We hit our goal!

You can help Harney Elementary Students receive new books of their own!

Harney Elementary is a neighborhood school located on the outskirts of downtown Vancouver, Washington.  We are bursting at the seams with our increase in student population as we have surpassed the 600 mark.  With this increase in population, our needs have increased as well.  Currently our school is at 70% poverty level, which means more than half of our students take part in the free and reduced lunch program. 

In addition to our high poverty level, we also have a highly diverse school.  Forty percent of our students are of Hispanic descent while an additional ten percent are African American and Pacific Islander.  Both of these factors (poverty and diversity) create challenges and learning opportunities for our teachers and students.
 
Harney Elementary takes pride in their efforts to increase our students reading and writing skills.  Through programs like “At Home Reading”, a Read-a-Thon, author’s workshops and Reading Across America, our staff desires all students to be able to access books that will motivate them to read and achieve.  Our school’s motto is, “Believe!  Learning together, we can Achieve!”  Unfortunately, many of our students do not have access to books at home that can support what is being done at school.  With your help, through Paperbackswap, we would give students the chance to have their own books at home as well as increase each teacher’s classroom library.  

Thank you in advance for giving!

Believe!  Reading together, we can achieve!

Sincerely,

 RaChelle Hendricks, Teacher-Librarian

I am very interested in suggesting this school for this program, not only because my son goes there, but because it is one of the poorest school in all of the Vancouver School District. It gets looked over a lot because most of the other schools have more funds than Harney and because the students tend to lack parents that are involved or lack the ability to donate or volunteer. This school definitely needs all the help it can get! Thank you!

Karen W., PBS member

We hit our goal!

Red Shirt Students Get Excited About Books

Red Shirt Table School is a K-8 public school located in the Shannon County School District within the boundaries of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The school has a yearly K-8 pupil enrollment of approximately 75 students. The school exceeds the state average for highly qualified teachers and paraprofessionals. Approximately 98% of the students attending Red Shirt Table School are Native American. About 98% of the students are enrolled tribal members of the Oglala Lakota Oyate.

The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, the second largest Indian Reservation in the United States has a consistent unemployment rate of eighty percent (80%). Reports show that Shannon County is one of the poorest counties in the United States. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is one of the most isolated areas in the State of South Dakota with a population of approximately 2 persons per square mile. Travel to doctors, hospitals, shopping and trade centers usually require one or two hours of driving time. A large percentage of our students are transported to and from the school by bus. The social, economic, and political life of the reservation communities revolves closely around school facilities and school activities.

With books from PaperBackSwap we hope to improve our reading scores and our students passion for reading. These books will be included within their homework binders, which go home each weekend. With the books donated you will be giving students a chance to build their own library of books at home.

Barbara Ice, Principal Red Shirt School

Learn the Lakota language:

To strengthen the Lakota identity and values of students and to assure their overall well-being and academic success.                       

Red Shirt is a little village on the edge of the Pine Ridge Reservation. The residents are far below the poverty level and can use all the help available. The school is very small, with approximately 64 K-8 students attending. The building is only a few years old and very nice, but the support of books will always be appreciated there. My wife and I stopped at the school to walk through a few years ago and were very pleased with the friendliness of the staff.

Kent Hyde, PBS member

We hit our goal!

Emmalena Elementary students in Emmalena, Kentucky

are excited about new books!

I am the Early Steps Coordinator at Emmalena Elementary. I work with mothers who are expecting,  and children from 0-3 yrs. They excited to have books to read and books to be able to keep at home.  I also read to the pre-school and Head Start programs once a week. We are from a rural area in Knott County, Kentucky.

Our 250 students, staff, and community strive to make our K-8 school the best that it can be. We think with the help of you and your donation of books and etc.our students can get the highest level of education they can get.

Thank You!

Kiki Stidham Early Steps Coordinator

We hit our goal!

Litt Carr, Kentucky

Carr Creek Elementary's Early Steps to School Success Program needs more books!

Carr Creek Elementary is one of five grade schools in our county. We have almost 400  students at our school. Grades K through 8th grade attend our school. Some families in our area work for Coal Companies and are laid off from work at times. There are not a lot of jobs in our area.  We have no Wal Mart or hospital in our county.

I am so excited about the book donation for Carr Creek Elementary.  My name is Racine Slone and I am the Early Steps Coordinator at Carr Creek.  I do home visits with many young children in our area to introduce them to reading and get them interested in school.  Some of the families that I visit  have only a few books in their homes.  A few don't have any.  My families could use the books that you donate to Carr Creek, especially board books and early readers.  I know that all grades in the school will benefit greatly from your donation of books.  

May God Bless you for your donation.

Racine Slone,

Early Steps to School Success Coordinator

We hit our goal!

Compton, California's  Ronald E. McNair Elementary School

The students are ready to take their reading to the next level!

Greetings,

On behalf of McNair Elementary, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to increase the books for our students.  As Mrs. Bannyi stated, they develop a joy and love for reading once they have receive exposure to quality literature.  Again, thank you for this opportunity.

Jacquelyn Arion
Principal

This school is an inner city school (Title I) with primarily African American and Latino students. Many of these students do not have the opportunity to have books read to them from a young age, or have books available to them in their homes. They often are below grade level in the area of reading.

However, once they discover the joy of reading, the interest and excitement for reading becomes a wonderful experience for them. I am a third grade teacher at this school and coordinate Read Across America events as well as book swaps each year. I find it is getting hard to find the resources to ensure that each of our students can receive their own new or used book. Any donations that you can offer would so greatly be appreciated and be a great reward to enrich the lives of the students at McNair Elementary.

Thanks for your consideration,

Renee Bannyi, 3rd grade teacher

We hit our goal!

Linwood Elementary School students in Witchita, Kansas

are ready for new books!

Linwood Elementary has an enrollment of 525 students with  high poverty/high minority.   We recently made AYP (annual yearly progress) standards on both reading and math and met State Standard of Excellence for the first time.  We are located in “inner-city” Wichita.  Thank you for your book donations, PaperBackSwap members!

Trina Wynn
Linwood Elementary Principal

 

Our school has so many kids that don’t have the opportunity to have books at home due to high mobility, low income, and lack of additional resources.  As an educator, if we can give a child anything it should be a book.  A book tells a life time story and provides a child with a resource that is endless.  Books are treasures and they would be treasured by every student in our Linwood community.  Thank you for giving us this opportunity to share the love of reading to our children, here at Linwood.

 Sincerely,

Jill Mayfield, Reading Resource/Library Media Specialist,  Linwood Elementary

I am a teacher at Linwood Elementary School in Wichita, Kansas.  We have a diverse population of students, many of them are children of poverty. They have very limited resources in which to buy books of their own.  Many are not able to go to the public library either.  The books that would be provided by your organization will be such a blessing to our students. They can have their very own books that they can read and treasure.  

Reading is such a big foundation for future success and having the resources to practice and improve their reading skills is essential for our students. Thank you so much for this opportunity for our students.  We appreciate it so much and can hardly wait to see our first books arrive.
 
Cathy Pauscher,
Third Grade Teacher Linwood Elementary

We hit our goal!

 Louisiana's Raintree Elementary students are working hard to read on grade level!

Nestled between the sugarcane fields of south-central Louisiana stands Raintree Elementary School.  Our school is part of the St. Mary Parish School System.  There are 620 students enrolled in our Pre-K through 5th grade school. Raintree’s student population has a poverty rate above 90%.  Many of our students are reading below grade level. 

