Park: Free Books for all Students

Following the incredible success of the Read-A-Thon fundraiser, we've decided to postpone the in-person Scholastic Book Drive for now. But rest assured, our commitment to getting books into the hands of our students remains strong.

We're excited to share that we're partnering with OPrime, 914 Cares, and drawing from the generous donations from our November book drive to host a FREE Book Day on Wednesday, April 30th. More details will be coming your way soon!

When we reviewed the feedback from the teacher PD survey, one message came through loud and clear: the importance of equity and ensuring that every student has access to books. This upcoming event is a step toward that goal, and we see it as a meaningful opportunity, especially for our Pre-K and Kindergarten students as they begin their journey as readers.

Another reason for postponing the Scholastic Book Drive is the sheer number of volunteer hours required to run it. The Brookside Book Fair, for example, needed over 400 combined volunteer hours to make it happen. Following the Read-A-Thon, we want to be mindful of not overextending our incredible team of volunteers.

We are working with scholastic to make sure caregivers can still order books online and through the backpack mail flyers.

Thank you again for all you do to support literacy and learning in our community. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or ideas, we're always happy to hear from you.