Ready, Set READ!
Students at six Hawthorne elementary schools are diving into reading, reading and more reading as they begin a three-week Jester & Pharley Phund Read-A-Thon to benefit their community.
Their participation in the charity’s Reading Makes A Difference campaign will generate the donation of The Jester Has Lost His Jingle books and Jester & Pharley Dolls to students treated at the Venice Family Clinic’s Maxine Waters Health and Dignity Center on York’s campus.
In Jester Read-A-Thons in Hawthorne last year, York and Ramona students read a total of 212,070 pages.
“I’m so proud of every student participant,” said Superintendent Dr. Brian Markarian at York Elementary as he handed out certificates and prizes of the bilingual English-Spanish Jester to the top reader in each class last semester. Finalists received “Jester Journals” so students could discover their creative sparks as Jester author-artist David Saltzman did.
“The Read-A-Thon experience with The Jester & Pharley Phund reminds us that joy, hope and laughter are powerful tools for healing. It was inspiring to see our students fully engaged in the Read-A-Thon and to witness their celebration of one another and their accomplishments during the final assembly,” said Dr. Erika Ayala, Hawthorne Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, after honoring Ramona students in 2025.
Jester Capstone Awards Assemblies celebrating this semester’s reading accomplishments and student compassion will take place in early March in celebration of Read Across America month.