One of our school’s goals is to have all students reading on grade level by the time they enter third grade.  In order to do this, we ask that all students read 20 minutes each night.  However, many students do not have books at home.  We will use the books donated through PaperBack Swap as part of this endeavor.  Our school’s motto is “The Raintree Family will raise expectations for all learners.”  With your help, we will be able to accomplish this!

Marie L. Cole, M. Ed.
Curriculum Facilitator/Literacy Coach
Raintree Elementary

We hit our goal!

Students at  Edward Titche Elementary  in Dallas love to read!

Edward Titche is a Title 1 elementary school with almost 1,000 students in Pre-K to 5^th grades. The school is located in Southeast Dallas, TX. 96% of the school’s population is classified as “economically disadvantaged.”

Part of Titche’s mission statement says that they want students to become “creative, productive lifelong readers.” Certainly with a goal like that the students are on their way to sharing the passion for reading felt by PaperBackSwap members, but it is up to us to foster this mission by putting books into the students’ hands.

Not only will these books go to students who often can’t afford to buy their own new books, but your credit will also help motivate students to read. This school is part of a reading incentive program run by a non-profit called My Very Own Book (MVOB). In the program, students read outside of school hours and are rewarded for minutes read with a certificate and a new, free book of their choice at the end of each six weeks period. Your credit donations will translate into new books for a school “free bookstore.”. Your donations will become books that are chosen, wanted, and earned by students.

Thank you to all PaperBackSwap members for donating credits to help MVOB (www.myveryownbook.org) provide books to students at Titche Elementary. We greatly appreciate your generosity.

Kelley Van Auken, Executive Director

We hit our goal!

Barron Elementary School in Dallas, Texas is ready for new books!

Barron is a Title 1 elementary school with almost 500 students in Kindergarten to 5th grades.  The school is part of Plano ISD, which is north of Dallas, TX.  91% of the school’s population is classified as “economically disadvantaged.” 

Barron Elementary’s mascot is the Bigcat, and their motto is “Inspiring young minds one paw print at a time.”  Just as the teachers work hard to inspire the students, a good book can also be inspirational.  Through books, students are taken on adventures and are often inspired to strive for a goal or opportunity they learn about in a book. 

Your donation to this school also creates a unique inspiration for the kids to read.  This school is a part of a reading incentive program run by a non-profit called My Very Own Book (MVOB).  In the program, students read outside of school hours and are rewarded for minutes read with a certificate and a new, free book of their choice at the end of each six weeks period.  Your credit donations will translate into new books for a school “free bookstore.”  Your donations will become books that are chosen, wanted, and earned by students. 

Thank you to all PaperBackSwap members for donating credits to help MVOB (www.myveryownbook.org) provide books to students at Barron Elementary.  We are inspired by your generosity. 

Kelley Van Auken, Executive Director

We hit our goal!

Lakewood Elementary School students in Wisconsin

would love some new books!

Over the years Lakewood has developed a strong tradition of solid core values with an eye on the future. All students deserve to be safe and respected at school.  We hold this belief dearly and take regular steps to ensure this . Our students are challenged by a variety of of activities both inside and outside of the school day. They deserve our best as we encourage them to do their very best.

Reading and literacy are critical in today's world.  We have worked tirelessly to develop and implement a responsive educational program (RTI)  the involves early identification, individualized interventions and progress monitoring.  We are actively using data to help drive these processes.  

While we have made great strides to improve our school, we realize we cannot do it alone.  Participation in programs such as the Books for Schools Program do help.  A commitment to our school community partnership is the key to success.  We appreciate your support as we continue our quest to promote "Learning Today", so our students can be "Leading Tomorrow".

Patrick Doyle, Principal

I am currently working at Lakewood as a substitute teacher and substitute aide for special needs children. Their passion & love for reading is so evident. The number of children that don't have access to quality books at home is heartbreaking. The only books they come in contact with are those at the school library and in their classrooms.

Recently the school celebrated Read Across America on March 2. An amazing number of children attended this evening event. They participated in games, made adorable crafts and listened to stories read by staff members of Lakewood.

I know that you are aware of the recent turmoil in Wisconsin. Our schools are going to be dealing with severe budget cuts. I cannot bear to think that the school library and the classroom libraries may suffer as a result. Reading is so very important and I do not want to see one child unable to read because of their economic station or the because of the economic crisis our education system is facing.

Mendy Vinson

We hit our goal!

Students in Starkville, Mississippi can't wait

for new books to call their own!

Thank you Paperbackswap.com for providing us with this incredible opportunity to enrich our students’ lives through the exciting world of books. Your kindness and generosity could provide our students with their first chance to begin a personal library at home and our new teachers a chance to build a classroom library to benefit all their students.

Ward Stewart Elementary School is a Title One school located in Starkville, MS. We have a very diverse population of students.  While some of our students are children of academics at Mississippi State University, the qualifying free and reduced lunch students make up nearly 70% of our population.   Our school consists of approximately 750 students in 3^rd and 4^th  grades with a large percentage of students reading below grade level.  Research has shown that successful readers read and read and read.   We want to help turn frustrated readers into successful readers and we want to give our students that chance for success.

While Ward Stewart is currently a 3^rd and 4^th grade school, in the past it has housed many different grades, including high school.   While the population has changed, the library has remained largely the same.  Many of our books are not at the proper levels for 3^rd and 4^th graders.  With the tight economic times, it is slow going trying to get enough appropriate books to successfully serve 750 students.

While our parents try to be very supportive of their children, purchasing books must take a back seat to providing the basic essentials of life.  Many of our students do not have books of their own at home. 

So the bottom line is: our children need books in the library, in the classroom, and at home.  Your kindness will put books in all three areas of our students' lives. 

Thank you from all our students!

Linda LaFrance, Librarian/Media Specialist

We hit our goal!

Twinbrook Elementary School students in Maryland are ready to read!

The vision of Twinbrook Elementary School is to teach and empower students academically, socially, and cognitively in a safe and positive environment.  This school is part of the Montgomery County (Maryland) school system, the 16th largest school system in the United States, located in the Washington D.C. suburbs.   Twinbrook Elementary School is designated a Title One School where additional Federal funding is received to ensure that children have fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high quality education. 

Title I is part of the NoChild Left Behind Act of 2001. The legislation provides federal funds to help students in schools with high economic needs achieve high standards. The specific objective of the Title I program is to enable all students to meet state and local studentperformance standards and for schools to achieve the Adequate Yearly Progress goals set by the Maryland State Department of Education.

Thank you, PaperBackSwap members,  for your support and donations to our students.

Karen Johnson, Principal

I am nominating our school because I feel that we can use all the help we can for our students. We are a Title 1 school and even with that it is still very tight on budget. They school works very hard to make sure each child has what they need however, they are limited by budget. These students work hard as well as the teachers and deserve to get a little help especially in an area a important as this.

Thank you for your consideration.

Chrissie Jones

We hit our goal!

Kevin J. Coleman Elementary has eager readers in Woonsocket, Rhode Island

We would greatly appreciate our school receiving the donated books from PaperBackSwap.com.  The school graciously accepts these books.  It is such an honor to have been nominated to receive these books. 

Our children will be so excited to have new books to read.  Many of our children live in poverty and we have a very high percentage (almost 90%) that qualify for free or reduced lunch.  Our teachers appreciate the donation of these books because being an urban school many of our students only have access to the books that are in their classrooms or the school library.  Due to the economy, there seems to be less grant money out there so we are looking for other means or resources to enrich the lives of the students at Coleman Elementary. 

Sincerely,

Ron Celio, Principal

As the economy continues to be unstable and our local budget gets reduced more and more every year, it is challenging to provide students with books that are of high interest to them.  That is why as it is more important now than ever to be able to put books in the hands of children who can not afford to buy them on their own. 

