2017 Literacy Day is Approaching—What Kind of Impact Can St. Margaret’s Make?

Last year's Literacy Day at St. Margaret's shows how influential the day can be toward the cause. 
St. Margaret’s Literacy Day, a day promoting reading, writing, speaking, listening across all divisions, is scheduled for February 17 with a day full of activities.

This year’s theme is “HIStory, HERstory, OURstory” and will consist of all-school activities as well as division-specific events. A partnership with Family Assistance Ministries will bring a service-learning aspect to Literacy Day. Plans are in the works to engage the entire St. Margaret's community and will be shared in the coming weeks.

The impact could be huge—and last year’s literacy day is evidence of that. An afternoon activity a year ago involved the “Pass it Forward” literacy project, where St. Margaret’s students sent out about 1,000 postcards asking friends, family and those of influence around the world to join in fighting illiteracy.

“The postcards were well-received!” said Darla Magana, director of library services. “Several postcards were sent to people who took the time to post on the webpage what they did to fight illiteracy. They listed that they donated books to schools and libraries and told their neighbors about the project to keep it ‘passing forward.’”
 
Among the more noteworthy responses:
 
-- The Assistant to her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge responded to one postcard, stating her interest in fighting illiteracy and wishing St. Margaret’s the best of luck. Her letter is in the Lower School library.
-- One St. Margaret’s grandmother donated books to students in Peru.
-- One student in Chicago received a Pass it Forward Literacy postcard from a Lower School student and was inspired. He teamed up with the African Library Project, and at last count has raised 2,400 books and more than $1,000.
 
Beyond sending out postcards, St. Margaret’s also collected about 900 books on Literacy Day, with some going to local Head Start preschool programs.
 
Other notable work included:  
 
-- Sophomore Alice Na, as part of her service club Co.Act, took three boxes of books to send to those in need in the Fiji Islands.
-- Junior Becca Olsen took a box of books with her on a summer mission trip to Africa where she served in orphanages.
--  Several grade 4 students became inspired to continue the Pass it Forward Literacy work.  They organized a book and school supply drive and a used book sale and baked goods sale to pass forward literacy to the students of the Seventh Day Adventist School on the Island of St. Vincent in the Caribbean.
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An Independent Preschool Through Grade 12 College-Preparatory Day School in Orange County California

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St. Margaret's Episcopal School does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admission, financial aid, hiring and athletic policies or in other school-administered programs.