Highcroft Drive Read-a-thon Fundraiser

October 14 - 23, 2026

 

Registration: coming soon 

 Goals + reading husky

 

What is a Read-a-thon?

A Read-a-thon is a literacy-based fundraiser that encourages students to spend more time reading while raising money to support their school. Instead of selling products, students ask family and friends to sponsor their reading efforts through pledges or donations.

 

The Highcroft Drive Read-a-thon is a fun and meaningful schoolwide event that encourages our Huskies to build strong reading habits while raising funds to support PTA programs and school improvements. Students will set reading goals, track their progress, and celebrate milestones together, all while helping our school grow!

 

Highcroft is making more room for intentional, low-tech time through the return of Drop Everything and Read, or DEAR, in our classrooms this year. The 2026 Read-a-Thon builds on that habit by encouraging students to put down their screens, pick up a book and keep reading outside of school.

 

 

Why It Matters

The Read-a-Thon supports two important goals for our school:

  • Encouraging students to spend more intentional, low-tech time outside of school to read, think and imagine
  • Raising funds for PTA programs, classroom resources, and school improvements

DEAR is helping Huskies make reading part of the school day. The Read-a-Thon invites families to continue that habit at home while working together toward a shared school goal.

 

 

What Counts as Reading?

Students may count any of their home-based reading time:

  • Reading independently
  • Reading aloud to someone
  • Being read to by an adult or sibling

The goal is to spend intentional time with stories and information. Students do not need a screen to participate. Families will only use the Read for My School platform to register, record minutes and manage donations.

 

 

2026 Read-a-Thon Schoolwide Goals:

Reading goal: 90,000 minutes

Fundraising goal: $7,500

 

Every minute and every dollar counts!! 

 

Each student is encouraged to read daily outside of school time. Here are our grade-specific goals:

  • Pre-K, Kindergarten & 1st Grade: 15 minutes/day

  • 2nd & 3rd Grade: 30 minutes/day

  • 4th & 5th Grade: 50 minutes/day

If every participating student raises $50, we will fly past our $7,500 schoolwide goal!

 

If we reach both of our goals, Mrs. Shearin & Mr. Velasquez will be slimed at our 10/30 schoolwide celebration assembly. The class with the highest normalized score will get to help with this reward!

 

 

 

How Classroom Reading Scores are Calculated:

To give every classroom a fair chance, regardless of grade level or class size, we will use a normalized Class Reading Score.

 

Each student earns credit based on progress toward their grade-level reading goal:

  • Kindergarten–1st: 150 minutes
  • 2nd–3rd: 300 minutes
  • 4th–5th: 500 minutes

A student who reaches the full goal earns 100% toward the class score. Partial progress also counts, but each student’s contribution is capped at 100%. This keeps one exceptionally high reader from determining the result for an entire classroom.

 

We then add the students’ scores together and divide by the classroom’s total enrollment. The classroom with the highest overall percentage will earn the opportunity to slime an administrator at our celebration assembly!

 

For example, if half of a class reaches the full reading goal and the other half reaches half of the goal, the classroom’s normalized score would be 75%.

 

 

 

How it Works:

We’re using the online platform Read for My School to track both reading minutes and donations.

Here’s how to participate:

  1. Register your student using the QR code sent home with your child. (Registration coming soon)

  2. Set a reading goal and help your student log their minutes throughout the Read-a-thon.

  3. Share your student’s donation page with family and friends who can pledge support. Donations can be made online, either as flat contributions or per-minute pledges. Donors can also choose to donate books in a 2 for 1 program: for every book donation made to your student, the school receives a copy, too!

  4. Watch your student earn badges and prizes as they reach milestones for reading and fundraising!

 

Prizes, Badges & Recognition:

Students can earn digital badges through Read for My School for reading and fundraising achievements, such as:

  • Big Piggy Award – first pledge donation

  • Eager Reader Award – 100 minutes read

  • Social Rockstar Award – 10 donors reached

  • Ultimate Bookworm Award – personal books completed goal met

  • Reading Superstar Award – personal minutes completed goal met

  • Giving Tree Award – personal fundraising goal met

In addition to digital badges, students will be eligible for prizes throughout the event, such as:

  • Small prizes for hitting key milestones like registering, logging minutes for the first time, meeting your reading goal and meeting your fundraising goal.

  • Drawings for daily prizes throughout the reading challenge 

  • Gift cards for top readers & fundraisers in each grade

  • In classroom donut celebrations for top-performing classes in each grade level

If we reach our schoolwide goal, we’ll celebrate our readers in a BIG way on October 30th!

 

 

 

Questions? Contact amanda.barefoot@highcroftpta.com

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