Through the help of generous donations in the past we have been able to give books to students and encourage school wide book swaps to share the wealth.  As educators we at Coleman Elementary School are dedicated to helping every child become a life long learner but in order to do that we need to be able to teach our students to read and encourage them to be life long readers.  

Elizabeth Nault-Costa
Instructional Coach

Books are a very important component to my practice as an elementary school guidance counselor. When children read books or a book is read to them, they are able to connect with the characters in the story. This can help them to share the struggles they are facing. Reading stories also allows them to see that they are not alone, that other children have had to deal with the same problems and have done so successfully.
 
Beth Sanford
School Counselor

We hit our goal!

Florida's Charles W. Duval Elementary School students love to read!

Charles W. Duval Elementary is a fine arts academy magnet school located on the northeast part of Gainesville, FL. Classroom teachers integrate the arts into their subject and curriculum areas, and fine arts teachers integrate the academics into their lessons. The Fine Arts Magnet contains two strands. The Discovery Rotation introduces students in grades K-3 to dance, drama, graphic and three-dimensional arts, and choral and instrumental music. The Specialization Strand gives fourth and fifth graders the option of choosing one area for emphasis during each semester. We have approximately three hundred students in Kindergarten through fifth grade. Our school offers free breakfast to every student and eighty-eight percent qualify for either free or reduced lunch.

For the past two years we have received the School Improvement Grant which allows us to extend our teaching day by forty-five minutes, four days a week. We have seen much success in the past two years. Our school grade has gone from an F to a B and our Media Center circulation doubled last year! One of our goals is to increase independent reading among all students both at school and at home. I know these books will help foster a continuing love for reading within our students and their families.                            

Mrs. Tia Mosby, Media Specialist

I am a current 1st grade teacher at Duval Elementary. We are an extremely high-poverty school, with over 90% of our students on the free and reduced lunch program for the state of Florida. Because Florida's schools are funded by local property taxes, Duval Elementary suffers greatly because of the low value of the housing in the surrounding neighborhood. The library has books, but many are falling apart and are extremely outdated. This is troubling for our school, as most of our students are not exposed to print at home.

I have used this web site to order many, MANY books for my classroom, and it has been so wonderful. I would love it if our school was also touched by PaperBack Swap, too!

AmyLynn Dawson

We hit our goal!

Botts Elementary School students in Kentucky are

looking forward to new books ...

We are a small school of around 220 children, Kindergarten through 5^th grade, located in Eastern Kentucky with an 80 percent free and reduced lunch program.  We are part of the Menifee County School District that has only one other Elementary/Middle School combined and one High School.

Our community has always been mainly a farming community and with the economy the way it is our families are struggling to survive.  They have had to turn to unemployment and welfare to make up for lost work and wages that seems to have left this area completely. 

We believe it is our responsibility to make sure that our students come to school and get the most out of it that they possibly can.  Our staff members are 110 percent for our students and are very excited to have been chosen to receive this wonderful gifts of books.  We will be able to provide them with more books at home so, even during school breaks and holidays they will have materials with them so they will not fall behind just because they don’t have the resources at home to read.

With Sincere Appreciation,

Dana Thomas, Principal

Lisa Ratliff, ESSS Coordinator

We hit our goal!

Dunbar Elementary students in the heart Atlanta, Georgia will cherish new books of their own....

Although a small school, Dunbar Elementary (named after the famous African American poet) serves as the educational portal for more than 500 children a year. It is located in the Mechanicsville neighborhood of Atlanta, and 99% of our students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch.  There is a segment of the population at Dunbar that comes from a nearby homeless shelter. In addition to getting an education, the children in the shelter rely on the safe environment and stability of Dunbar to offset their current transitional environment. Many of the children lack the basics (food, shelter, clothing) in addition to the "extras" that children from less challenged socioeconomic status have.

The programs of Everybody Wins! Atlanta (a recognized and registered 501c3) help to fill in some "extras" in the form of age appropriate and fun books through Power Lunch-a weekly one-on-one mentoring through literacy program and StoryTime--a monthly literacy through the arts storytelling program.

This upcoming school year Dunbar will be the first Everybody Wins! Atlanta school to receive both programs. Along with participating in at least one of the programs, several times a year each child will receive a new age- appropriate book for them to start an at-home library. Many times the books that children receive via Everybody Wins! are the only books they have at home. Paperback Swap's Books for Schools Program could help us by donating new books to be distributed to the children and library of Dunbar Elementary School.

It is our mission at Dunbar Elementary School to educate the whole child thus producing an independent thinker, culturally aware, responsible and productive member of society, who values self and respects others.  At Dunbar Elementary school, we understand that part of this development involves instilling in a child the joys of reading.  Reading exposes students to worlds that they can only journey to with their imagination and the turn of a page.  It creates a stimulating dialogue that encourages and challenges students to think outside the box.  

At Dunbar Elementary, we have the Success For All (SFA) reading program. It is a school-wide reading program that provides a balanced approach to reading by incorporating strategies of decoding, fluency, and comprehension.  An important component of the reading program is daily homework assignments that require students to read for a minimum of thirty minutes.  While there are many incentives to encourage students to read at home, we recognize that given the economic disadvantages of our students, there is often a lack of adequate reading material in the home.  Participating in the PaperBackSwap program will help to fill this need and help us to encourage students to become avid readers.

Thank you again for selecting our school to participate in such an amazing program.

Nicole Corley, Program Coordinator

Allyn Howard, Everybody Wins Atlanta

We are soooo excited to be a part of the PaperBackSwap program!  In an effort to increase reading success, our school reading program requires students to read to their parent for homework. These books will be a great help!  Thank You!

Makini Coleman
Reading Instructional Coach

We hit our goal!

South Carolina's West Hartsville Elementary students can't wait for new books to read over Christmas break!

We are very excited to be a part of the PaperBackSwaps.com’s Books for Schools Program.  West Hartsville Elementary is a Title I school and most of our families do not have the money to purchase books that their children can read for leisure. We are starting the Comer P.U.L.S.E. Program and part of that program is teaching students to use their Language Pathway.  Shared reading is one way students can practice using their language pathway. However, our students have to have books that they want to read available to them and this program allows us to help meet the child’s Language Pathyway needs.

We are a small school that has only fourth and fifth grade students, 58% are African American and 42% are white.  As a Title I school, most of our students are on free or reduced lunch. West Hartsville Elementary is located in Darlington County, and we are the only Hartsville school that is outside the city limits of Hartsville.

We would LOVE to be able to pass out books to students to read over long week-ends and vacations from school. Nothing is better then being able to give a student something they enjoy, and that helps reinforce learning.  Our students will often go to the Scholastic Book Fair and wish for books that they cannot afford, it is so sad to watch our students wish for a book, but are not able to afford to buy the book. This program will allow us to put a much wanted and needed book into the student’s hands!

Thank you for providing this opportunity for our school and our students!

Sincerely,

Dr. Kay Howell, Principal

Our students need more books in our school.  Reading is the number one key to success and without books to read the students cannot succeed.  Many of our student do not have books at home and are encouraged to take home books from our personal libraries which are not endless.  This would allow more students to read at home and in the classroom.  Thank you, PaperBackSwap members!

Ashley Gedris, 5th grade ELA/SS
West Hartsville Elementary

We hit our goal!

White Rock School students in Oklahoma are just waiting for new books to read!

White Rock School is a small PreK through 8^th grade school located in Lincoln County,  Oklahoma.  We are an extremely rural school surrounded by pastures and farms.  We also have a high free/reduced lunch count at 76%.  We could be classified as a typical small country school. 

