Washington School Swaps 3,500 Books
Washington Primary School students were excited to recently swap more than 3,500 books with each other. Librarian Georganne White helped organize the event as a way to get 'new' books into the hands of the eager youngsters.
In the days leading up to the swap, students in all five grades at the school contributed their surplus books. Library staff members organized the volumes on long tables for easy browsing. Teachers said they hope the swap spurs the youngsters to read more.
Stacks of books were donated by former Washington School parents who now have children attending Woodhull Intermediate School. "It was really amazing to see the level of participation from the Woodhull parents and the degree of their generosity," Ms. White said.
As children circulated around the library to view the books, there was electricity in the air. Entire classes reported at designated times and each student was able to walk away with an armful of books to take home and cherish.
Washington's enrollment is nearly 470 students this year. Principal Marsha Neville and all the teachers at the school are dogged in encouraging students of all ages to develop a legitimate love for books and reading. The annual book swap is one way to spur just such passion.
Some students couldn't wait to get home to take a closer look at the books they selected, so they sat down on the library carpet or cracked the volumes open in the hallway on the way back to their respective classrooms.
"Teachers in the Huntington School District are making an extra effort to get our students interested in reading and to make it a fun activity for them," Ms. White said. "The Washington book swap is one of the tools we use here to jump-start at-home reading and to get children excited about it."