Congratulations to the Winners of our Spring 2011 Elementary National Contest!
Our first-place winner and recipient of a visit from best-selling author Andrew Clements plus 2,000 Scholastic Dollars™is:
Will Rogers Elementary School
Chairperson: Claudia Mornhinweg
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Chairperson Claudia Mornhinweg began planning 12 weeks prior to the Book Fair by creating a calendar and “to-do” list which she used as a road map for holding the event. To fund special promotions and prizes she wrote letters to local businesses requesting supplies and support. She identified 58 students who needed financial assistance to purchase a book from the Fair and ensured that each was able to get at least one book. Promotion began one month in advance with a flyer asking for volunteers, a letter from the principal, and information about the One for Books classroom competition.
Library time included using a whiteboard for lessons themed around the Book Fair and reading, and promoting books not included on the Author Video. She wrote an original song and taught it to all students to sing at the all-school assembly, which also included a funny skit performed by members of the school’s Book Club members. The school-wide reading program featured a carnival theme and was tied into their Accelerated Reader points. Tickets for games were awarded when students reached individual goals.
Decorations included streamers, signs, painted windows, student-created posters and many outdoor booths used during the Family Event. Three classroom contests (including classroom door decorating) and two individual contests were held to increase excitement. The faculty Sneak Peek breakfast included donated door prizes as incentives to participate. A morning Goodies for Guests event for extended family members was held followed by an evening Family Event with food, literacy games, photo opportunity, miniature horses, and lots of Book Fair shopping. A Build-a-Book workshop for families was held that night, funded by a Title I grant specifically requested for the event. Classes competed for a party in a One for Books “Battle of the Coins” and raised over $1,000, which was used to help purchase more books for the school’s library. Congratulations to Will Rogers Elementary School students, staff, and parents for making their Book Fair such a great event!
Second-place winners of 1,000 Scholastic Dollars are:
Mountain View Elementary School
Chairperson: Terri Bailey
Parker, Colorado
Mountain View Elementary used the theme to transform the school into a full blown carnival. Volunteers created tents, animals, ticket booths, a “Read-a-Coaster,” and much, much more. Teachers and staff jumped on board and began to decorate the hallways with student projects. The Fair kicked off with Spirit Week and a clown pulling the principal around the school in a cage. He had to raise money for One for Books in order to be released. Overall, the school tripled their donations from last year, and the extra donations were used to add more books to the school’s library. The Family Event coincided with the spring student musical and included food and carnival games run by the Junior Crew. The Fair also included a 100,000 minute reading challenge that lasted the month of April with awards given to the top class and top readers per class.
Hawkes Bluff Elementary School
Chairperson: Kathy Passerello and Ruth Bonfield
Davie, Florida
The two chairpeople recruited eager volunteers who were young and young at heart to help pull off the Book Fair. The Junior Crew helped with decorations, setup, advertising, bagging books, the Family Event, and break-down. Parent volunteers showed up in clown outfits to stir up some laughs. To increase excitement, the principal was challenged to ring a real carnival strongman’s bell if they met their attendance goal for the Family Event. The Fair was filled with special events including a successful Grand Event, games and contests, and a Teacher Sneak Peek featuring carnival food.
Pottsville Middle Grades
Chairperson: Melissa Moudy
Pottsville, Arkansas
"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Read at the Carnival" was the theme Junior Crew members chose for their spring Book Fair. The media Center was transformed into an environmentally friendly carnival with egg carton roller coasters, paper roll booths, a tent made from newspaper, and reused plush animals. A Family Event was held featuring carnival games, computer games, and shopping. The principal challenged students to beat a goal for number of books sold. As a result, he received a pie in the face and was splashed with ice-cold water. Books purchased with One for Books contributions were donated to Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Skyline Elementary School
Chairperson: Tammy Matlock
Stillwater, Oklahoma
The school was inspired to turn their library into a carnival big top with colorful streamers and other decorations, including a Ticket to Read booth, carnival-themed signage, a Read-a-Coaster photo opportunity, Booktalk booth, a Reading Goal Chart, and Pop-on-Over costume. The Fair was filled with activities too. Teachers created literacy games including a book-themed Smartboard-based bingo game. Junior Crew members delivered booktalks. Social media websites were used to promote the Fair. On Saturday, a special Goodies for Guests event was held for extended families to make purchases. The principal challenged students to read 100,000 minutes, which they did, earning a visit by a guest musician for a concert and song-writing workshop.
Click here to see who won the President’s Award for Exceptional Performance.
