how to run a school book fair

People also mentioned literacy reasons: the chance to encourage recreational reading, helping families build good home libraries, and learning about the reading habits of students. This year I had a student shuffle all the books together so I didnt know which teacher chose which books. My Book Fair at a Glance - Scholastic I offer full service and set everything up and run the book fair (sometimes with parent volunteers, if its a large school) so media specialists can focus on promoting, your ideas have me very excited! NBCT 2011 In the past Ive gone out of my way to display one copy of every design and assign them a reference number so I can look up which poster a student wants to buy. This article looks at how to get involved and help organize a book fair for your students. Just dont send them a novel! This is a good way to get people excited about making purchases. Or, you may be able to re-use the successful themes and decorations from previous years. I used SignUpGenius for our school book fair, which is a 5-day fund-raising event with multiple tasks covering approximately 30 time slots, which requires dozens of volunteers. FIND YOUR FAIR ONLINE. As students read more, they develop their reading and comprehension skills. Blog: trappedlibrarian.org, 2023 // Design by Laugh Eat Learn // Theme by Pretty Darn Cute Design, This has been my FAVORITE read of the summe, The Pigeon loves to see his life story on the, I'm a fan of having all kinds of series books avai, These fun bookmarks for Picture Book and, Don't forget about the special sale go, There's a special sale going on over a. The last day of a book fair is busy with clean up and paperwork. Before organizing a book fair, you should understand that it is a collective effort. A Book Fair is a partnership between a seller of books (and perhaps other merchandise) and a school, with the goal of giving students and their families access to educational products while raising money for the school. We know that if you've chosen to take on the planning of this large-scale event, you may need some pointers for how to execute it as efficiently and stress-free as possible. On Friday, Coach takes my students for PE and I provide lunch for my teachers and let them select one book for their classroom that they must book talk to their class. 3. Our secret? Set a budget and ascertain what amount of money you can spend on the book fair. Rewarding for teachers, easy for families, fun for kids a love of reading is inside every Book Box. Elementary School Librarian Another helpful feature to consider when planning such a large event is choosing to hide names on your sign up. You crushed it! If youre worried about people needing to change the time they signed up for, allow slot swapping so that participants can manage changes on their own without involving administrators. NSFA National School Foundation Association, Top Ways to Protect Your Organization Against Embezzlement, Top 10 Ways to Reduce Your Liquor Liability Exposure, Top 10 Things You Should Know About Insurance. Create an online sign up to request art supplies for DIY book fair decorations. Time to set up the Fair and welcome kids. you'll ever set up. Fortunately, most school book fairs run without serious incidents. They get a break from their everyday tasks, and the event serves as leisure for them. Schools can conduct such activities to build a community of readers, enhance reading and comprehension skills in students, and keep monotony away. Literati is not affiliated with Literati Bookstore of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Book fairs create an exciting atmosphere to inspire a lifelong love of reading. How do we get the shopping bags from Scholastic? Arrange cashiers, schedules, and other tasks, Publicize the event in the real-world and virtual world. The school marquee is another excellent place to promote the book fair. You will be given signage, social media templates, flyers, and more. 1) Everything Scholastic sends in the decor kit pops against black. You can do it. If someone is unable to purchase a book, I have a preferred activity available during shopping time, and make sure they can weigh in on titles theyd like me to add to the library. All About Scholastic Dollars | Scholastic Book Fairs We accept most payment methods, including book fair gift cards. Now, I just need a better system for check outs This last tip is straight from my girl Leslie Knope. Brooke Neal is a freelance writer, brand strategist & mom to three little boys. Use them to buy books, educational resources, furniturepretty much everything you need for your classroom or school. SAMPLE. You need plenty of capable tear-down and clean-up volunteers. I use Scholastic Dollars to pay for the books taken from the fair for teachers and volunteers. Ive never had bags in my Cashiers Box but that could be because Im located in Alberta, Canada. Participation from various stakeholders is required to make this event successful. Decor and carefully chosen themes are an excellent way to draw attention. You can also add a description of each item needed to make it crystal clear what you are requesting. As each group visits, it is wise to give a short overview of how the book fair shopping works. October 2012. Then, establish a timeline for the process. Access to books makes students better readers, more informed, and higher achievers [2]. Love the cash register tip. These well-planned events put millions of books into child hands every year. Get details on your school's Fair date, load your eWallet, access the Book Fair online, and more. Fill out all necessary paperwork. Follow us Social media links . Hopefully youll find some wisdom to support you on this wild ride. Call Get directions Mail. I usually have a casual breakfast in the library the first morning of the Book Fair. The Reading Warehouse has two options for those looking to run a book fair that depends on how much you think you'll be able to sell. My next book fair will be in January, and will use some of these ideas I had never considered! Its easy to set up and you can put