York SuperStars Live Up to Their Name
Funded by the Henry L. Guenther Foundation, York SuperStars in Hawthorne, CA, shone brightly in their first Jester & Pharley Reading Makes A Difference Read-A-Thon. Their Awards Assembly capped a new collaboration among the Hawthorne School District, the Venice Family Clinic and The Jester & Pharley Phund.
Students had excitedly joined a Jester Read-A-Thon to donate Jester books and dolls to the Venice Family Clinic’s Maxine Waters Health and Dignity Center on York’s campus. Children treated at the clinic will receive Jester books and dolls generated by the Read-A-Thon.
Students, teachers, administrators and parents cheered loudly as Hawthorne School District Superintendent Dr. Brian Markarian handed a copy of the bilingual English/Spanish Jester Has Lost His Jingle book to the top reader of every classroom. And to 4th grader Dominik V., the school’s top reader, he handed a special prize – a Jester & Pharley book backpack.
Faye Norman, senior development manager of the Venice Family Clinic, and Phund President Barbara Saltzman, joined Dr. Markarian in awarding reading prizes to the York SuperStars.
Altogether, students read a total of 68,234 pages in their three-week Read-A-Thon. “I am so proud of every student participant,” Dr. Markarian said, leading enthusiastic applause.
Third-grade teacher Sara Kaplan noted that a few of her students read over 1,000 pages in just one week, a sterling accomplishment.
“We are excited to start this exciting new chapter in growing student empathy and literacy in the Hawthorne School District and making it possible for so many young Maxine Waters Health and Dignity Center patients to find special smiles with Jester books and dolls,” said Saltzman.
