LYNCHBURG, Va. – Six elementary schools in Lynchburg are diving into a Read-A-Thon that started on February 26 and runs through March 7, aligning with Read Across America Week. The schools—Bedford Hills, Paul Munro, Perrymont, Robert S. Payne, Sandusky, and T.C. Miller—have set an ambitious goal to collectively read 668,999 minutes.
This effort also aims to raise funds for their Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs). Last year, these schools read over 457,000 minutes and raised more than $40,000 from 1,082 supporters.
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Each school has its own reading target and a dashboard to track progress:
- Bedford Hills Elementary: 199,999 minutes with 387 students. Track progress
- Paul Munro Elementary: 150,000 minutes with 349 students. Track progress
- Perrymont Elementary: 55,000 minutes with 354 students. Track progress
- Robert S. Payne Elementary: 100,000 minutes with 472 students. Track progress
- Sandusky Elementary: 100,000 minutes with 296 students. Track progress
- T.C. Miller Elementary: 64,000 minutes with 159 students. Track progress
Sponsors like Bank of the James, Children’s Dentistry and Orthodontics of Lynchburg, and Givens Books & Little Dickens are backing the event. Dawn Wise, Executive Director of the Lynchburg City Schools Education Foundation, emphasized the importance of nurturing a love of reading early on.
To celebrate, schools will host events where top readers in grades K-1, 2-3, and 4-5 can win prizes like scooters, helmets, and attraction passes. Classes with the most minutes read will enjoy an ice cream party in May.
The events at each school will also feature themed spirit days, college student mentors, celebrity readers, and special guests, including the Hillcats mascot, Southpaw, to keep the excitement for reading alive!