Dec. 12, 2011
BKW students in grades K-5 will give reading priority for two weeks in December as part of the Parents as Reading Partners (PARP) program. Funded by the PTA, PARP encourages family members to take 20 minutes, five days a week, for two weeks in December to read to their child from a book of their choice. As a reward for completing the two weeks of reading, the PTA gives each student a brand new book. PARP’s purpose is to foster the love of reading in children, but this year – to also teach a valuable lesson.
While the PARP program has been running for the past 33 years, the “Spirit of Giving” theme for this year is more important than ever. While tough economic times have left financial struggles with many families, the BKW community and its neighbor Schoharie County suffered an even greater loss this summer in the wake of Hurricane Irene and Tropic Storm Lee. To exemplify the PARP theme, the students who earn a book from completing the program have the option to donate it to kids in Schoharie County.
“There are so many families impacted by the floods in Schoharie; it’s completely devastating.” said third grade teacher Shelby Murphy-Miller, “As someone who grew up in Schoharie, I am so touched by how generous and understanding the BKW students have been during this year’s PARP theme; they can’t wait to donate their books.”
This year, the program takes place December 5-19. The event was kicked off with a game show performed by teachers at a Dec. 1 assembly. Titled “Minute to Give It”, two teams of teachers went through many rounds of games to win a large basket of canned goods. In the spirit of giving, the winning team donated the basket to a local food pantry. Click here to see photos from the assembly.
As PARP continues, teachers will decorate classroom bulletin boards to match the “Spirit of Giving” theme, and each grade will participate in their own special project that gives back their community and beyond.
The projects each grade is doing are as follows:
Kindergarten: Videos for Veterans – making videos and sending them to BKW Alumni who are now servicemen
First Grade: Guilderland Nursing Home – making holiday cards and ornaments
Second Grade: Cards for Veterans – making holiday cards for Veterans
Third Grade: Adopt a Class – collecting donations of gently used books and other Christmas wish items to donate to a Schoharie class
Fouth Grade: Freerice.com – for each vocabulary and math exercise students complete they donate rice to help end world hunger
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