an icon on your web page that links to your online Book Fair page. Well look more into the best insurance to protect your event later. Knowing your fair has protection from potential liability in case someone is injured gives tremendous peace of mind. It is a win-win since it help our students use their change, using those funds to surprise classrooms with books, and Scholastic doubles amount to donate to charity. You can find her on Instagram (@ashlieelizabeth), Twitter (@mygirlsimple) or at her website, www.ashlieswicker.com. It has been THE talk of the new school year. You need to connect with vendors and other stakeholders to offer a seamless experience to everyone attending your event. Is there any way I can go to the scholastic book fair ever again? Assign volunteers to count money and deposit per treasurers prior instructions. For someone who loves books, I sure hate the school book fair. Place the ads in the school newsletter. Confirmation messages are received after a person signs up and reminders are scheduled to go out before the date a person signed up. Its SO much work. Books they'll love Choice and independence Fun without phones! They never send enough and always say they cant send more. Its here! Is this a literacy initiative to get books in the hands of families? The Easy Scan truly is a time saver when it comes to figuring your financials at the end of the fair. Save During Back-to-School Season and Get Premium Features for a Year, 4 Tips for Organizing Church Nursery Workers. The countdown is ON. Look if the chosen date does not coincide with other events. You've got to do a lot more than that. Arrange for one traffic flow volunteer to direct students. If you have extra heads and hands, it eases the pressure. While putting on a book fair is no small feat, proper planning and a list of mighty volunteers will ensure a fundraiser that's sure to be a hit. Having a team also helps in publicizing the event and establishing contacts with stakeholders. With any large event, you need to make sure that volunteers have a clear understanding of their role. Create an easy online sign up with SignUpGenius to recruit your volunteers. Also, get more volunteers on board than your event needs. Using the multiple administrator feature is a great way for you to lessen the workload and management responsibilities of one person and share them with others. Supervise set up and tear down processes. Ask volunteers to show up ten minutes prior to their shift so you can outline responsibilities. Schedule two cashiers. I do the same as Laura, take the book out of the teachers box if a student wishes to purchase it. Have volunteers help remove decorations and save any that may be used for the next year. Yes! Giving books to schools. She's also perpetually striving to learn more about how she can use her many privileges to support marginalized groups. The week following the fair I put those students names in a box and draw a name from each class to win one of the posters. The Easy Scan truly is a time saver when it comes to figuring your financials at the end of the fair. More than a fun way to earn rewards for your school, a Scholastic Book Fair creates memorable moments of choice that turn kids into lifelong readers. Schedule a Literati Book Fair! Whatever you do, check that your chosen date doesnt coincide with any other school events or holidays. If your fair is close to Christmas, check for Christmas Dum-Dum sucker flavors.my kids loved having new flavors to try. RUNNING A FAIR. Step 1: Enlist Help I will try the baskets next time for sure! Height is much better for our backs. I do, however, take the time to customize the principals letter template, because emails from our principal are one of our schools main forms of communication. Shop best-selling, new, classic and award-winning books and toys for kids of all ages. Meet with the PTA and school librarian to review the book fair budget and fundraising goal. Chairperson's Home Scholastic Dollars Catalog Chairperson's Help. Join our Organizers Facebook Group to get ideas and support from your fellow Fair organizers. Here are a few tips that can help you plan a successful event. Schools can use these fairs as an opportunity to expand their literacy initiatives. Authorities can invite parents and community members who are not a part of the school community. At my school, Ive made the decision to have some fairs be for fundraising and some for book joy. Even some of my HS students popped over to the book fair just to buy suckers when they came with their younger siblings. Sackville Street Public School Hall Sackville Street Public School. They encourage students to use their reading and writing skills to create their own books. Communicating with your volunteers is vital! That way, you can have something to measure the success of the event and the ability to see how you can further improve in the years to come. Simple and completely do-able!! If you have a box fair like me, you might have to talk your representative into advocating for you. Its easy to give the discount using the Easy Scan machine just follow the directions in the guide. From casual volunteers to dedicated front-line managers, every role is crucial when it comes to organizing a book fair for students. Keep your excited little customers moving so they see all of the choices available. 