Help Make A Difference at Edison Elementary!
Edison Elementary School’s 11th annual Read-a-Thon will take place Monday, September 25th through Tuesday, October 10th, 2023.
During this two-week event, students will focus on reading while raising money for important PTA-sponsored programs.
Your student’s participation and fundraising help make Edison great!
Thanks for contributing! If you have questions about the program or donations, please email readathon@edisonpta.org.
We encourage all Edison students to participate in the Read-A-Thon! This event is a way to maintain continuous learning and take part in an Edison fundraising tradition.
Get Started
In the Read-A-Thon information packet sent home on Monday, 9/25, each student should receive a paper reading tracker to track their reading minutes. If you need another copy, please click here.
IMPORTANT: Please sign up for an online account at PledgeStar to track reading minutes AND donations. https://pledgestar.com/edisonreadathon/
For specific instructions and more information about PledgeStar, please visit: https://pledgestar.com/edisonreadathon/a/familyinstructions.html
In addition to the “Most Minutes Read” per student in each classroom, Edison is introducing school-wide teams, designed to foster inclusivity, cooperation, and participation across grade levels. Team Red = Kinder, 3rd grade, and both Special Day classes Team Yellow = 1st and 4th grades Team Green = 2nd and 5th grades.
Set a Daily Reading Goal
Students set a daily reading goal for the two-week period. No in-school reading should be recorded. All time spent reading outside of school counts, whether your child is reading on their own or being read to. A big exception to in-school reading time is reading with Reading Buddies. Both students receive credit for those minutes; be sure to track those minutes, along with all other minutes, in Pledgestar.
Reading Goal by Grade at End of Two-Week Period
- Kindergarten: 8 hours
- Grades 1 - 2: 10 hours
- Grades 3 - 4: 15 hours
- Grade 5: 20 hours
Secure Donations
Students should share their reading goal with family, friends and neighbors and either ask for a flat donation or donations based on minutes read to support their efforts! Each student should try to raise at least $50 or ask 10 people for donations. Students should record all donations whether check, cash or an online contribution in their Pledgestar account. https://pledgestar.com/edisonreadathon/. Checks should be made payable to “Edison School PTA”.
Want to amplify your donation impact? Check to see if you or your students’ sponsors can tap into their employer’s corporate matching programs! If a corporate match can be made, please ask them to let you know and also email donation details (i.e. a donation receipt) to treasurer@edisonpta.org. Edison PTA is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, EIN 94-617-2011.
Track Reading Time
Read! Read! Read! Students mark off how many minutes they read each day in increments on their paper tracker and/or in Pledgestar. Parents and guardians may help students with this task.
Win Prizes
Reading and fundraising is hard work! To thank our students, there are several prizes the students can reach along the way as they continue to read and fundraise more.
| Activities | Prizes |
|---|---|
| Start reading and tracking | Road Trip bookmark |
Achieve your grade-suggested reading times:
|
$8 Books Inc gift certificate |
| Achieve top reading time in your classroom (top 3 per classroom) | 1 free round of mini golf at Alameda's Subpar Miniature Golf |
| Send donation request to 10+ people | Otter magnet |
| Raise $250+ in donations | Tucker’s junior scoop certificate |
| Raise the highest donation amount in your grade (top 2 per grade) | $10 Toy Safari gift certificate |
| Top classroom at Edison with the most funds raised | Pizza + Movie party! |
| Team with most minutes read | Popcorn party |
| Meet our school fundraising ($60,000) | Something awesome and fun with Mr. Sahakian! |
Recommended Times
To make setting a daily reading goal easier, listed below are some sample times for each grade.
Please work with your child to set a daily reading goal that is a bit challenging, yet attainable given his or her reading level and ability. If you have questions about what is appropriate, please contact your child’s teacher.
| Kindergarten | 10-20 minutes per day |
| First Grade | 15-25 minutes per day |
| Second Grade | 20-30 minutes per day |
| Third Grade | 25-35 minutes per day |
| Fourth Grade | 30-45 minutes per day |
| Fifth Grade | 30-60 minutes per day |
Reading Strategies
Make this challenge fun for the whole family! Take a trip to the library and stock up on books that interest your child. Encourage and praise your child as they participate and engage in reading anything that is appropriate for their reading level.
For children in the lower grades, listening to adults or older siblings read counts as reading time. When reading with your child, ask recall questions about characters or details of the story in order to build his or her reading comprehension skills. Talk about the story and relate it to your child’s everyday life when possible.
For families with students in the upper grades, consider having them read in one room with others who are reading quietly — a family reading night! Or, try reading out loud as a family one night a week while rotating readers. Help strengthen your child’s reading skills by asking questions about his or her reading in terms of comprehension, recall of details, and discussing the book’s theme or ideas.
To parents, family members, and guardians, we encourage you to take the challenge of setting a goal and reading daily as well. Show your child that reading is important in your life too.
When our children see us reading, they learn the value and joy of it. Have fun reading.
Sponsor your child in the Read-a-Thon! You could also offer to match your child’s total collected donations or donations up to a certain amount. All donations are tax deductible!
Help your child write a handwritten letter or send an email to family, friends, and your colleagues using the template in your packet. Here are some sample letters and video to inspire you!
Help your child contact at least 10 family members, friends, or neighbors via your Pledgestar account. Sponsors can make flat donations or make pledges based on time spent reading. Remind adult sponsors to amplify their donations by tapping into their employer’s donation matching programs (where possible). If a corporate match can be made, please ask them to let you know and also email donation details (i.e. a donation receipt) to treasurer@edisonpta.org.
