Dear Parents,
G.I.F.T.S. (Giving Individuals a Future to Succeed) is a high school organization devoted to promoting literacy, and spreading the importance of reading to all age levels. We believe in the importance of being literate, in a world that is constantly becoming more and more advanced. We work on sustainable solutions, to promote literacy at SAS as well as for those less fortunate in the outside world.
GIFTS has organized 3 read-a-thons with the elementary school in the past. This year, we are hosting a Drop Everything and Read session (DEAR), for the Elementary and the Middle schools at SAS Pudong, on April 13 from 8.15 to 8.45 a.m.!
DEAR is firstly an opportunity for both students and teachers to take extra time out of their day to read, and reflect on why being literate is so important. During the session, everyone will take 30 minutes off from his/her morning period to read a book of their choosing. If children are too young to read on their own (1st grade and below), we will arrange volunteers to read to them.
The DEAR session also provides an opportunity to raise funds for a sustainable solution to bring books to those who are in less privileged situations. We are asking for a donation on the day, to go towards helping those in underprivileged schools gain increased access to books, and support an end to the poverty cycle. Students who would like to take part in the fundraising part of the DEAR session, may bring a donation from themselves, family and/or friends to support them during this activity. A suggested donation might be 50RMB. If your child is participating, please put the donation in an envelope, and send it to school with him or her on Friday, April 13th.
In previous years, money raised from the readathons has gone towards projects such as: 5 classroom libraries for the Li Ming migrant school (and supplementary teaching materials for LiMing teachers); reading materials for the guards and ayis at SAS Pudong; and donations for libraries to The Library Project (which creates libraries for schools in rural China. Launched by Tom Stader in 2006, The Library Project has established over 500 libraries in rural elementary schools across China. At present, the cost of creating a large library is 13,000 RMB. Over the past 3 years, GIFTS has donated 3 libraries. This year all funds raised from the combined Elementary and Middle Schools DEAR session will go directly to The Library Project. More information may be found here: https://www.library-project.org/adopt_a_library.html
If you have any further questions about DEAR, or about The Library Project, please contact us at giftsshanghai@hotmail.com or see our website giftsshanghai.wikispaces.com
We would like to thank all students, parents and teachers for helping us making this event happen, and we look forward to a successful DEAR morning with the Elementary and Middle schools.
Together, we make a difference.
GIFTS Club
