Book Fairies help put books in every student's hands
Oct 31, 2018 -- Posted by :By Erin Risovi, Hillsboro Elementary fifth-grade teacher
You’ve heard of Tinkerbell, the Tooth Fairy and Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother.
But have you ever heard of a Book Fairy? Ask any student at Hillsboro Elementary School and they will be able to tell you all about the Book Fairies at our school!
These special people have made it possible for every student to take home a book from the monthly Scholastic book order in many of our classrooms.
The Book Fairy phenomenon all started with scrolling Facebook. While perusing my newsfeed, I stumbled upon a post from a friend in West Fargo. The post stated that she was looking for sponsors for the students in her classroom. It said that for just $9, a person could sponsor one of her students and that student would get a book each month from the book order for the entire year. It was a simple idea and it took off like wildfire! I decided to share the post to my personal Facebook page, and within a half hour, I had all 20 of my students sponsored, and then some! Friends and family from North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming and beyond jumped at the chance to sponsor my students! It was amazing.
I remember being in elementary school and looking forward to the day that the book box would arrive full of books from Scholastic. It was like Christmas morning when my teacher brought that box into the room! I see the same excitement in the faces of my own students when I walk in the door with that red and white box. For some of my students, books just aren’t in the budget for their families, but now, thanks to our Book Fairies, all of my students get to experience that “Christmas morning” feeling.
The Hillsboro Activities Booster Club has established a fund so that all elementary classes have the chance to order books for each one of their students at least once this school year. Many classrooms had more than enough funds for their classroom, so their excess funds also have been deposited into the fund.
Reading is such an important part of learning! We are so thankful that because of our Book Fairies, we have the chance to place books in the hands of all of the students at Hillsboro Elementary School! If you would like the chance to be a Book Fairy, we’re still accepting sponsors into our Book Fairy Fleet. Stop in the elementary school office or give the school a call. Brenda will get you all signed up!
My hope is that this tradition carries on for years to come.