Help your child try to raise at least $50. If students raise at least $250, they will receive a Tucker’s junior scoop certificate. The top two fundraising students in EACH GRADE will earn a $10 gift certificate to Toy Safari! Additionally, if the whole school hits our fundraising goal of $60,000, a fun activity with Mr. Sahakian will be planned! For a list of all prizes, please see the Prize Table under “How the Read-A-Thon Works.”
Be sure to thank your sponsors! At the end of the Read-A-Thon, consider making a video where you can share with all your sponsors your final reading minutes and total donations raised!
Donation receipts are available for any sponsors who would like them. To print copies of the donation receipt to give out to sponsors, click here.
ATTENTION OTTERS! THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO RECOMMEND YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS TO YOUR FRIENDS AND LEARN ABOUT NEW BOOKS TO CHECK OUT!
The following books are Edison Otter favorites -- either to read themselves or when being read to!
Kindergarten / 1st grade:
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan Ahlberg and Janet Ahlberg
Anything by Jon Scieszka and Dave Shannon
Dragons Eat Noodles on Tuesdays by Jon Stahl -- a local Alameda author!!
Girl Running by Annette Pimentel -- Annette was the local author at our 2019 Read-A-Thon kick-off assembly!
How I Met My Monster Series by Amanda Noll
One - by Kathryn Otashi -- artistic/visual take on bullying and standing up to bullies
Minecraft Guidebooks - especially Ash’s Quest
How To Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan
2nd / 3rd grade:
Anything by Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett (grades K-3)
Big Nate books by Lincoln Peirce (grades 1-3)
Dog Man books by Dav Pilkey (grades 1-3)
Geronimo Stilton by Elisabetta Dami (grades 1-3)
Mountain Chef by Annette Pimentel (grades 2-5) -- Annette was the local author at our 2019 Read-A-Thon kick-off assembly!
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales (grades K-3) -- about the immigration experience
Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung (grades K-3) -- embraces diversity
Dragon Masters series by Tracey West
The Notebook of Doom series by Troy Cummings
Eerie Elementary series by Jack Chabert
Kung Pow Chicken series by Cyndi Marko
Looniverse series by David Lubar and Matt Loveridge
Princess Pulverizer series by Nancy Krulik and Ian McGinty
A Princess in Black series by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, et al.
Ella and Owen series by Jaden Kent
Treehouse Series by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
Field Trip Mysteries by Steve Brezenoff
4th / 5th grade:
Captain Underpants books by Dav Pilkey
El Deafo by Cece Bell (grades 3-5) -- a wonderful book for older elementary kids about disabilities
Anything by Jennifer Holm -- novels and graphic novels
Of note:
*** The American Library Association is a great resource for books. Here is their 2019 list of notable books for younger (picture books), middle grade, and older kids (which skews Young Adult). It’s a great list. http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb ***
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the dates of the Read-a-Thon?
Q: What does my child need to do to participate in the Read-a-Thon?
Q: My child cannot read yet on his or her own, can my child still participate?
Q: What counts for reading?
Q: What materials do I need for the Read-a-Thon?
A: A Read-a-Thon information packet with instructions will be sent home. We strongly encourage families to use PledgeStar to record reading time read and donations received. Please set up your account through https://pledgestar.com/edisonreadathon/a/familyinstructions.html (which contains instructions) as soon as you can!
Q: Whom should my child ask to be a sponsor?
Q: How much money should a sponsor donate?
Q: When should the money be collected from sponsors?
Q: Who is responsible for collecting the sponsorship donations?
Q: Are there prizes for the students?
Q: Can my child participate – even without sponsors?
Q: Is there a “template” request for donations that I can send to family and friends?
A: Yes. You can see the pledge request write-up on Pledgestar, and donation requests will be sent out automatically after you added their contact information under the “Add Family & Friends + Track Donations” section of your Pledgestar account. You may also share your student’s donation page on other social media platforms to reach family and friends whose email addresses you don't have. Check out the “Share on Social Media” section of your Pledgestar account.
If you’d like to send supplementary requests, below is a message we’ve drafted, but please edit to make it your own! You can send this out in an email to friends and family or post on social media.
*****
Hello Family and Friends!
It's Read-A-Thon time of the year for [CHILD NAME] at Edison Elementary School! [CHILD NAME] has been reading up a storm since the Read-A-Thon started! [CHILD NAME] has set a reading goal of [XX] hours over the course of the two-week Read-A-Thon. This fun event is the Edison PTA’s only student-led fundraiser, so it's a great way for the kids to raise money for the school they love while discovering new books, giving book recommendations to their friends, and starting the school year off with a smile.
If you would consider donating to [CHILD NAME]'s Read-A-Thon, I know [CHILD NAME] would greatly appreciate it -- as would the school! Please go to the Edison PTA's Read-A-Thon website and click "Donate Now" by Tuesday, October 11th: https://edisonpta.org/fundraising/read-a-thon/ No donation is too large or too small. All donations are tax deductible.
All Read-A-Thon donations will go directly to the Edison PTA, which provides funding for programming the community deems essential for creating well-rounded students -- art and garden classes, additions and improvements to the library & media center, field trips, assemblies, technology purchases & staff training, the Kindergarten Music Teacher, a Psych Intern, STEM-specific enrichment, and more.
Thank you so much for considering to donate -- and Happy Reading!
Thank you for supporting and participating in the Edison Read-a-Thon!
Questions? Please email readathon@edisonpta.org