Read-a-thon
January 17th kicks off the 21st Annual SchoolForce Read-a-thon, our largest fundraising event of the year, which encourages the love of reading and raises funds to support our schools. Last year, Belmont-Redwood Shores students read over 2 million minutes to raise over $250,000 to support Belmont-Redwood Shores schools!
Create your own fundraising page!
Please carefully follow the instructions for creating a fundraising page to be eligible for prize drawings.
Video Instructions:
Create Your page Modify and Share Your Page
written instructions
- Elementary Instructions
- Elementary FAQs
- Middle School Instructions
- Middle School FAQs
- Forms
- School Contacts
ELEMENTARY READ-A-THON INSTRUCTIONS
(Click here for Middle School Instructions)
January 17: Setting Up Camp
Look through your Read-a-thon packet which contains a reading log, prize list and instructions. We encourage parents to set up a personalized online fundraising page for each student. To find out how, see instructions on our Forms tab. Personalized page links can be shared with friends and family and are not publicly searchable.
January 17 to February 1: Read-a-thon Time
READ: During the read-a-thon, read each day. Write down the minutes you spend reading on your reading log.
RAISE MONEY: Ask friends, neighbors, and family members to sponsor you by donating money for the time you spend reading. Encourage them to donate online. Make it easy for them by setting up your own fundraising page! Your fundraising page helps us track the donations you generate and ensures they are counted for prizes. Donations may also be made at schoolforce.org/rpd – if donations are made this way, please note the student’s name so they can be eligible for prizes!
REPORT: On Sundays and Wednesdays, parents use the simple online check-in form: schoolforce.org/checkin or scan the QR code below to report your total minutes and donations. Their progress will be celebrated on your school display on Tuesdays and Fridays. The check-in form is required to track progress and to be eligible for prizes.
January 27 to February 2: Wrapping Up
Complete your final online check-in form (schoolforce.org/checkin) on Sunday, February 2nd to report your total minutes and donations. Return your reading log to school by Friday, January 31.
Thank you to our 2025 Read-a-thon sponsor!
Read-a-thon FAQs
(Click here for Middle School FAQs)
What is a Read-a-thon?
SchoolForce’s fun two-week Read-a-thon is now in its 21st year. The event encourages the love of reading and directly involves students in raising funds to support their school through SchoolForce, the Belmont-Redwood Shores Public School Foundation.
When is the SchoolForce Read-a-thon?
January 17 – February 2, 2025
How does it work?
- Students record their minutes read on their reading log and get their parents initials each day to verify their reading. TK, Kinder, and First graders can count the time they are read to in their totals.
- Students ask friends, neighbors, and extended family to make donations for their reading efforts. Visit schoolforce.org/read for instructions on setting up a fundraising page.
- Enter current totals on Sundays and Wednesdays at schoolforce.org/checkin. Final check-in is Sunday, February 2.
- Students return their reading log with any check donations on Friday, January 31.
How is my child’s progress recognized during the read-a-thon?
Complete an online check-in form Sundays and Wednesdays at schoolforce.org/checkin to report total minutes and donations. Students are recognized on their school’s Read-a-thon display based on the totals reported on this form.
Are there prizes for participating?
Yes! The class with the highest participation wins a party. There are several individual prizes as well, for creating a fundraising page, being the Top Fundraiser, and getting a donation from the Most Distant Donor. Each school will have one prize winner in each of these and other contests to be awarded at the end of the event. Remember, to be eligible for any prizes, students must have at least one donation and turn in a completed Read-a-thon reading log by February 2, 2025.
How can our friends and family sponsor my child?
We strongly prefer online donations made via your student’s personalized fundraising page or on our website at schoolforce.org/rpd. To set up a personalized online fundraising page for your student, see instructions on our Forms tab. If a friend or family member prefers to write a check, it should be stapled to the paper reading log and returned to school a the end of the read-a-thon. Remember to report donation totals when you check in online at schoolforce.org/checkin
Is a Read-a-thon donation different than my annual SchoolForce donation?
Yes. While we welcome all donations, please consider the SchoolForce Read-a-thon as a way to encourage grandparents, neighbors, and extended family to make donations for students’ reading efforts. Many friends and family find this to be the perfect way to support your child’s academic success and show they care about your child’s school. Parents/guardians are asked to make the suggested donation of $2,000 per child (or as much as they can afford) during the school year ending June 30.
Matching makes a big difference!
Matching is an easy way for family and friends to increase their donation. Donors can find out if their company matches at: schoolforce.org/matching
How much does the SchoolForce Read-a-thon raise for our schools?
Last year, Belmont-Redwood Shores students read over 2 million minutes to raise $250,000 to support Belmont-Redwood Shores schools. Those donations fund librarians, reading specialists, smaller class sizes, art, science, music, technology, sports, counselors, and more. For more information about how SchoolForce funds are spent School, visit schoolforce.org. All Read-a-thon forms are available on the Forms tab.
For more information, contact your school’s Read-a-thon Chairperson or email: readingpowerchair@schoolforce.org
Questions? Email us at: readingpower@schoolforce.org
MIDDLE SCHOOL READ-A-THON INSTRUCTIONS
(Click here for Elementary Instructions)
January 17: Setting Up Camp
Look through your Read-a-thon packet which contains a reading log, prize list and instructions. Set up a personalized online fundraising page. To find out how, see instructions on our Forms tab. Personalized page links can be shared with friends and family and are not publicly searchable.
