Livingston Education Foundation

 

 

  
October 4, 2011, Livingston, NJ – On October 15, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and October 16, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., the Livingston Education Foundation (LEF) and its partners will host a LEF Barnes and Noble Bookfair at the Livingston Mall located on 112 Eisenhower Pkwy as part of the Livingston Second Annual Homecoming Weekend.

The public will be welcomed from11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. by Livingston Education Association (LEA) teachers and staff as well as Livingston Public School Administrators who have volunteered to read to pre-k and elementary school children. “We have a lot of volunteers from our elementary, middle and high schools who want to participate,” said Wendy Gelman, Livingston High School teacher and LEA liaison to the LEF. Last year, teachers not only read, but brought their own children to listen to stories presented on the Barnes and Noble storybook stage, peruse through picture books, recommend book selections and share smiles with students who came to enjoy the activity. Teacher wishlists will be made available for parents and students to purchase as gifts to go back to the classrooms of the Livingston Public Schools. The donors can choose to have a special name plate placed in the gift at the register when they make the purchase.

Bookfair activities will continue on Sunday, October 16 with individual book club meetings. “The members of my book club have invited our own children to read this month’s book selection, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien,” said Heidi Cislo, LEF President. “We will be joined by English teacher Jaimee Mirsky who teaches from this book as part of the Livingston High School sophomore curriculum. It is one of her favorites.”

From 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., there will be an Open Mic with performances by Livingston High School students. Run by the high school Community Action Committee and supervised by LEF partner Healthy Community Healthy Youth (HCHY), this activity was extremely popular last year. Audience members can gather to hear performances at the inside entrance to Barnes and Noble. The show will feature covers and original music played by individuals and groups. Middle and high school students are encouraged to attend with their friends and families.

Throughout the weekend, attendees of the Bookfair can purchase a special smoothie, called the ‘Liquid Lancer’, along with other food purchases at the Barnes and Noble café. New this year, patrons may pre-order an Original, Chocolate Mousse or Pumpkin Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory to be picked-up at the café during the Homecoming Weekend LEF Bookfair. “The cheesecakes are delicious and the Pumpkin Cheesecake is perfect for Thanksgiving! They freeze very well,” Patricia Cerbo, Barnes and Noble Community Relations Manager told members of the LEF and HCHY when they met to finalize plans for the event. Order forms for the cheesecakes can be downloadedd from the LEF Website at www.livingston.org/lef and sent to the LEF mailbox at 11Foxcroft Drive by October 10.

A percentage of Barnes & Noble book, DVD, music, food and Nook purchases will benefit educational initiatives of the Livingston Public Schools. By bringing a bookfair coupon downloaded from the LEF website to the store, participants can help to provide funds toward Technology for the 21st Century Classroom.

The bookfair is not limited to in-town participants. Coupons brought to most Barnes and Noble booksellers will be honored whether the purchase is made in New Jersey or across the country. Online shopping at BN.COM/bookfairs from October 15 through October 19 using the Bookfair ID #10525764 will also provide proceeds to the Livingston Public Schools. This allows family members of current students and alumni who don’t live in town to join in support and celebration of education with us here in Livingston!

The townwide Fall Foot Festival is supported by LEF, HCHY and Barnes and Noble. Bookfair attendees are encouraged to bring gently used shoes to the Sole-4-Souls drop box that is located right by the Barnes and Noble inside entrance.