Read-a-thon

How to get started: On Sunday Feb 1, your child's login username and password will be emailed to the parent email address listed as the primary contact on their class roster. Check your email on Sunday so you can help your child create their account and start recording their reading. (The email can only be sent to one parent email address, so if you don't see it, check your other parent email address! If you can't find it, email whecesreadathon@gmail.com to ask for your login info.) You'll need to authorize their account so they can participate, and we'd love it if you can help them send at least one email requesting a sponsor. Follow the instructions in the email, or check out these help pages to see how to get started:

How To Authorize Your Child's Account: https://readafun.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4406796960020-Authorize-your-child-s-account

How to Invite Sponsors: https://readafun.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4406796817428-Invite-mentors-and-sponsors 

Kids read any book they like (or have a parent read aloud to them, that counts too!), and record how many minutes they spend reading each day on the online platform at readafun.com. (Please help them be honest about how much time they spend reading!) They work their way through "levels" and earn "coins" they can use to decorate their owl avatar with accessories to keep things fun. They can see and comment on what their classmates are reading and cheer on their buddies (but moderators are always watching, so no mean comments allowed). Review the rules below with your child to make sure they understand how to keep things fun and fair!

Prizes will be awarded based on class reading totals rather than individual, so the more kids in your class are participating, the better their class's chance to win. The top two classes in each grade (by total-minutes-read per student) will receive a free new book for every child! In addition, the top reader and fundraiser in each class will be invited to a special lunch for Read-A-Thon winners hosted in the school garden by Mrs. Desiderio.

In an effort to avoid a few problems we've had in previous years, we've come up with this list of Read-A-Thon Rules. Please review these rules with your child (in an age-appropriate way) and make it clear that moderators will be watching their online behavior, so it's best to play by the rules to keep it fun and fair for everyone.

Read-A-Thon Rules

1.       Log only the minutes you read once the Read-A-Thon starts. You may not log any minutes or books you read before the Read-A-Thon starts on Feb 1. Do not go back in time and log minutes read in the past in order to earn extra coins.

2.       Use a timer, stopwatch, or write down your start and end times when you read. Be accurate! If you enter minute counts that are obviously untrue, your minutes will be taken away.

3.       ANY READING COUNTS. Whether it’s an adult reading to you, you reading out loud to someone else, or you reading by yourself, you can count those minutes.

4.       You may read any book you like. Fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, whatever you enjoy! If you’re not sure what to read, check out what the other students in your class are reading—you might get some good ideas!

5.       Answer questions honestly and in good faith. Making up gibberish answers to questions in order to get extra coins will get your coins taken away. No AI answers allowed; use your own words!

6.       Keep any comments on other students’ reading respectful. The same rules apply online as at school: Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Kind, and Be An Upstander. No profanity, no name-calling. (And yes, moderators are always watching!)

7.       Encourage each other; you all win together! 

If you have any questions or problems along the way, or if you do not receive your child's login information on Sunday, don't hesitate to email whecesreadathon@gmail.com to ask for help. We wish you a safe, healthy, and book-filled February!