P.A.R.P.+-A-+PALOOZA

=PARP 2009 Takes a Reading Road Trip!=

**PVES Kick Off**
[|Click here to view online article]  On Friday, January 23, more than 270 people gathered at the Putnam Valley Elementary School to celebrate the start of the four-week Parents As Reading Partners (PARP) Program for 2009. PARP is a statewide program designed to foster the love of reading in children by asking parents to set aside 15 minutes daily to read with their children. The evening’s festivities included an ice cream social and a scavenger hunt. Attendees young and old were diligently looking to find their favorite books or characters on the list provided. You could hear the excitement throughout the hallways as students yelled "I love that book!" or "Yes, Dad, there IS a Captain Underpants!"

 This year’s program, entitled "Reading Roadtrip," will be cruising at both PVES and Putnam Valley Middle School until late February, with events planned throughout the four weeks. The program’s ultimate aim is helping children become lifelong readers, but the immediate result is to provide an avenue for reading-centered fun, both in school and at home, at a time of year when it is sometimes too cold to go outside. What could be better on a snowy day than cuddling up on the sofa with a good book, a cup of cocoa, and your family around you?  PARP is just one of many Putnam Valley PTA programs that complement and enhance our children’s educational experience.

  **Pictured, left to right: Jackie Vaccaro, Jillian Rooney, and Emily O'Brien take a break during the PARP Scavenger Hunt at PVES**

=PVMS Kick Off=

 The Parents As Reading Partners (PARP) Program is once again in full swing at Putnam Valley Middle School. PARP is a statewide PTA program designed to foster the love of reading in children by asking parents to set aside 15 minutes daily to read with their children.  This year the program at PVMS kicked off On January 29 with a PARP-ing Game Scavenger Hunt which led middle school students to ask questions such as "What books have been turned into movies?" and "Who is the author of //The Westing////Game?//  The night also provided a time for parents and students to learn more about how they can participate in the PARP program both at home and in school. The true goal is for parents to spend time reading with their child at home. Even with everyone's busy schedule, finding time for reading is a worthwhile effort that will reap its rewards for everyone.

[|Click here to read the article online]

**PTA volunteer and parent Laurie Kennedy poses with daughters Alexandra (L) and Brianne (R) at the PVMS PARP kickoff event.**

=PARP Board Presentation slides=