Although the size and location offer many advantages, these factors can also create many disadvantages.  Unfortunately, being so small we often suffer greater effects from state budget cuts.  This is the case for our school.  Having less money coming in from than larger districts, cuts tend to affect us deeper by having less personnel to shuffle and less access to quality teaching materials. 

With less money coming into the district, we need to tighten our belt and analyze how funds are spent.  This measure has left a gap in the variety of appropriate reading materials for the district.  Your help in and cooperation in correcting this matter would be greatly appreciated.  By contributing we would be able to offer a wider variety of reading material to all grades and provide a greater interest in reading for all.

Thank You for selecting us for this terrific program!

Phil Caffey,  Superintendent

Dear PaperbackSwap,

I have worked as the Library Media Specialist at White Rock Public School for two years. The library is very small with a lot of outdated material. We have books in our collection from the 1960’s! The first year I was at the school we were able to update the Accelerated Reading Program but then we did not have funding to purchase new books last year.

We are a rural school where many of our students do not have access to any other library. The importance of having books, that the students want to read, is vital to their education. By providing good reading material the students will be able to develop the joy of reading. This will help the students develop into lifelong readers and learners. So with PaperbackSwap's generation donation we could provide new updated books for our students and set them on the path to lifelong learning.

Kathy Buzzard, Library Media Specialist

We hit our goal!

Rural California Whitethorn School students are an hour and a half drive from a bookstore!

Whitethorn School is a rural school located in Northern California. Whitethorn is a Title 1 school where about 50% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. It is a very unique school, with a great sense of community and a great need for resources. The families, students, and teachers at Whitethorn face many obstacles when it comes to getting kids new books to read, but we continue to focus on making reading a key part of the students’ lives.

Whitethorn is located approximately an hour-and-a-half drive to the nearest small city, which includes the nearest bookstore. Few parents are financially able to drive their children to pick out new books. Teacher, too, are faced with the challenge of supplying books. There are three classrooms for this K-6 school, and each teacher is responsible for creating a library in his/her own classroom. Having the ability to pick books from PaperBackSwap would greatly diversify and expand each student’s access to more books.

Books and reading are a huge part of the lives of Whitethorn attendees. Some students ride the bus for an hour to get to school, and often bring books to make the ride go faster. Due to the rural nature of the school’s population, many students do not have television or internet in their homes, and therefore rely of reading for their entertainment. Because reading is such an important part of the lives of Whitethorn students, the teachers are always seeking new material to share with the kids. Students turn in weekly reading logs and can receive new books for their efforts. The donations made by PaperBackSwap members could help by taking some of the financial pressure off the teachers who supply these motivating incentives.

The students at Whitethorn would individually benefit in having access to books they are interested in, further promoting literacy and their relationship with reading. Expanding the number and quality of books available would also excite kids working together to learn to read, as we have the upper grades pair with the younger grades in buddy reading. In addition to supporting the students at this school, a wider variety of books would be welcome for the community members that come each week and work one-on-one with struggling readers.

The parents, teachers, and community members of Whitethorn are doing everything we can to support literacy and get kids excited about reading. If PaperBackSwap members can help up with our goals, by sending us the most important tool of access to good books, we would greatly appreciate it.

Julie Johansen, Principal

Teal Henninger 4/5/6 teacher at Whitethorn School

We hit our goal!

Let's help Mariam Boyd Elementary School

meet its Book Drive goal!

My name is Domonique Garland and I am currently a student teacher at Mariam Boyd Elementary School. The School is located in the county seat of rural Warren County, Warrenton, North Carolina.  Warren County is located in the northeastern corner of the Piedmont region approximately sixty miles northeast of Raleigh and Durham and bordering Virginia.  Mariam Boyd Serves an attendance area in the central part of the county and educates approximately thirty percent of the county’s pre-kindergarten through fifth grade public school children.  Our school is a Title One school with a free and reduced lunch rate that exceeds the ninetieth percentile. Our students are bused to our school from rural areas, the municipality of Warrenton housing projects and mobile housing units. 

During the duration of my student teaching, I would like to host an event that will support the children in the community. Many of Mariam Boyd School's families derive their income from industrial employment and manufacturing, especially since industry is slowly expanding in Warren County and neighboring counties. A significant number of our parents work in state and local employment, such as prisons and other government positions, small owner-operated businesses, service employment and retail trade. All teachers visited the homes of each student prior to the start of school and one thing we realized is that many students do not have books within the home.

My mission is to have a book drive so that I am able to provide every student within this school at least one book. There are currently 380 students enrolled in Mariam Boyd Elementary School who would love to have a book that they can have ownership of and read on their leisure.  With your donations, we can make this happen! 

Thanks for considering us,

Domonique Garland

We are so very honored to be considered as a participant for the Paper Back Swap book donation program.  We are pleased to be able to present our students with personal copies of their favorite stories. We are looking forward to sharing the joy of reading within our school community.  We would like to provide teachers with new books to enhance their classroom libraries. These books will become a permanent part of the classroom library and will be enjoyed by students for years to come.  Thank you for your consideration and generosity.

Sincerely,

Sheila Scott, Media Specialist Mariam Boyd Elementary School

Each One, Read One

Thanks to the generous donation of books from PaperBackSwap. each student at Mariam Boyd Elementary School will receive a book to call their own.  Many of our students come from very disadvantaged backgrounds and do not have the resources to buy books.  The book donation from PaperBackSwap will help our students read more, and knowing that they can keep the book will be an exciting experience for many of them.

This gift will hopefully strengthen our students' ability to read and encourage reading for enjoyment. A supplementary gift of books to classroom libraries will be greatly appreciated as well.  Many teachers use personal funds to increase the number of books in their classrooms.  Funds that would have otherwise been used for books will not be utilized for other needed classroom material.

Norma Retzlaff, Fourth Grade Teacher

We hit our goal!

Aurora School is in rural West Virginia and they need books!

I am so pleased to hear that you currently are offering a program that would allow small schools with small budgets an opportunity to receive books at no charge on the primary level, such as the one that I am currently the Title I Reading Specialist at.

  Our school, Aurora School, is in a very rural area of West Virginia where job opportunities since the departure of the coal industry many years ago have become very limited.  Families often do not have monies that they use to purchase books for their children, and the only source of books comes from the in-house library that we have in our school.  This library has no librarian, and has had no librarian for many years now due to lack of funding.  Also there has been no funding for the purchase of books to expand the library we do have, again do to the lack of funding. 

This school has a free and reduced lunch population of slightly higher than the mid sixty percent of students.  There is no active community library for the families to use, so if they do choose to seek out a library for their students or their preschool children to find books on their appropriate reading levels, they must travel to the nearest library located across the state border in Oakland, Maryland.

  Last spring I started a seven week program with our preschool children and a parent or childcare provider.  I had to seek out funding to purchase board books for the preschoolers to have some books to take to their homes to have read by parents as part of my task to pulling off that program.  I know just how vital being read to in the early years of life is to the success of reading when the child begins the formal school setting. 

  I do hope that you will find our school to be one in which you believe worthy of sharing your wonderful book gifts with.
 
Sincerely,
Krista Hayes, Aurora School Title I Reading

The purpose of this letter is to give you some background about our school and the students.  We are a school of 119 students grades Pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade.  The school is part of the Preston County School system that has a total population of 4,200 students in a county that covers 650 square miles.  Aurora School is approximately 30 miles from the county seat of Kingwood and has been designated an isolated school by the West Virginia Department of Education.  Preston County is a rural county with a total population of just under 30,000 in which approximately 40-50% of the population lives below the poverty line and Aurora School has a free and reduce lunch program that assists 62% of our students.  Books from your program will assist our school greatly.  We are unable to send photos of the students, but have included one of our principal.