2) It helps our book fair mess compliment my regular library decor, 3) I can have the tables all set up, decorated, and ready to load with books before the fair arrives on delivery day. Find out how easy it is to run a Literati Book Fair and earn endless rewards for your school. You can get an Event Insurance quote for your PTA or PTO here. In addition, you also need to plan for how many days the event will run. Parents who volunteer contribute to their childs educational experience and success. Ensure you get just enough of each item by setting quantity limits for the supplies you are listing as a need. We are a small rural school and we easily sell enough suckers to raise between $100 & $175 dollars worth of suckers. Whether youre in it to raise money or spark the next generation of book fair nostalgia, keep up the awesome work! When my books arrived, I called my representative asking Where are the cases? You know the cases that you roll to the exact place you would like them, open them up and VOILA! LEARN HOW YOU EARN. Schools can organize book fairs to make students develop the habit of book reading. Search for your school Search by school name, city, state, or ZIP code Will students be allowed to shop before school hours? How to plan a successful school book fair? Since we all are trying to keep our environment in mind and not loading our landfills with plastic bags I know we should be recycling..but that doesnt always happen. Not just any books either - you get to choose the titles you want . Hang posters around the school with dates and times for the event. You can use promotional posters or make your own posters to popularize the event. Have added 100s to donations. Determine if funds are available for decorations and incidental expenses. Why?? Nevertheless it can help to have some prepared questions or statements to kick start the discussion. Your 6-point priority checklist should look something like this: As with any parent-teacher group event, there are liability concerns you will want to address. Fly Guy Art Tedd Arnold. So I spent hours unpacking the boxes, putting the plastic tablecloths on my library tables, setting up the cardboard displays, and moving the inventory around. Having a backup pool of helpers is a godsend if there are no-shows or someone has to leave on the day. It happens! Arrange your book displays so that all of the books from the video and the Book Fair Flyer are together in one spot. Helpful book fair ideas. They are so supportive of this event and they work so hard they deserve it! I used to hand write all of the hours on those posters they send with the books. Choose a mix of advertising strategies to reach the largest amount of potential buyers and volunteers. If there is a book that is a last copy sitting in a teachers box, I take that book out (from all the teacher boxes) and write a re-order only slip for that book and put it in the teachers bin. The teachers often buy books at this time, also. Browse by topic, watch explainer videos, and check out handy how-to guides. Contact the vendors and booksellers on time to avoid last-minute hassles. Control inventory and contact the bookseller for reordering needs. Our priority checklist below can help you map out your event in either case. How To Be a Book Fair Parent | Scholastic Book Fairs Families can scan it to go directly to the site. Once you have your volunteer list, plan the schedules and duties with your schools librarian and staff. A book fair is a fun event for everyone-parents, teachers, and students alike. Now I copy the schedule that I sent home with the kids, enlarge it to fit an 8 x 11 bright colored paper, print out 6 and attach them to the posters before hanging them around the school. I have eight, huge, round tables in my library, so I bought eight, nice, black, fabric tablecloths for my book fairs. Book Fairs - Literati Contacting the bookseller and forming a reciprocal relationship is a critical step. While the amount wasnt huge, I did quadruple the sales Id had in the past. Book Fairs and Events | Usborne | Be Curious Our local grocery stores are always happy to help us out with stacks of bags-we just give them a heads up ahead of time. Did you know: Reading strengthens your brain, builds vocabulary, increases empathy, reduces stress, and aids quality sleep [5]? Trust us, scheduling volunteers has never been easier! There is no shortage of nostalgic memories when it comes to the book fair. Ask volunteers to dress as book characters and greet students in the morning. I actually have two iterations of this tip: a physical binder and a Google Drive folder. Arent book fairs fun?? With our advanced learning management system, you can improve the teaching-learning experience. Obtain the booksellers contact information and speak your schools assigned representative. Id like to share some of the Book Fair Wisdom Ive recorded over the years in the hope of making your Book Fair experience a little better. Before the fair: Start preparing as early as you can. Every year the Scholastic Book Fair has a theme for each of their seasons, and you can purchase kits of table runners and the like to help you decorate around the theme. I have learned the hard way that overwhelm is real. Refresh your school library and classrooms with our generous free books and discounts package. Alternatively, get the art classes to hold a poster design challenge. You should also set goals for yourself and for the outcome of the fair. And anything else you need to schedule in, Control your inventory and establish contact with the bookseller(s). Extra heads and hands ease the pressure, lighten the workload, and add an element of fun to your book fair. We'll be in touch soon! How much help will you need in terms of volunteering? Ashlie (she/her) is an educator, librarian, and writer. How to Plan a Book Fair - SignUpGenius Had never thought about that. I always have a spot to place books that teachers and staff are reserving to purchase at the end of the week. I used SignUpGenius for our school book fair, which is a 5-day fund-raising event with multiple tasks covering approximately 30 time slots, which requires dozens of volunteers. Every role is critical, from the casual volunteer to a full-time, front-line organizer. What I understood from that first experience and from the 10 years & 20 Book Fairs since then is that our market isnt big enough for them to provide many of the services advertised in their online toolkit. The majority of my schools population has caretakers that work or watch small children when their kids are at school, so while we invite parents to come and shop with their kids, I dont put together any giant events that require parents or grandparents to participate. . When you work with Scholastic to set up a book fair, there are so many options for ways to promote the fair. Despite that, Ive tried to gather some helpful