Tag: Mike Clapsadl

Posted on

Reading is Fundamental Presidents Day Event

Reading is Fundamental and Local Officials Honor Past Presidents

Reading is Fundamental and Barnes & Noble booksellers featured a Presidents Day event in Pensacola. During this event local officials, including Mayor Ashton Hayward, Assistant Superintendent of Escambia County Schools, Steve Marcanio, and the co-president of the Pensacola Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Mike Clapsadl, shared fun facts about past United States Presidents.

Reading is Fundamental
Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward and Newpoint Academy Pensacola student, Brandon Fulater share facts about President Abraham Lincoln.

Students from local Middle Schools, dressed as their favorite U.S. Presidents, competed in a costume contest. The winners were rewarded with their choice of featured President books from Barnes & Noble.

Reading is Fundamental
Retired Washington, D.C. police officer and Deputy US Marshall, Robert Nicholson discussed the protective presidential detail.

In addition, retired Washington, D.C. police officer and U.S. Deputy Federal Marshall, Robert Nicholson discussed the protective detail for U.S. Presidents and included facts about legal currency, one of the original reasons for the creation of the Secret Service.

Reading is Fundamental
To open the program, Scout Troop 628 Honor Guard presented the Colors.
Bugler Scotty Mills, sounded "Attention to Colors" and a closing "Taps."
Bugler Scotty Mills, sounded “Attention to Colors” and closed the program with “Taps.”

 

Boy Scout Troop 628 and Bugler, Scotty Mills, added patriotic touches providing the presentation of colors and “Taps.”

Reading is Fundamental, Pensacola Chapter, is the longest functioning literacy chapter in the state of Florida. Their program is strongly endorsed by the Escambia County School system.  “Putting a book in the hands of a child means transforming the life of that child and everyone around them,” said Escambia Co. Superintendent of Schools, Malcolm Thomas. Federal funding for this program, designed to provide free books to the economically disadvantaged, was eliminated during 2011 budget cuts. All funds for these programs are collected on a local basis. If you would like to donate to this program, contact: rifofPensacola@gmail.com.

Reading is Fundamental

 

 

 

 

Posted on

Reading is Fundamental Presidents Day Event at Barnes & Noble

 

Reading is Fundamental

Program Celebrating Presidents Day

Pensacola, FL – Local officials including the Mayor of Pensacola, Ashton Hayward, and Escambia County Superintendent of Schools, Malcolm Thomas, will participate in a special Presidents Day read-along for children and adults at the annual Presidents Day Book Fair at Barnes & Noble in Pensacola on Saturday, February 14, 2015. 

Benefits Reading is Fundamental

The Free event, which benefits the Reading Is Fundamental literacy program for children by providing free books to children in impoverished areas, begins at 2:00 PM, at the Barnes & Noble store in Pensacola located at 1200 Airport Blvd.

Student readers chosen from Ferry Pass Middle School, Newpoint Pensacola Academy and Bellview Middle School will read story excerpts about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. Special guests will include Secret Service Agent Jonathan Woolcock and former Washington, DC Police Officer and US Marshall Robert Nicholson.

Programs like Reading is Fundamental are Critical

“Programs like this one are so important to our community.” says Superintendent Thomas. “Putting a book in the hand of a child means transforming the life of that child and everyone around them.”

A talk about the American Presidency and the President’s job will be given by Mike Clapsadl, Co-President of the Pensacola Chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. Boy Scout Troop 628 Honor Guard will post colors at the program with bugle calls provided by Military Bugler, Scotty Mills.

James Loyd, Community Relations Manager for Barnes & Noble, says his staff are always excited about these events with Reading Is Fundamental. Free books and prizes will be provided for children who attend the event dressed as their favorite President.

Note: The opportunity to learn to read for every child in the United States has become a critical issue in the success of our education programs. Reading is Fundamental (RIF) is the largest and most effective literacy program in the United States. Each year RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books together with literacy resources for impoverished children from birth to age 8 years. In addition to schools, RIF provides books to shelters, HEADSTART programs and rural areas. www.rif.org 

Story Credit: Dianna Roberts