Thank you,

Michelle Liga

We hit our goal!

Mt. Hermon School in Washington Parish, LA is ready to put the fun back into reading!

We are a rural school with an extremely small tax base, so funding for books is just not there.  The little amount of money we do get is spread over the pre K-12 school, and it doesn't even cover our text book costs so buying "extra" books isn't a possibility.  We have 76% of our students eligible for free or reduced lunch.

At MHS, we strongly believe that our current education system has been sucking the fun out of reading over the past ten years.  Kids think it is a chore - something they have to do.  They don't understand it can be so much fun! - just as much fun as watching a good movie.  Last year, we began a campaign to put the fun back in reading.  We surveyed our students to find out what they are interested in.  Since then, we've been trying to purchase books on those topics.  We are providing time for teachers to read high interest books aloud to their students every day as well as giving students time to read a book of choice themselves.  They choose a book and keep it as long as they need to. 

They're allowed to take a book home, on trips, to lunch, anywhere...as long as they are reading.  If the kids start a book and decide they don't want to finish it, that's ok too.  As adults, we abandon books all the time.  We are trying to turn our kids into life long readers.  If we can do that, we've got it made.  After all, wide reading is how you get smart!  That is why we are desperately trying to get books by any means possible. 

Thank you, PaperBackSwap members for your donations! 

Stacey Breaud,  Literacy Coach

We hit our goal!

MacArthur Elementary in New York was hit by the flood in September 2011

Wednesday September 7^th, 2011 was the first day of school for excited new and current students at MacArthur Elementary school in Broome County. Within hours, a natural disaster occurred in Binghamton, NY and the surrounding areas. Several hundred people lost their homes and places of employment. MacArthur school had 4 ½ feet of water inside the school which has resulted in the school being contaminated, with possibly several years of displacement for the students and staff. The community has opened its arms to provide alternate sites for the students to attend. Unfortunately approximately 600 students are now separated into three different schools within the city.   

Besides the building being damaged, just about everything had to be disposed of due to the contamination. This includes all text books, library books, workbooks, and student records. This alone is a sufficient loss not to mention the expense and loss of the entire computer and smart board systems.

The school is a very close knit community of students and staff. The teachers have had to scrape together what they could from other schools and use their own money to make an environment that would be warm and inviting, as well conducive to learning. After only 12 days of getting the new schools ready for the students, school for MacArthur students finally resumed on September 19^th at their “temporary locations”.

It will take years before the school building and contents are replaced. Not to mention the enormous cost of rebuilding. Donations of new books from the Paperback Swap community would help with the rebuilding process for both the school library as well as the classroom libraries for the students to enjoy.

Please strongly consider helping MacArthur recover and begin to rebuild the students' love for reading!

Thank you!

Maria McIver, Principal

Andrea Barnett, teacher

We hit our goal!

P.S. 153 Helen Keller School students in the Bronx, New York, are ready for a richer reading experience and would love new books!

The Helen Keller school is a Bronx-located, high-needs school. (100% lunch-funded) These kids need more books for their classroom libraries- especially for grades 2-4.

Remember when you were a kid and your teacher introduced you to all sorts of adventures in reading? I do. For me, it was was Huckleberry Finn and Nancy Drew.

The inner-city general ed students at PS 153 are all 100% lunch-funded. That means that ours is a high-poverty school. These children are ready to read chapter books! That means they need to immerse themselves in age-appropriate exciting fiction stories as well as nonfiction.  Every year we ask parents to help their kids with this project, and every year there are many students whose parents simply cannot come up with money for books.

Sure, the public library has just about everything, but kids need easy access to good books right at the school. We would like to make it possible for every one of our students to have access to a variety of  books across all genres.
 

You can make this happen! Know that your donation will make possible a richer learning experience for many students who so desperately need the opportunities and adventures good reading can provide them. Thank you so much!

Janet Gonzalez, teacher

P.S. 153

We hit our goal!

Let's help this rural Alaskan school with new books for the students!

This rural Alaskan school is only accessible by lane. The nearest bookstore is 500 miles and $1000 dollars away. The poverty rate at this school is incredibly high, all students in the school receive free or reduced lunch. The Inupiaq Eskimo students who go to this school like to read, but have no access to books.

Living in a 300 person Alaskan village that is only accessible by plane, our school's students don't have many of the opportunities that students in the rest of the country do. The students can't even go to a bookstore- the nearest one is two plane flights and over $700 away! It is incredibly expensive for us to get new books here because everything has to be shipped in. Even if we had a bookstore, students might not be able to buy books because the majority of my students are in poverty and all receive free school lunch.  To give you an idea of the level of poverty: in our village we still have homes that do not having running water! Our Title I school serves 100 students in grades K-12 and the vast majority of the students are Native Alaskans. Outside of school many students and their families participate in a subsistence lifestyle, hunting, fishing, and gathering plants to sustain their family through the long winter.

Although my students face disadvantages due to their isolation in rural Alaska, they are an enthusiastic bunch. Many students stay after school daily to read books of their choice.  Perhaps because we have so few new books, whenever new books do arrive students become incredibly excited and read them immediately.  The staff at the school has worked closely with the community to build a reading culture and a love of reading. Now, we just need more books to continue this wonderful love of reading among our students!     

Thank you for your donations to our school!

Erika Schneider, teacher

We hit our goal!

Denver, Colorado's Greenwood Elementary students are

so eager for new books to read...

The students who attend Greenwood ECE-8 do not have very many resources. All of our students live in the high poverty area of the Far NorthEast region of Denver, CO. There are no nearby bookstores.
 
90% of our school's population lives in poverty.
95% of our school recieves free or reduced fee lunch.
99% of our school are English Language Learners. (This means that English is not their first language).
 
Our library is capable of receving large volumes of books and is highly organized. We hope the generosity of the members of PaperBackSwap.com can help our library grow and expand --- so the minds of our Greenwood students can, in turn, grow and expand.

Greenwood is SO thrilled to be a part of the PaperBack Swap School Donation Program. Thank you, members, for your generosity! Your love of reading will DEFNITELY be passed onto our Greenwood students, as they start receiving books!  I love being a part of the PaperbackSwap.com community and truly am SO excited for my school to be a part of this amazing opportunity! The kids are going to be SO excited! I can’t wait to see their faces when they get Scholastic books!

Jenny Hensley
PaperBacksSwap.com member
ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher

Greenwood students are passionate readers who are working hard to read at or above the grade level expectation.  In order to accomplish their goals the students need books to read in the classroom and at home.  Books for Greenwood students’ could have a tremendous impact on their success now and in the future!
 
Mrs. Weaver, 4/5th grade Gifted and Talented Teacher

Many students are without home libraries and could use as many books in the classroom to help them become life-long readers!  Classroom are always in need of high-interest books to reach the reluctant readers!

 Raul Cano, 3rd Grade teacher

The love of reading is a core focus at Greenwood. To foster this our children need books that they are interested in and can read. While teaching about the solar system, my students are literally fighting over the few books that I have. I would love for all of the kids to have science  books to enrich what I am teaching and  practice reading in Spanish and English.

 Kristin Beattie, 3rd grade Math/Science

We hit our goal!

Our school lost many books in the September 2011 Flood

Owego Elementary School is a Pre-K 5 building with a population of 600 students.  We are located in the Southern Tier of New York State along the beautiful Susquehanna River.  Our student population is very diverse economically.  We are a Title One School with around 50% of our students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The economy in general in our area is not good.  Very few new jobs have been created and many families have members who have lost jobs or know of friends who have.  Despite the poor economy, I feel that our parents truly value their children and try their best to provide them with things they need.  Even so, many of our children have very few books in their homes.  Our students rely on us to provide them with good books to read at school and to take home at night to read. 

