From: Norma Jean <nsawicki>
Date: Fri, 02 Sep 2005 17:19:34 -0500

    FYI....And, I have no doubt many groups will donate books; would be less time consuming if people coordinated their efforts with existing groups or with the library association in Louisiana per the previous posting. Many people have been bused to Texas...important to know where folk from the area are being sent so the right kids get the books. Norma Jean


SCHOLASTIC CONTRIBUTES TO HURRICANE KATRINA RELIEF EFFORTS


New York, NY (September 2, 2005) -- Scholastic, the global children?s publishing, education and media company, today announced short-term and long-term contributions to relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.? To address the critical need for assistance, the Company will make an immediate donation of $100,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and will match employee contributions to the Fund.? In addition, Scholastic Education and Scholastic Library Publishing divisions will make in-kind donations of books and other curriculum materials to local area schools receiving displaced students.? The Company will work closely with the state departments of education in the affected region to assess their immediate and long-term needs for educational materials that will be so important in helping restore normalcy to children?s lives.

Recognizing that teachers and students throughout the country also want to help, Scholastic will coordinate school-based initiatives that will result in extensive donations of books during the long recovery and rebuilding effort ahead. Scholastic Book Fairs? One for Books program, which matches kids? school-based fundraising efforts with book donations, will direct donated books to children who have been affected by the hurricane.? Scholastic Book Clubs? ClassroomsCare initiative, in which classes read together for 100 hours to give 100 books to those in need, will also direct donations to the region.

In addition, Scholastic is providing timely, age-appropriate news coverage and resources for children, parents and teachers through www.scholastic.com, Scholastic News Online (www.scholastic.com/news) and Scholastic Classroom Magazines.? News articles in current issues of Scholastic News?, Junior Scholastic? and The New York Times Upfront? magazines provide background information on the hurricane season and upcoming issues will chronicle recovery efforts.? Online, children are encouraged to write about the hurricane, how it affected them and what they are doing to help. Teachers and parents can find advice on how to talk with children about the disaster, and there is specific advice for those teachers who are bringing refugee children into their classrooms.

?Children are deeply affected by this disaster, and they are in need of both immediate and long-term aid that will help restore some level of comfort and stability to their lives,? said Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO, Scholastic. ?Scholastic is committed to working with schools, libraries, and other organizations throughout the long recovery ahead as they help children carry on with their education and their lives.?

rcruz at scholastic.com
Received on Fri 02 Sep 2005 05:19:34 PM CDT