tips for anyone taking on the project of running the book fair. The notebooks of older book fairs should have previous helpers names and contact details. We'll work with you to plan exciting events featuring your school or organization that coincide with your book fair. The tablecloths are easy to launder and hang for the next fair. How Can Teachers Support Children With Special Needs? Love her! Moreover, book fairs introduce students to all kinds of reading material to help them find a subject theyll love and get them excited to read. Shop by grade, subject or format to ensure your students have the resources they need. Your school can earn up to 50% more than cash with Scholastic Dollars! Together, you can agree on the budget and set any fundraising goals. Plan, prep, and promote your school's Fair. Some generic question starters are given in my full guide . When its all over, a simple thank you note to your volunteers will go a long way. Book Fairs What is a Fair? Conducting such an event may take the time and effort of teachers, principals, and other volunteers willing to make this event a success. Our event-specific insurance also protects your groups property as well as people. It always seems obvious, but it took me years to do it: make a binder! Taking cues from the points mentioned above, you can organize a successful book fair on your school campus. Are School Book Fairs Unfair? - Medium Im hoping I can help again next time and implement some of your ideas! 1. Ready to host a Book Fair? Do your kids go there? In return, they are likely to fall in love with reading. Reader, I sold more posters than ever. Find out how easy it is to run a Literati Book Fair. Explore Fair dcor, crafts, and other creative inspo on Pinterest. If you use that option, you can even host a competition to build awareness and get students involved with their ideas. Budgets are easier to figure out if you have previous data to use as a guide. Ask the treasurer about petty cash request procedures. This means that if you click an Affiliate link or image, then purchase something on Amazon.com within 24 hours, Amazon will pay me a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Host a Book Fair | Raise Money for School | Scholastic Step aside, bake sales! Since 2019, weve donated over 1,000,000 books to underfunded schools, women & childrens care centers, and nonprofits. Make the phone call to the preschool director. It might take a little trial and error, but I highly suggest that you narrow down the ways you promote the fair. Start on your school's Book Fair homepage. Check with your school's bookkeeper and principal to make sure you've filled out all necessary forms for your book fair. Moreover, reading enhances their pronunciation and makes them familiar with new ideas. Fortunately, our software covers a lot the basics for communicating with volunteers. Typical work responsibilities of the committee include things such as: Contact other parents and invite volunteers from your school district. Close out your Fair and finish strong. For more school-related tips and resources, click here. Rewards are valid against the RRP of each book. While the throwback memes are relatable, my job as a school librarian has completely changed my relationship to the book fair. You might want to offer a small gift for the winning designs. Im going to state right away that Im sharing a personal choice: skip the decorations. Enhancing their creativity and other skills is a great way to use their energy. Schools have raised millions in cash and educational resources with Scholastic Book Fairs. Thank you so much! The smell of new books and erasers. Teachers and all general staff should be invited to attend the fair. Ready, steady, go. How to Organize a School Book Fair - AIM Share the reading joy and stack up books for break. The easiest book fair. You can also send flyers home with students. A ratio of one floor helper to every ten children scheduled is a good rule of thumb. Required fields are marked *. Book fairs are fantastic fundraisers and can be just as fun for kids (without rotting teeth or ruining parents diets). With Scholastic, you also have to make a call to place orders, which means a pause in the middle of sometimes wildly busy days to connect, wait on hold, and then individually request titles. Here is a checklist to keep you on track. Check out the books your child can't wait to read. They're the universe's largest, most dangerous panda and they're in trouble.It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society whove found the alternate Earth. Scholastic has a timeline on their website for 4-6 weeks. Head to Fair details and settings. Or tape one of each on a tri-fold display board, keeping your inventory of small items out of reach. Your email address will not be published. However, hosting a book fair for the first time may seem nerve-racking for school authorities. You may need to do this even earlier, depending on your district's requirements. Has your PTA or PTO run a school book fair before? Opinion Let Me Ruin Your Childhood: The Inequality of School Book Fairs Danika Ellis Mar 12, 2021 Ah, the Scholastic Book Fair. Select Scholastic Dollars as the tender type on your Payment System and you can: Remind families anyone can contribute to eWallets. Your energy should go into getting partners to sponsor children who arent able to shop. You can choose the level of access and permissions each administrator has within the account and easily define each persons role. I know that I learned a few new tricks as I wrote this blog post! Some people approach this by creating their own custom flyers. Hope this tip helps someone else! Five Ways to Run an Awesome Book Fair - Scholastic UK 2022 Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Receive free books, Follett Titlewave credit, cash, or a mix of all three! You can read more about this activity in my previous post about Book Fair Math. Last year my chair bought 500 bags at a low price (or if her own pocket) we we wouldnt have to worry about bags anymore.
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