BOOKS ARE HAPPENING FOR RIF OF NOVA CHILDREN THIS SCHOOL YEAR!
RIF of NOVA's primary activity is to provide new books for 36 schools and sites in the City of Alexandria and in Arlington, Fairfax, and Prince William counties. Books are distributed by school liaisons at book celebrations throughout the school year. Distributions for academic year 2023-2024 began in October 2023. Below, please find photos as they are added from throughout the school year.
"A Pot of Books at the End of the Rainbow!" at Even Start -- March 13, 2024
At Arlington's Even Start, there was a lucky "pot" -- of books -- at the end of the rainbow! Even Start is a family literacy program for APS parents who are learning English and who have children under the age of 10. Everyone got in on the book "luck," thanks to NOVA RIF liaison and program coordinator Sara Mulrooney. Clifford joined in for the fun, too -- that Big Red LUCKY Dog!!! Older children made rainbow art, while the younger children had a blast choosing a book of their very own.
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"There's Only One You" at Bailey's ES for the Arts & Sciences -- March 3-6, 2024
Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts & Sciences (Fairfax County) held a Read Across America Celebration the week of March 3-6 with the theme: There’s Only One You! Librarian and NOVA RIF liaison Janice Pearreault wrote, "We celebrated our diversity and unity for a week with stories, book giveaways, activities, and prizes." After the PreK through 3rd grade children chose their book, they posed in front of their "star" bulletin board or gathered on a spotted library mat to read (or in one case, to peek!).
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A Splishy-Splashy Adventure at Crestwood ES -- Feb. 26-March 8, 2024
For a delightful two weeks, the Fairfax County Crestwood Owls dove into the annual RIF of NOVA book extravaganza! Students from kindergarten to sixth grade got to pick a book of their own book from a range of different sections, including fiction, nonfiction, "everybody," and Spanish. To make things even more exciting, this year's theme was all about water! Students had a blast making predictions with instant snow or watching the cool reaction of water, oil, white paint, and Alka-Seltzer. It was a splashy, book-filled adventure, thanks to Vicki Spino, the librarian, NOVA RIF liaison, and chief water whisperer!
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"Score Big with Books!" at Hutchison Elementary -- Feb. 26-March 1, 2024
With a Messi vs. Ronaldo soccer match playing on-screen, children at Hutchison Elementary School (Fairfax County) had a "ball" during their early March NOVA RIF book distribution, thanks to librarian and NOVA RIF liaison Marci Hoyt. It included special soccer bookmarks, a soccer-themed word search game, and a chance to design one's own soccer uniform. A soccer ball estimation game (how many little balls in that bin?) led to several sets of free tickets to the home opener of the Loudoun United Football Club for the best four guessers from grades three to six. How fun is that!
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The Love of Reading at Dumfries Elementary School -- February 14, 2024
Dumfries Elementary School (PWC) children got a Valentine's gift they will long remember! Thanks to reading specialist and
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NOVA RIF liaison Emily Decarolis, and with help from Title 1 reading specialist April Rodriguez, the children were able to choose two books of their very own, plus a special bookmark with scents ranging from popcorn to tacos to bubblegum! As class after class perused the selections, the smiles wouldn't stop coming! Upon seeing the book displays, one child simply grinned and said, "Whoooaaaa!"
The magnetic bookmarks were a big hit!
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Randolph Elementary School -- December 19, 2023
It was a fun day of book picking at Randolph Elementary School in Arlington on the day before the holiday break began. Thanks to NOVA RIF liaison Anita Van Harten Cater, there were happy faces all around!
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Popcorn Munching & Book Picking at Swanson Middle School
-- December 18 & 19, 2023 Swanson Middle School English Language Learners (Arlington) in grades 6-8 participated in their RIF of NOVA distribution on December 18 and 19. Students munched on popcorn while they picked out their books. Each student could choose two books to take home! Thanks to Jennifer Stacy, librarian and RIF of NOVA liaison, for her hard work to give students opportunities for book ownership! Students eagerly got to their new books and some serious reading, as you can see! |
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"Blizzard of Books" at Drew Elementary -- December 15, 2023
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Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School (Arlington) held its winter book distribution on December 15 starting with a grand entrance by Elsa from "Frozen." Elsa, aka Dora Sue Black (librarian and RIF of NOVA board member and liaison) welcomed the students to the library. As they entered, they were greeted by an indoor blizzard provided by a very cool snow machine! Students were elated to walk through the snow, followed by the opportunity to choose a special book to take home for holiday break reading! Volunteers from the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Dora Sue's family, and the RIF of NOVA board were on hand to help students as they chose their books.
This book distribution was in addition to the books students received in November as part of the STEAM It Up! project, co-sponsored by Amazon, Amazon Web Services, and NOVA RIF. Read more about that by clicking here. |
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No Two Snowflakes (or Books) are Alike!
