08 Oct Schoharie Elementary School set to Read for RMHC-CR
Schoharie Elementary School will be the first school of the 2020-2021 school year to participate in the Read for Ronald McDonald House Charities program, benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Capital Region (RMHC-CR). Through this unique, reading-based community service program, students will have the opportunity to strengthen their reading skills while raising funds to support the children and families served by RMHC-CR.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, RMHC-CR is now offering a completely virtual program to make it as easy as possible for schools and students to Read for Ronald McDonald House Charities. Schoharie Elementary School will be the first to launch the program this year, beginning their reading month on October 13.
“After more than six months dealing with a pandemic, we know that rituals and routines are really important for our children and their families,” said Andrea Polikoski, principal of Schoharie Elementary School. “We’re excited to start our reading month for Ronald McDonald House Charities early in the school year to help students get back in the habit of reading in a way that’s both fun for them and meaningful to others. Our school community has been amazing at adapting during these uncertain times, and we’re happy to be able to support the children and families at RMHC who are dealing with major challenges of their own.”
“We recognize that schools are facing a lot of unknowns this year, so we knew our program would need to be as user-friendly and easy-to-offer as ever,” said Nancy Damato, Read for RMHC-CR program coordinator. “With brand new virtual program materials, we’ve made every effort to ensure that reading for Ronald McDonald House Charities is simple, fun and exciting! We’re extremely grateful to Schoharie Elementary School, and to all our school and business partners, for supporting RMHC-CR and being a part of our story.”
“RMHC has made it so easy to implement the Read for Ronald McDonald House Charities program this year,” added Polikoski. “They’ve given us the tools to present the program in whatever way works best for our students, and we’re looking forward to a great month of reading!”
Read for Ronald McDonald House Charities was developed by RMHC-CR in 2014 to encourage increased reading and volunteer service in elementary and middle schools while raising funds to support the mission of RMHC-CR. Students sign up to read during their school’s selected reading month and invite family and friends to sponsor their efforts. In addition to raising funds for RMHC-CR, participating schools are offered a 10% rebate of funds raised by their students each year. During the 2019-2020 school year, despite the transition to remote learning in mid-March, 67 partner schools and nearly 1,800 students raised more than $126,000 to help RMHC-CR serve children and families facing serious health challenges.
To learn more about the Read for Ronald McDonald House Charities program, and find out how your school or student group can get involved, visit www.rmhcofalbany.org/read or contact Nancy Damato at (518) 438-2655.