is Fundamental. Paula Powell and Elaine Liebesman were honored with the Jerry Shelton Award for their years of service as book ordering gurus! Shelton was a stalwart supporter of RIF of NOVA.
Special Commendation awards went to outgoing co-presidents Nancy King and Justina Johnson, to board members Sheryl Leeds and Ann Godfrey, and to Scholastic book partner and friend of RIF of NOVA Sandy Howells. As usual, the celebration was full of laughter and the love of literacy! A few photos (below) capture the essence of the day!
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Advisory board member Lynda Robb (l), chats with board members Liz Promen (c) and Chris Bury (r).
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Advisory board member Ramunda Young (l) with board member Glenna Orr. Young is co-owner of
Mahogany Books.
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Board members Nadine James (l) and Nancy King share family stories with yummy hors d'oeuvres in hand!
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"Who has influenced your life -- and why?"
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Hey, rising 7th, 8th and 9th graders! Answer this question in an essay or poem as part of Alexandria Library's "For Love of Country: In My Own Words" contest -- and win up to $100! Essays and poems will be judged on originality and creativity, persuasiveness, clarity, coherence and organization, grammar, and spelling.
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Children in the RIF of NOVA community are always so grateful for your investment in books for them to read!
Here are ways to give books to deserving children. Remember that
every $2.00 you give = one book for a child!
1) Send a check to our mailbox: P.O. Box 7012, Arlington, VA 22207-0012.
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3) Register with
smile.amazon.com. Type in Reading Is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. to select us as the charity you want to support. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to RIF of NOVA.
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Please share the RAP! Forward our newsletter to your friends and anyone interested in providing books to children who need them! Subscribe
here
!
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