President’s Award for Exceptional Performance winners (who win 500 Scholastic Dollars) are:
North Road Intermediate School
Chairperson: Valerie Brown
Warren, Ohio
President's Award for Exceptional Performance (Student Engagement):
The school tried some new ideas and stuck with tried and true elements to get students excited about the spring Book Fair. The library created a Book Fair web page as a free and easy way to reach all students. They also joined the social media wave and created a community events page that received over 400 hits per posting. Students were excited to have high school students helping out during their Book Fair preview. The high schoolers helped talk up the Family Event as many were also volunteering to help with the carnival games. Other activities used to engage students were contests, dress-up day, and a principal challenge -- whipped cream pies thrown at him if the goal was met!
Millersville Elementary School
Chairperson: Lori Skalitzky
Millersville, Maryland
President's Award for Exceptional Performance (Advertising):
Promotion to students, families and teachers was key to Millersville Elementary School’s success. Daily custom PA announcements that included booktalks were broadcast and daily class reminder flyers were distributed. Families each received a letter and invitation, and their students were sent home with special stickers the night of the Family Event. Teachers received their own letter sharing details of the Book Fair and a cotton candy reminder to attend the Sneak Peek for a chance to win door prizes. Everyone saw the many easily readable homemade signs. Finally, students were surprised by "lucky locker lottery" which helped build excitement during the week of the Fair.
Sparks Elementary School
Chairperson: Cathy Krejci
Frisco, Texas
President's Award for Exceptional Performance (Decorations):
The school chose a Texas State Fair theme for the decorations that filled hallways during their Book Fair. Creativity was a must, and the decorations included carnival booths, funhouse mirrors, One for Books balloons, a Ferris wheel, Read-a-Coaster, and a very large tent. Some families loaned their personal decorations for games, and other décor was created from scratch. Not only did the students and families get excited by the decorations (sales increased 20%), but after the Fair, the decorations were loaned to other schools.
St. Michael Parish School
Chairperson: Jackie Reinbeau
Wheeling, West Virginia
President's Award for Exceptional Performance (Faculty Engagement):
The faculty at St. Michael parish made sure the spring Book Fair was a fun-filled, successful event that brought together all members of the school community. The Fair officially got underway with a Teacher Carnival Dress-Up Contest. Students cheered for their favorite teacher decked out as a carnival character. Teachers also competed in a balloon-animal-making contest and a pie-eating contest in order to earn prizes for their class. In one final faculty event, one lucky teacher was chosen to kiss a live pig! Way to get students excited!
Mt. Bethel Elementary School
Chairperson: Amy Povano
Marietta, Georgia
President's Award for Exceptional Performance (Family Event):
The Family Event was the school’s most successful ever. The evening event raised almost half of their total sales. Students went home with stickers on their shirts, an e-mail blast went out to parents, and signage was placed at the carpool lane. Volunteers from a nearby business and local high school students helped staff the event. More than 300 students and their families attended and played numerous carnival games, posed for photos, marveled at the decorated library, and shopped the Fair.
Union Elementary School
Chairperson: Heather Brown
Temple, Georgia
President's Award for Exceptional Performance (Theme):
Union Elementary chose an “Under the Sea” theme for their spring Book Fair and involved students in creating themed art projects to help decorate the library. Talented students created sea creatures made of many different mediums including papier mâché, poster art, painting, multimedia sculpture, and collage. A Marine Minutes Reading goal challenged students to read 100,000 minutes and turn in a paper fish reading log each day. These were used to create a school of fish swimming down a hallway. Larger than life shark jaws were used as a photo opportunity at the Grand Event.
Hill Elementary School
Chairpersons: Mary Rusk and Jen Bamberg
Austin, Texas
President's Award for Exceptional Performance (One for Books®):
The One for Books program was turned into a competition between classes. Each class received a red and white popcorn box and was instructed to “pop” their loose change into the box. Students were told all donations would be used to buy books for their sister school, and the top classroom would win a pajama day and pizza lunch party. Generous students and their families saw a need in their community and raised $3,629 to purchase books for students at the school. At an assembly, the sister school’s librarian was able to personally thank students who saw the outcome of their generosity and the difference books make in peoples lives.
Episcopal Collegiate Lower School
Chairperson: Linda Williams
Little Rock, Arkansas
President's Award for Exceptional Performance (Grand Event):
Grandparents and Special Friend Day was highly advertised. Invitations were sent by both mail and e-mail. The day was celebrated with a musical performance and tour of classrooms, followed by lunch, shopping, and early dismissal. The Book Fair was filled to capacity, and some visitors returned after lunch for more shopping. This was a new event for the school and increased their Book Fair sales by a whopping 43 percent!
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