January 17 to February 1: Read-a-thon Time
READ: During the read-a-thon, read each day. Write down the minutes you spend reading on your reading log.
RAISE MONEY: Ask friends, neighbors, and family members to sponsor you by donating money for the time you spend reading. Encourage them to donate online. Make it easy for them by setting up your own fundraising page! Your fundraising page helps us track the donations you generate and ensures they are counted for prizes. Donations may also be made at schoolforce.org/rpd – if donations are made this way, please note the student’s name so they can be eligible for prizes!
REPORT: On Sundays and Wednesdays, parents use the simple online check-in form: schoolforce.org/checkin or scan the QR code below to report your total minutes and donations. The check-in form is required to track progress and to be eligible for prizes.
January 27 to February 2: Wrapping Up
Complete your final online check-in form (schoolforce.org/checkin) on Sunday, February 2nd to report your total minutes and donations. Return your reading log to school by Friday, January 31.
Thank you to our 2025 Read-a-thon sponsor!
Middle School Read-a-thon FAQs
(Click here for Elementary FAQs)
What is a Read-a-thon?
SchoolForce’s fun two-week Read-a-thon is now in its 21st year. The event encourages the love of reading and directly involves students in raising funds to support their school through SchoolForce, the Belmont-Redwood Shores Public School Foundation.
When is the SchoolForce Read-a-thon?
January 17 – February 2, 2025
How does it work?
- Students record their minutes read on their reading log and get their parents initials each day to verify their reading.
- Students ask friends, neighbors, and extended family to make donations for their reading efforts. Visit schoolforce.org/read for instructions on setting up a fundraising page.
- Enter current totals on Sundays and Wednesdays at schoolforce.org/checkin. Final check-in is Sunday, February 2.
- Students return their reading log with any check donations on Friday, January 31.
How is my child’s progress recognized during the read-a-thon?
Complete an online check-in form Sundays and Wednesdays at schoolforce.org/checkin to report total minutes and donations. Students are recognized on their school’s Read-a-thon display based on the totals reported on this form.
Are there prizes for participating?
Yes! The class with the highest participation wins a party. There are several individual prizes as well, for creating a fundraising page, being the Top Fundraiser, and getting a donation from the Most Distant Donor. Each school will have one prize winner in each of these and other contests to be awarded at the end of the event. Remember, to be eligible for any prizes, students must have at least one donation and turn in a completed Read-a-thon reading log by February 2, 2025.
How can our friends and family sponsor my child?
We strongly prefer online donations made via your student’s personalized fundraising page or on our website at schoolforce.org/rpd. To set up a personalized online fundraising page for your student, see instructions on our Forms tab. If a friend or family member prefers to write a check, it should be stapled to the paper reading log and returned to school a the end of the read-a-thon. Remember to report donation totals when you check in online at schoolforce.org/checkin
Is a Read-a-thon donation different than my annual SchoolForce donation?
Yes. While we welcome all donations, please consider the SchoolForce Read-a-thon as a way to encourage grandparents, neighbors, and extended family to make donations for students’ reading efforts. Many friends and family find this to be the perfect way to support your child’s academic success and show they care about your child’s school. Parents/guardians are asked to make the suggested donation of $2,000 per child (or as much as they can afford) during the school year ending June 30.
Matching makes a big difference!
Matching is an easy way for family and friends to increase their donation. Donors can find out if their company matches at: schoolforce.org/matching
How much does the SchoolForce Read-a-thon raise for our schools?
Last year, Belmont-Redwood Shores students read over 2 million minutes to raise $250,000 to support Belmont-Redwood Shores schools. Those donations fund librarians, reading specialists, smaller class sizes, art, science, music, technology, sports, counselors, and more. For more information about how SchoolForce funds are spent School, visit schoolforce.org. All Read-a-thon forms are available on the Forms tab.
For more information, contact your school’s Read-a-thon Chairperson or email: readingpowerchair@schoolforce.org
Paper Forms and Instructions
Online Resources
Online form to CHECK-IN your reading minutes and donations
CREATE A FUNDRAISING PAGE:
Instruction sheet and
Videos: Create a page and Modify the page
QUESTIONS ABOUT PEER-TO-PEER FUNDRAISING PAGES: operationsmanager@schoolforce.org
Questions? Contact the Read-a-thon Chairperson at your school
or email readingpower@schoolforce.org.
| School | Read-a-thon Chair | Email Address |
|---|---|---|
| Central | Ryan Lewis | central_rpchair@schoolforce.org |
| Cipriani | Rob Ankeny | cipriani_rpchair@schoolforce.org |
| Fox | Danielle Rajani, Albee Zhou | fox_rpchair@schoolforce.org |
| Nesbit | David Koss | nesbit_rpchair@schoolforce.org |
| Redwood Shores | Linh Dang & Sandy Wu | rwse_rpchair@schoolforce.org |
| Sandpiper | Tammy Tsai & Chu Chen Huang | sandpiper_rpchair@schoolforce.org |
| Ralston | Sri Vidya Tangirala & Jocelyn Lee | ralston_rpchair@schoolforce.org |
QUESTIONS ABOUT PEER-TO-PEER FUNDRAISING PAGES: operationsmanager@schoolforce.org