South Sound

READING FOUNDATION

South Sound Reading Foundation

The South Sound Reading Foundation aims to increase the number of children entering school prepared to learn, read, and succeed.  To do this the Foundation works to ensure that every child is read with 20 minutes a day starting at birth. Reading just 20 minutes a day to young children is key to healthy brain development, family bonding, and success in school. Daily family reading also helps children develop a larger vocabulary, a longer attention span, and better listening skills.
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News and Events

South Sound Reading Foundation at Cabela's

POSTED: October 1st 2008

Saturdays: November 1, December 6, January 3
Volunteer readers from the South Sound Reading Foundation will spend 20 minutes reading outdoor stories about camping, hiking, boating or other exciting wilderness experiences. Oriented to the child 4 to 9 years of age, the selected readings will expose participating children to wonderful outdoor and wilderness stories. FREE yummy treats will be provided by the Deli Restaurant to attending children.
10:30 a.m.
Location: 2nd Floor Diorama.


GRAND SLAM Book Drive October 2008

POSTED: September 24th 2008

Students, families, teachers, and school staff, this October donate your gently used children’s books to the South Sound Reading Foundation’s GRAND SLAM Children’s Book Drive.  The school that collects the most books will receive a baseball-themed reading assembly with the Mariner Moose.  

The Foundation gives away free books to local children, many of them low-income. To help support this effort, we invite your school to collect new and gently-used children’s books.  No  textbooks or encyclopedias please.  

 

 


Day of Caring was huge success thanks to United Way and Heritage Bank

POSTED: September 24th 2008
Day of Caring 2008 was a huge success for South Sound Reading.  Twelve volunteers from Heritage Bank cleaned  the Foundation's book barn and they stickered books. These volunteers sorted and stickered over 2000 books.  This means 2000 plus kids will get a wonderful book thanks to the volunteers at Heritage bank and to United Way of Thurston County!

Books by the Bay -- A Unique Literacy Celebration

POSTED: August 11th 2008
LACEY, WA (September, 2008) – On September 9th 2008, authors, artists and literacy supporters from around the region joined the South Sound Reading Foundation for a literacy celebration. This event featured several well know local authors and artists including Nikki McClure and “The Highest Tide” author, Jim Lynch.  Also attending were “Weird Washington” authors Jefferson Davis and Al Eufrasio.   Whidbey Island author Deb Lund  read from her new book “Monsters on Machines”.  She was joined by her husband, Brother 4 musician Karl Olsen, who entertained the large audience with wonderful folk songs.   New York Times children's bestseller author, Bonny Becker's read from her new picture book "A Visitor for Bear".  And Kirby Larson read from her  Newbery Honor Award Book HATTIE BIG SKY.  She also talked about her latest title, a non-fiction picture book, written with Mary Nethery “Two Bobbies: A True Tale of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship and Survival.”  

Local story teller Rebecca Hom enchanted the audience with a tale of Fog Woman, Madame La Fortunata read colorstrology, as Shades of Grey Saxophone Quartet played. 

"Magical... it was a magical evening", according to Ellen Duffy, Youth Services Coordinator for Timberland Regional Library.  “If you believe in the importance of literacy and you want to experience a truly wonderful event, you won’t want to miss this next year, ” she continued.

Books by the Bay was sponsored by South Sound Bank, Rotary Club of Olympia, West Olympia Rotary, Barnes and Noble, Timberland Regional Library and the Olympian. 

Books by the Bay is a fundraiser for the South Sound Reading Foundation and all proceeds support the Foundation and its literacy programming.   

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CELEBRATE READING – 1st Mike Reads and prominent community leaders han

POSTED: March 7th 2008
 

LACEY, WA (March 7, 2008) Celebrate Reading on Tuesday, March 11, 2008!    From 10:30 to 11am First Mike, Washington’s First Gentleman, Mike Gregoire, will be reading to 62 Lydia Hawk 4th graders.  Reading Tree will then announce its Thurston County launch with a generous book distribution.  Each Lydia Hawk fourth grader will receive 2 free books.  Community Leaders will be on hand to help distribute books.  Reading Tree will also donate an additional 500 books to Lydia Hawk. 

 

“We are so excited that First Mike will be reading to our kids” says Lydia Hawks Principal Paula Quinn, “And we are very excited about the books”. 

“It’s great to see some of our most prominent community leaders promoting literacy” says South Sound Reading Foundation Director, Jennifer Forster.   Reading Tree/Thrift Recycling has also pledged to donate a minimum of 5,000 books a year to the foundation’s book van, book distribution program.

 

Community businesses participating in the book distribution include:   Timberland Bank, Anchor Bank, Bill Funk, Curves, City of Yelm, Thurston County Waste Management, Lacey QFC and Lacey Wal-Mart.   These community leaders have agreed to have a Reading Tree/Thrift Recycling book recycling bin at their business location.   Books collected through the bins go to schools and organizations like South Sound Reading Foundation, who work to ensure that there are books in every home.