Beginning on 26 January 2013, the 500+ students at Michael Dowling School, Urban Environmental Magnet, will be reading to raise money for their school.

We hope to make this our best Read-a-thon yet, both in terms of participation and money raised. 2012 was a record breaking year with 92% of our students participating. Our students read 14,200 hours and raised $30,921 for their school!

This year, our financial goal is $20,000. If we meet our goal, we will challenge our principal, Mr. Rossow, to continue the tradition of appearing in a cool SUPER HERO costume. The class that raises the most money per student will get to choose Mr. Rossow’s costume.

Another goal this year is 10,000 hours of reading. If we meet this goal, the whole school will get an ice-cream party. The class that reads the most hours per student will be our Dowling Defenders for a day.

How does your contribution help?

• You are supporting and enhancing our school community. The funds raised in the Read-a-thon represent almost 2/3 of the PTO's annual budget. This budget supports many events during the year, events that enhance and promote our school community.
• You are supporting our Students and Staff. The money raised by the Read-a-thon is also used to provide money directly back to Dowling. Each year, we provide $300 to each of the teachers, allowing them to stock up on supplies for the year. In addition, we provide a lump sum grant to the
  school, to help cover important budget shortages or other big-ticket items. This year, it was $15,000!
• You are inspiring Reading. This process is more than simply about raising money; it’s about sparking a curiosity for reading. Students not only win prizes for raising money, they also win a t-shirt for reading at least 900 minutes.

Thank you for your support of our students and inspiring their learning.

PS ... If you are contributing for a specific student, please include their name and grade in your dedication.