William B. Ward Elementary School teachers Angela D'Ambrosio and Amanda D'Amico are ready for the school's annual Readathon.

Ward’s Readathon Kicks Off

Written By: Talk of the Sound News

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — William B. Ward Elementary School kicked off its annual, month-long Readathon today, which included members of the greater New Rochelle community visiting the school to read to students throughout October.

The “I Read!  What’s your Superpower?” campaign is also the school’s largest fundraising event. Organizers are hopeful to exceed the $53,000 raised last year.

Funds raised will allow teachers to have extra funds to enhance students’ learning experience in their classrooms; for special projects that are not covered by school budgets – such as the recent full renovation of the school’s library; and enrichment materials for math, art, science and music.

The Readathon also challenges students to read as many minutes as they can while raising money for Ward. Students will be challenged to collectively read more than the 1.6 million minutes as they did in 2015.

Currently, scheduled guest readers are:

New Rochelle Mayor Noah Bramson

New Rochelle School District Superintendent

Dr. Brian Osborne

New Rochelle Deputy City Manager and

Human Resources Director Omar Small

Singer Rikki Woodlin

Albert Leonard Middle School Principal John Barnes

New Rochelle Barber Corey Davis

TP Toys owner Kemesha Salmon

Members of the New Rochelle Police Department

Members of the New Rochelle Fire Department   

“Our planned events could not have been possible without our community members inspiring the students to read and to sponsor them with their fundraising,” said Melissa Panszi Riebe, a Ward parent and the Readathon’s chair. “We also have a dedicated group of volunteers working with Ward teachers and administrators to ensure students have a fun and memorable experience while showing them how important reading is to their academic careers.”

Watch for more news on Ward’s exciting Readathon events!