Barcroft Elementary -- December 15, 2023
Barcroft Elementary -- December 15, 2023
Like snowflakes, no two books are alike! On December 15, Barcroft Elementary School (Arlington) students were greeted by Jackie Pippins, librarian and RIF of NOVA liaison, and library assistant, Danielle Weaver, for their RIF of NOVA distributions. Students made snowflakes to decorate the library, which had been transformed into a winter wonderland! Students were given a special bookmark to put in their new books. After choosing a book, they were able to enjoy reading in front of a lovely winter scene and were treated to some silly holiday jokes! Such a fun -- and funny -- way to begin the holiday break!
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"Books Bring Us Together" at John Adams Elementary -- December 11-15, 2023
After choosing their take-home-for-the-holiday RIF of NOVA book, children at this Alexandria school could choose from a number of activities to make the learning fun! Librarian and NOVA RIF liaison Heidi Laplace set up several activity centers that included tangram puzzles, a LEGO-building challenge, maze solving, page coloring, and an "I spy" table complete with decoders. Excitement was in the air as the children had fun coming together over books and brain teasing!
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Potomac View and the Legend of the Tangram -- December 4, 2023
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Fourth and fifth graders at this Prince William County School were treated to a NOVA RIF book distribution like no other! It included a wonderful interdisciplinary activity featuring literature, vocabulary, synonyms, prediction, and mathematics. NOVA RIF liaison Debbie Crawn began with sharing the ancient Chinese legend of the tangram in which a master glassmaker who had been commissioned to construct a pane of glass for the royal palace dropped it, breaking it into seven geometric shapes. A tangram is a puzzle that includes two big triangles, one medium triangle, two small triangles, one square, and a parallelogram. An introduction to the hands-on seven-piece tangram activity followed. Students chose their books during the problem-solving activity time. Who knew how difficult it could be to form seven plastic shapes into a triangle or a square…or to pick just the right NOVA RIF book from the many offered?! |
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Crestwood's PreK & Head Start Family Breakfast -- December 1, 2023
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The PreK and Head Start program at Crestwood Elementary School in Fairfax celebrated reading with a family breakfast and book distribution, thanks to NOVA RIF liaison Sharon Goldman. After greeting guests with a welcome song, the children enjoyed a breakfast with their families. Then, they eagerly picked out a book to read and keep. After an energetic farewell song and dance for a teacher, the children returned to class with their new books, while the parents participated in a literacy program that provided a range of ideas about how they can help their children learn. |
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Patrick Henry K-8's "Book Bash" -- November 21, 2023
To give kids a chance to read over the Thanksgiving holiday, Alexandria's Patrick Henry K-8 School held a "Book Bash" for every age group. Librarian and NOVA RIF liaison Freedom Neal set up shop in the school's entry atrium and kept the tables stocked as students filed by class by class to pick out a book of their own. The middle school display set up by liaison Glenda Narcisse on the third floor featured tables of books designed for teens and 'tweens. Even principal Dr. Ingrid Bynum stopped by to encourage the children to read, read, and read some more!
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Librarian and NOVA RIF liaison Freedom Neal
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Principal, Dr. Ingrid Bynum
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Lining up for a RIF of NOVA stamp to autograph your very own new book!
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The stamp act! ;)
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Middle school choices!
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"Thankful" at Yorkshire Elementary School -- November 20, 2023
Just before the Thanksgiving holiday break, students at Yorkshire Elementary School (Prince William County) read the book Thankful by Elaine Vickers. In this book, the girl talks about what she is thankful for and writes those ideas down on strips of paper to make a chain. With leadership from Yorkshire reading specialist and NOVA RIF liaison Bethany Drake (shown in the photo below), students each got a strip of paper on which they could write what they are thankful for. The strips were then linked together in a chain that hangs in the school. Picking a book of their own to take home for holiday reading was the proverbial icing on the cake! One student wrote about being thankful for a free book! That's music to our ears!
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Book or Treat at ACCA -- October 31, 2023
Witches and goblins and ghosties -- oh my! The ACCA Child Development Center held its annual Halloween parade and book distribution, complete with classroom to classroom trick-or-treating, pumpkin painting, and the choice of a book for each child. NOVA RIF board members Chris and Maureen McLaughlin read and used finger puppets to act out the book Room on the Broom, to the delight of the children.
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Arlington's Teen Parenting Program -- October 27, 2023
What a blast at the pumpkin patch! Toddlers in Arlington's Teen Parenting Program each took a pumpkin into the patch and had to find an apple and a piece of corn, followed by the ultimate prize...picking two books to take home. The parents got to choose a book as well! The toddlers later snacked on their crispy, delicious apples while looking at their new books. The corn was going to be cooked for snack and enjoyed later in the day. Thanks to Nicole Boatwright, Yvonne Pettiford, and all of the hardworking teachers for staging such a wonderful celebration to promote fall fun and reading!
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Falls Church McLean Children's Center (FCMLCC) -- October 5, 2023
Can a RIF of NOVA book distribution be any more fun? And can showing off your new chosen-by-you book be any cuter? These faces tell the story! RIF of NOVA partner, the New Dominion Women's Club, read to the children -- adding to the fun!
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