Give the gift of books for the holidays!
RIF RAP
December 2016
'Tis the season for giving...and what better gift than a holiday book!  

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, or something else entirely, here is a list of  children's holiday books to help make wonderful family memories. Choose from the best of the season and get lost in the imaginative illustrations and unforgettable stories.  Here's a great list to start!  https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/holiday-books-for-kids.
Christmas and Hanukkah 2
Kwanzaa 2
RIF of NOVA book distributions so far this fall have brought fun for everyone! 

At Crestwood Elementary School in Fairfax County East, kindergartners celebrated RIF with a Fall Festival of Books.  According to Librarian Victoria Washington, some children picked a book quickly, and others checked each possibility before making a selection.  All, however, were excited to have a new book to take home and read over the Thanksgiving holidays.  In addition to picking out a book to keep “forever,” the children selected scented bookmarks and made their own bookmarks or books.  These kindergartners enthusiastically applied their new knowledge of letters to writing their own books, which were amply illustrated with bright pictures.  Definite fun for all!
  Fall Festival of Books at Crestwood ES...
One happy Crestwood ES customer...
...where everyone fell for a good book!
...after another!
IN THE SPOTLIGHT...

Patrick Henry Elementary School's librarian and RIF Liaison...in her own words!  So glad she is part of the RIF of NOVA team!
My name is Kelsey Frey, and I am the new library media specialist at Patrick Henry Elementary School! I am both new to Alexandria City Public Schools and Northern Virginia as a whole. I was previously living in Roanoke, Virginia where I have worked with children and teens. Most recently, I was the Young Adult (YA) Librarian for Roanoke County Public Libraries overseeing the YA department for the system. I truly enjoy working with children of all ages and am very excited to be back with younger students in the elementary school this year! 
 A few additional things about me...
  • I am getting married December 31, 2016! My fiancé and I are excited to celebrate our marriage and the new year with friends and family.
  • I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan and even named my dog Hermione. She is a Shih Tzu and West Highland Terrier mix. She is six pounds and very fluffy!
  • My fiancé and I both work in libraries (he works for the Library of Congress). As a result, we have A LOT of books between the two of us.
  • I did my undergraduate at Virginia Tech. Go Hokies! And I also attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana where I received my master’s degree in Library Science. Bloomington was a beautiful place, but I definitely missed the east coast! 

The photos at right (or below) show Kelsey's RIF of NOVA book distribution in October at Patrick Henry ES.  The children dressed in costumes and had a ball picking out their books!  Thanks, Kelsey!
Kelsey
Kelsey 1
December 15!  It's the DEADLINE to give to RIF of NOVA via the Combined Federal Campaign...
CFC logo
If you are a Federal employee, retiree, or a government contractor...
...please consider giving to RIF of NOVA via the Combined Federal Campaign, the official workplace giving campaign of the Federal government. The campaign runs through December 15, 2016.  Learn more here!  Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. can be found at this link:  https://cfctoday.org/who-is-in-the-campaign.  Type us in by name or by our number # 18818.
Shop for the Holidays...

...at smile.amazon.com and type in Reading Is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. to select us as the charity you want to support. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to RIF of NOVA.
...Or if want to use coupons for your holiday purchases...
...Shop Online And Help is a coupon site that raises funds for non-profits. A percentage of your purchase is donated WITHOUT the need to register or download unwanted software...it's EASY.   Simply go to: http://shoponlineandhelp.com/rif-nova/, select a merchant, select a coupon, then shop normally. The average donation amount is between 1% and 15% on qualified items.  The list of vendors is amazing!
Or if you would like to donate through the United Way...

The United Way campaign is going on now!  Our number is 8959, and RIF of NOVA is listed in the printed list of United Way of the National Capital Area member groups!!!

Or how about directly...

Donors can give via Paypal on the RIF of NOVA website www.rifnova.org.

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