Austintown students take time — 300 minutes — to read

January 7, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

By christine keeling

austintown

Students are set to reach for the stars and read.

Lloyd Elementary students, during a kickoff assembly for a PTA-sponsored read-a-thon Friday, pledged to each read for 300 minutes over the next two weeks

Usborne Books & More of Tulsa, Okla., will give the students 50 percent of any pledge money they collect to purchase books, while the other half will go for books for the student’s classroom. Ten percent of the school’s total pledges will be matched by the publishing company and given to the school’s library to help fill shelves.

Last year, the school raised more than $4,400 in book money.

“It’s a great thing,” said Andrea Dilts, the school’s PTA president. “It gets new books in the hands of kids and in the classroom.”

The youngsters were excited to get started after Melinda Miller, an independent consultant for the company, spoke to them.

Many quickly raised their hand when asked who would read the most.

The student who reads the most and the one who collects the most pledges will receive a $25 gift card toward books.

Classes with the highest percentage of participants will win a set of books for their room.

“I learned how to do it from reading a book,” Miller told the students, after she performed a magic trick by guessing the correct cards drawn by kindergartner Cole Shields and first-grader Kaitlyn Veauther.

Students who raise $100 can choose from bonus items, such as the magic trick kit and how-to drawing books.

“I think the contest is very exciting,” said third-grader Kara Benyo. She said she likes to read “Ivy and Bean” stories.

Her classmate Marcus Debaldo said he read for 200 minutes during the challenge last year and was able to buy two new books.

Students and teachers will be able spend the money raised Jan. 27 during the publisher’s book sale at the school.