Owego Elementary has a rich literary tradition.  We have provided Reading Recovery, one of the most successful, research supported interventions for first grade readers to our at risk population for the past 18 years.  In addition to our commitment Reading Recovery, we are a Literacy Collaborative School that is affiliated with Lesley University.  Through our affiliation, we provide ongoing training to all of our teachers in research supported, best literacy practice.   We have spent the last 15 years building state of the art book rooms for reading instruction, classroom libraries, and read aloud texts.

On September 7, 2011, the entire Southern Tier was hit by record breaking flooding.  The village of Owego was hit the hardest with large numbers of homes and businesses destroyed.  Three of the schools in our district received flood damage.  Owego Elementary School was hit the hardest taking in over 3 feet of water.  We are currently located in an alternative building 15 miles from our village.  Some of our books were salvaged from our flooded building.  We have lost around 40% of our book collections and need to replace them.  Your donations will be a big help in restoring our book collection!

Sincerely,

Laurie McKeveny, Principal

Denise Burts, Primary Literacy Coordinator

Brittany Dodge, Intermediate Literacy Coordinator

We hit our goal!

Mission Manor Elementary students in Tucson, Arizona welcome new books!

Mission Manor Elementary school is located in the south of Tucson. We have an enrollment of 686 fabulous students. Our population is 95% Hispanic and 90% free and reduced lunch. We are part of the Sunnyside School District which also includes a large homeless population.

Our parents are very involved with the school and have a strong desire for their students to receive an exceptional education. Based on their life situations they understand the importance that education plays in the life of a child.

Our community is one of humble people with a variety of needs. Our families appreciate all we do for them and will be happy recipients of any books you would donate to us. Please consider our school. It will be well worth the investment. Thank you!

Lilly DeBlieux, Principal

Renae Hipple, Librarian

"A book is the most effective weapon against intolerance and ignorance."

--Lyndon Baines Johnson--

We hit our goal!

Liberty Elementary students in Spangle, Washington

thank you for thinking of them!

Liberty Elementary is part of the Liberty School District located in Eastern Washington 4 miles from the town of Spangle just south of Spokane. There are 224 students K-6 in our very rural school. We are a large district area-wise, but as you can see still a small school.

Our school is surrounded by fields and we even have a small ranch with cows across the road on one side. Many of our families work in agriculture in some fashion. We grow a lot of wheat and lentils. Due to the recent economy, we have many families facing poverty and unemployment, but you would never know it to see our students. They come to school excited and ready to learn.

Receiving the gift of books for our students is a HUGE help for our students creating more access to reading and achieving a better education. WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR GIFT!

Lori Johnson, Principal

This is small school in a very large rural area in Eastern Washington, so we draw a lot of students from more economically challenged families. A lot of farmers or agricultural jobs but many unemployed. Receiving books would be a wonderful treat for all of our students and very much appreciated. Budgets are tight and we try to do fund raising to get books into the hands of students, but in these economic times and the cost of even discounted books, we do not seem to reach as many as we would like. Thank you for this opportunity.

Rhonda Veile

We hit our goal!

PS 233 Langston Hughes Elementary in Brooklyn, NY

can't wait for books of their own!

I have taught at Public School 233, The Langston Hughes School, for twenty three years. I have seen how school funding is constantly being cut. These cuts are damaging to the welfare of our students. Our school population is comprised of General Education, Special Education and English Language Learners. Several of these students come from Foster Homes or from low income, single parent households.

No matter the home situation or class placement all of these students have a love of books and reading. Our school is a Title One school. This means that most of the students receive free lunch. This is based upon family size and income. There are approximately 700 students in our school. We service students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through grade five.

To help improve our standardized test scores, our school offers tutorial services to all students in grades two through five. Also, children in grades one through five receive AIS services. This is a pull-out program that offers extra help to low performing students.

Most teachers offer monthly book club order. The response is very poor. Parents do not have the means to purchase new books. I am asking for the help of PaperbackSwap. We would like to provide each student with age appropriate books that they can take home and treasure. Having PaperbackSwap as a source of backing would be amazing. Our children are working very diligently to achieve their goals. They deserve to be given a reward for their hard work and effort.

Thank You,

Kandi Cohen

Kindergarten Grade Leader PS233, The Langston Hughes School

We hit our goal!

Milwaukee Wisconsin's Highland Community School welcomes the chance for new books!

Highland is unique among the educational offerings in Milwaukee, and indeed the state, in that we are a parent-run, Montessori, public charter school. We are a school with happy, dynamic students and a bedrock of parent involvement.

Highland Community School was founded upon principles of social justice and equality. The Montessori methodology fosters each child’s independence while empowering them to reach towards their full potential. The HCS Montessori philosophy embraces the whole child, and with that, the student’s connection and place in the world. Environmental issues, world cultures, politics and social justice concerns are addressed within the classroom.

Our school starts at 18 months until 6th grade. Our students are 41% free and reduced lunch. Our student population is 60% African American, 29% White. Our attendance rate topped 96% last year, and our mobility rate was less than 1%. 92% of surveyed alumni go on to post-secondary education.

We are happy to be part of the Paperback Swap program, and our students eagerly open any books we place in front of them! Thank you for help in making this happen.

Kim Miller

Community Involvement & Resource Development

Highland Community School

We hit our goal!

We love to read, says NC's Parkview A+ Magnet School students!

Parkview Expressive Arts Elementary Magnet is a Title One school, located in High Point, NC. Parkview was one of the original A+ Cultural Arts Magnet Schools that opened in 1995. Our school serves students ranging from four year olds through 5th graders. The qualifying free and reduced lunch students make up 92% of our population.

We offer students an opportunity to learn and express what they have learned in multiple ways. All students enrolled at Parkview participate in our A+ magnet emphasis. Students study and master the North Carolina Standard Course of Study while experiencing a collaborative teaching effort between classroom teachers, our cultural arts specialists (dance, drama, music, and art) and physical education. While providing opportunities for students to show what they know, reading is a vital part of their success in school. A large number of our students do not have books in their homes and our teachers need as many books in their classrooms as possible.

Your kindness will put books in the hands of our children. Research has shown that successful readers read and read and read. We want to give our students that chance for success. Thank you from all our students!

Choose to be Excellent!!

Bryan Johnson, Ed.D.

Principal, Parkview Elementary

We hit our goal!

The Cougars of Carmel Elementary in California are eager readers!

I have worked as the Library Media Specialist at Carmel Elementary for the past 10 years, and now I am so privileged to have my own two kids attend here as well. Our students have such a love of reading, many despite being English language learners, coping with difficult financial circumstances, living in foster care or with grandparents, or dealing with learning disabilities.

Despite these disadvantages and many more, our students love to learn and work very hard. We are all very proud to say that our state test scores have climbed higher than we ever anticipated! I see our students come to the library searching for just the right book every single day (some several times a day), and believe me, they know what they like! I love being able to make their eyes light up when I have exactly what they are looking for, and sadly that is happening less and less.

Unfortunately, California has had such major budget cuts over the last several years that the number of books I am able to buy for them is pitifully small. Our collection is becoming well worn and outdated quickly, and we all know how fast this can happen. The majority of our students come from families of very little means, who are not able to buy new books for them to have at home. Also, we live in a semi-rural area, and our public library is not only very small, but many miles away. What all of this amounts to is basically this. My library books are falling apart and outdated. Our students can't afford to buy their own new books and our school budget doesn't allow me to purchase new ones for our library.

Having PaperbackSwap sponsor us would be such an amazing opportunity for our students. They work so hard, and I really believe they deserve to be rewarded. What better reward could they have than some new books and some new friends too?! Thank you so much for this opportunity to tell you our story.

Alison Hammond

Media Specialist, Carmel Elementary

We hit our goal!

Greetings from Greenfield, Missouri!

Our little elementary school is located in the Ozark mountains of southwest Missouri. We are the home of the Wildcats.  Our school  is Pre-K through 6th grade and has an approximately 68% free and reduced food program population.

We don't have large industries in our community to help support the school. We are trying to keep up with the demands of technology without sacrificing the needs of our reading books. With all the state required fees for license, copyrights, etc. the money doesn't go very far.

At our school we try to reward students for their reading efforts. We have a 100 pt. reading club to earn ice cream, a pizza reading reward, and we let them print out their records to help keep track of each and every book that they have ever read. With all the budget cuts our school district has experienced there is no money for extras. We would be thrilled to receive new books from PaperBackSwap!

We use the Accelerated Reader quiz program and the students are really hooked on reading and then taking the tests on the books they have read. We could always use more books! Thanks for considering our school.

Sincerely,

Cheri Walters, Elementary Principal

We hit our goal!

La France Elementary students in SC  look forward to starting their very own libraries with your gift!

Thank you Paperbackswap.com for providing us with this wonderful opportunity to enrich our students’ lives through the wonderful world of books. Your generosity could provide our students with their first chance to begin a personal library at home.

La France Elementary is a Title One school, located in rural S.C. We have a very diverse population of students who come from mainly middle class and lower class families who are struggling in the economic climate of our country. Our school serves students ranging from four year olds through 6th graders. The qualifying free and reduced lunch students make up 41 % of our population.

While our parents try to be very supportive of their children, purchasing books must take a back seat to providing the basic essentials of life. Severe budget cuts imposed on our public education system this year make it difficult for any additional book purchases. So the bottom line is: our children need books and we don’t have the funds to provide them. Your kindness will put books in the hands of our children. Research has shown that successful readers read and read and read. We want to give our students that chance for success. Thank you from all our students!

Hope Atyeo, Principal

We hit our goal!

Stewart Elementary students in Chicago are looking forward to new books for

Family Reading Night!

The children of Graeme Stewart Elementary have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. How do these visions get in their heads: reading, reading reading ! And of course, Christmas is near. We are grateful for your generosity during these difficult times. 1000 books for our student body is an amazing gift.

Our children are children of the Uptown Community. The Stewart student body is about 57% African-American, 37% Hispanic, and 6% other. At least 98% of our children are below the poverty level and about 30% of our students transition in-and-out of homeless shelters. Given these demographics you can begin to understand the enormous excitement that your act of generosity will engender. I want to reiterate how grateful we are to you and the fact that you have chosen Stewart Elementary students!

Our students will use these books to read early in the morning when they arrive nearly an hour before school begins. Perhaps we will begin a morning and/or after school book club. With certainty, we will use the books during Family Reading Night. Our students may not have the means to go places in the physical world, but they have the ability to transport themselves to wonderful worlds through reading. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Juliet Rempa, Principal

I am the Assistant Principal at Graeme Stewart School. I would just like to tell you how grateful I am that you considered Stewart School for the  PaperBackSwap book donation program!

We plan on using the books a few different ways. Depending on the grade level of the books we receive, we would like to use them during our Family Reading Night. We give every child that participates in this event a book to take home. Students really look forward to getting a new book after a wonderful night of enjoying books with their families, friends, and teachers.

I also teach a small 7th and 8th grade reading class. We read novels and have rich discussions about the novels we read. I would like to provide a few new titles for my groups to read this year. They have a wide variety of interests. Based on their interests I would like to share new novels with my students.

Finally, we would like to provide teachers with new books for their classroom libraries. These books will become a permanent part of the classroom library and will be enjoyed by students for many years.

Again, thank you for this generous donation to our school. Our students, staff, and parents will be forever grateful for this wonderful gift.

Dawn Orlando, Assistant Principal Graeme Stewart School

We hit our goal!

 Cape View Elementary School, Cape Canaveral, Florida

Home of the Rockets!

Cape View is a unique Title 1 school. Cape View Elementary opened in 1964 during the peak of America's race to space. We are located in the city of Cape Canaveral and across the street from the Atlantic Ocean. Our students and faculty are treated to wonderfully exciting views of shuttle and rocket launches from our school grounds.

The student population of Cape View Elementary consists mainly of families earning at below the average income of Brevard County. Many of our children reside in rental properties and small apartments within the community.  Some of our students come from single-parent homes. It is difficult for these sole providers to have the time, or necessary means, to play an active role in their child's education. Cape View students  range from Pre-kindergarten to sixth grade, of which 41% are participants in the free and reduced lunch program.

The campus has 8 buildings connected by open walkways and a central courtyard. The administrative building contains the media center. There is a The computer lab, art room, and music room centrally located so that all classrooms have easy access. Our school cafeteria serves breakfast and lunch each day. In addition it is used for awards assemblies, programs, school wide events, and is home to the before/after school care program. Cape View, in an effort to continue the legacy of the Space and Science Industry, formed a partnership with the Florida Space Authority in 2003. Two classrooms were renovated and reopened as the Captain Winston E. Scott Science and Technology Center. Captain Winston Scott has flown on 2 shuttle missions, and logged 3 space flights.

Cape View Elementary School provides a high-quality staff committed to teaching all students with excellence as the standard.  We are looking forward to partnering with Paperback Swap to increase the reading material in our media center, as well as provide resources for the teachers.  We are so excited to be a part of PaperBackSwap's Book Donation Program.  The students and families will greatly benefit and be so appreciative of these gifts of books.

sincerely,

Pamela Blount, Principal

We hit our goal!

Hello from Highlander Charter School in Providence, Rhode Island!

Highlander is an urban charter school with 285 students in grades K-8 located in the heart of Providence. Rhode Island.   Our school is a place that inspires and addresses the intellectual, physical, emotional, and social aspects of all its students. Our school was founded on the principle that strong teacher/student relationships, a balanced curriculum and a supportive environment, are central to educational achievement, particularly for economically disadvantaged students.

Approximately 75% of the students are low income. This year, High FIVE, the school’s parent organization, is challenging the students to read one million minutes beginning in October and ending in reading week in April. We want to show the students that reading can be fun and rewarding! We are offering incentive prizes along the way, as the students reach their milestones. We have one fundraiser a year and it pays for family events throughout the year.

We would love to be able to give our hard working readers new books to cherish for years to come! Thank you for considering Highlander Charter School as part of your donation program. Your generosity will be felt for years to come as the children grow a stronger passion for reading.

Rose Mary Grant, Highlander Charter School

We hit our goal!

. Stevenson Elementary students in Northeast Alabama are excited about new books!

Stevenson Elementary is a wonderful school  nestled on the banks of the Tennessee River in the Jackson County School District in Northeast Alabama.   Our school is part of the rural community of Stevenson, Alabama. We are surrounded by mountains, the river and farmland. Our area is known for its history and warm-hearted citizens.school  Stevenson Elementary services kindergarten through fourth grade students with a population of 392 students. The student population of our school consists of 74% Caucasian, 15% African-American and 5% other nationalities including American Indians.

We are a Title I school with 53% of the students participating in the free lunch program and 11% of the students participating in the reduced lunch program. Many of our families are native to the area. Many teachers have taught children of their former students. Our school participates in many reading program that require children to have adequate access to reading materials at their grade level. Due to budget cuts, the classroom teachers have not received state money in two years. This makes it difficult for teachers to supply their classroom libraries with books for their students. All children deserve the opportunity to have access to reading materials. With your help, our students will be supplied with the much needed reading materials. Thank you in advance for your support.

Linda Allen, Principal

Thank you so much for considering the donation of books to our school. My students love to read and are very excited when we receive new books in our classroom. As a 1st grade teacher, I understand the importance of learning to read. Reading can set the stage for success at a very early age. Research has shown that when students read for 20 minutes a day, they are exposed to one million words per year. Thank you in advance for exposing my wonderful students to the joys of reading and the opportunity to grow into successful readers!

Sincerely,

Ashley Morris 1st grade teacher Stevenson Elementary

We hit our goal!

From the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.....

Little Wound Elementary students look forward to new books!

Pilamaya (thank you) in advance from the Mustangs of Little Wound School! Little Wound Elementary School is located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in western South Dakota. We are a locally-controlled school funded through the Bureau of Indian Education. We have a student population of almost 300 in kindergarten through 5th grade.

Nearly all of our students are Lakota. Our students grow up in challenging circumstances. Over 90% of people on the reservation live below the poverty line. Many families live in sub-standard housing that can lack running water, heat, or electricity. More than half of all youth drop out before graduating high school. All students receive free lunch. Despite these challenges, our students come to school eager to learn.

Over the past few years, great things have started happening with literacy at our school. Students have become more excited about reading, they have more confidence in their reading abilities, and they are beginning to see ways that literacy can lead to a better life for themselves and can benefit their community. Our school library is small, however, and most students have limited reading material at home.

We are thrilled to have this opportunity to partner with PaperBackSwap in order to build our library and have books for students to take home. Little Wound School was named after Chief Little Wound, one of the Oglala Sioux Chiefs who believed education was the answer to a better future for the people. Every day students, teachers, and staff at Little Wound School come together to work for that better future. Thank you for partnering with us to make that future a reality.

Cecelia Haas, School Reform Little Wound School 

We hit our goal!

Mendenhall Elementary readers in Plano, Texas love books!

Mendenhall is a Title 1 elementary school with students in K to 5th grades. The school is a part of Plano ISD and is located on the east side of Plano, TX (North of Dallas). The school has approximately 525 students and 75% receive free or reduced lunches.

Our 501(c)(3) non-profit, My Very Own Book, runs a reading incentive program in this Title 1 elementary school. Students read outside of school hours, record their minutes, and turn them in to their teacher. Every six weeks period they are rewarded for minutes read with a Bronze, Silver, or Gold certificate and a new book of their choice. We provide the school with more than double the number of new books they need to set up the “free bookstore” so the students have a great selection from which to choose.

This program motivates students to read, increases literacy skills, and puts new books into the homes of families who often can’t afford to purchase their own new books. Students are developing a deep connection to literature and are on the road to becoming lifelong readers. 61% of families in low-income neighborhoods have no children’s books in their homes.

Thank you to all Paperback Swap members for donating credits to help us provide new books to students who have earned them by reading! To learn more about My Very Own Book, go to www.myveryownbook.org.

Kelley Van Auken, Executive Director

We hit our goal!

Elisha M. Pease Elementary students in Dallas, Texas can't wait for new books!

Elisha M. Pease is a Title 1 elementary school with students in Pre-K to 3rd grades. The school is a part of Dallas ISD and is located in Southeast Dallas, TX. The school has over 400 students and 95% receive free or reduced lunches. Pease’s mission is to “strive for excellence academically, morally and socially.”

As a non-profit running a reading incentive program in their school, My Very Own Book has seen how they work hard to fulfill this mission. In our program, the Pease students read outside of school hours and are rewarded every six weeks for minutes read with a certificate and a new book of their choice. We provide the school with more than double the number of new books they need to set up the “free bookstore” so the students have a great selection from which to choose.

We all know that school staff have so much to do, yet when they find a program they believe will help their students they are eager to put in the extra effort to implement it. Pease staff recognized this program motivates students to read, increases literacy skills, and puts new books into the homes of families who often can’t afford to purchase their own new books.

Thank you to all Paperback Swap members for donating credits to help Elisha M. Pease strive for excellence by providing new books to students who have earned them by reading! To learn more about My Very Own Book, go to www.myveryownbook.org.

Kelley Van Auken, Executive Director

We hit our goal!

Maria Moreno Elementary students in Dallas, Texas are excited about new books!

Maria Moreno is a Title 1 elementary school with students in Pre-K to 6th grades. The school is a part of Dallas ISD and is located in Southwest Dallas, TX. The administration and staff of Maria Moreno are determined to meet their goal of every student achieving a minimum of one year’s academic growth every year.

Forty-four teachers are working with the population of approximately 650 students, 89% on receive free or reduced lunches and 54% with limited English, to achieve this goal. They offer after school tutoring at every grade level four days of the week throughout the year and solicit help from non-profits to enrich their curriculum.

Our non-profit, My Very Own Book, assists with this endeavor with our reading incentive program. Students read outside of school hours and are rewarded every six weeks for minutes read with a certificate and a new book of their choice. We provide the school with more than double the number of new books they need to set up the “free bookstore” so the students have a great selection from which to choose. The program works to motivate students to read, increase literacy skills, and put new books into the homes of families who often can’t afford to purchase their own new books.

Thank you to all Paperback Swap members for donating credits to help this amazingly determined group of teachers and students.

Kelley Van Auken, Exeutive Director

We hit our goal!

Spring Valley Elementary School in Dallas, Texas would love new books!

Spring Valley is a Title 1 elementary school with students in Pre-K to 6th grades. The school is physically located in North Dallas, TX, but is a part of Richardson ISD. The school has approximately 400 students and 98% receive free or reduced lunches.

Our 501(c)(3) non-profit, My Very Own Book, runs a reading incentive program in this Title 1 elementary school. Students read outside of school hours, record their minutes, and turn them in to their teacher. Every six weeks period they are rewarded for minutes read with a Bronze, Silver, or Gold certificate and a new book of their choice. We provide the school with more than double the number of new books they need to set up the “free bookstore” so the students have a great selection from which to choose.

This program motivates students to read, increases literacy skills, and puts new books into the homes of families who often can’t afford to purchase their own new books. Students are developing a deep connection to literature and are on the road to becoming lifelong readers. 61% of families in low-income neighborhoods have no children’s books in their homes.

Thank you to all Paperback Swap members for donating credits to help us provide new books to students who have earned them by reading! To learn more about My Very Own Book, go to www.myveryownbook.org.

Kelley Van Auken, Executive Director

We hit our goal!

Audelia Creek in Dallas, Texas needs your help!

Audelia Creek is a Title 1 elementary school with students in Pre-K to 6th grades. The school is physically located in North Dallas, TX, but is a part of Richardson ISD. The school has approximately 600 students and 79% receive free or reduced lunches.

Our 501(c)(3) non-profit, My Very Own Book, runs a reading incentive program in this Title 1 elementary school. Students read outside of school hours, record their minutes, and turn them in to their teacher. Every six weeks period they are rewarded for minutes read with a Bronze, Silver, or Gold certificate and a new book of their choice. We provide the school with more than double the number of new books they need to set up the “free bookstore” so the students have a great selection from which to choose.

This program motivates students to read, increases literacy skills, and puts new books into the homes of families who often can’t afford to purchase their own new books. Students are developing a deep connection to literature and are on the road to becoming lifelong readers. 61% of families in low-income neighborhoods have no children’s books in their homes.

Thank you to all Paperback Swap members for donating credits to help us provide new books to students who have earned them by reading! To learn more about My Very Own Book, go to www.myveryownbook.org.

Kelley Van Auken, Executive Director