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Oceanside Promise aims to collect 10K books for youngsters Laura GrochContact Reporter The Oceanside Promise -- a community-wide partnership to ensure every Oceanside student graduates ready to succeed in college, career and life -- is hosting a community-wide book drive to support early literacy. Local businesses, organizations, community groups, and associations are asked to take part in the drive, which starts Monday and runs through Nov. 9. The Oceanside Promise’s partners have set a goal of collecting 10,000 books in English and Spanish for ages 0-5. According to the group, less than 40 percent of Oceanside’s children enter kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. Only 32 percent of the Oceanside Unified School District’s third-graders meet state standards for English Language Arts proficiency. “The Oceanside Promise has set out to make early childhood success a top priority in Oceanside,” said Nicole Magnuson, executive director of the partnership, in a statement. “The entire Oceanside community will reap social and economic rewards if we ensure Oceanside’s youngest children, ages 0-5, have access to quality early learning experiences, starting with increased access to books.” Oceanside residents can find a list of participating locations at www.OceansidePromise.org. Organizations that have already signed up to host drives include OUSD’s 23 school sites, the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, the Boys & Girls Club of Oceanside, MiraCosta College, Oceanside's public libraries, Main Street’s Sunset Market and main office, Assemblyman Rocky Chavez’s district office, Oceanside Police Department, and the Oceanside fire stations. Among companies holding employee book drives are Children’s Paradise, FedEx, Genentech and Hydranautics. “The business community has a vested interest in the success of children and students in our community,” said Scott Ashton, CEO of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, in a statement. “Today’s young children are our future workforce and we all have a role in supporting their learning from cradle through career.” Ashton is co-chair of the Oceanside Promise’s Leadership Table, the partnership’s steering committee, with Dr. Duane Coleman, superintendent of the school district. The book drive is led by Oceanside Promise’s Early Childhood Success Collaborative Action Network partners, co-chaired by Silvia Alcantar of Vista Community Clinic and Marie Town of the Oceanside public library. Organizations benefiting from the book drive include Oceanside Unified School District’s PreK and Transitional Kindergarten classrooms, the Oceanside Public Library, the Oceanside Community Resource Centers, Vista Community Clinic Parent Outreach Program, Education Begins in the Home, and more. To host an employee book drive or serve as a book donation site, visit www.OceansidePromise.org.
The Oceanside Promise -- a community-wide partnership to ensure every Oceanside student graduates ready to succeed in college, career and life -- is hosting a community-wide book drive to support early literacy.
Local businesses, organizations, community groups, and associations are asked to take part in the drive, which starts Monday and runs through Nov. 9. The Oceanside Promise’s partners have set a goal of collecting 10,000 books in English and Spanish for ages 0-5.
According to the group, less than 40 percent of Oceanside’s children enter kindergarten ready to learn and succeed. Only 32 percent of the Oceanside Unified School District’s third-graders meet state standards for English Language Arts proficiency.
“The Oceanside Promise has set out to make early childhood success a top priority in Oceanside,” said Nicole Magnuson, executive director of the partnership, in a statement. “The entire Oceanside community will reap social and economic rewards if we ensure Oceanside’s youngest children, ages 0-5, have access to quality early learning experiences, starting with increased access to books.”
Oceanside residents can find a list of participating locations at www.OceansidePromise.org. Organizations that have already signed up to host drives include OUSD’s 23 school sites, the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, the Boys & Girls Club of Oceanside, MiraCosta College, Oceanside's public libraries, Main Street’s Sunset Market and main office, Assemblyman Rocky Chavez’s district office, Oceanside Police Department, and the Oceanside fire stations. Among companies holding employee book drives are Children’s Paradise, FedEx, Genentech and Hydranautics.
“The business community has a vested interest in the success of children and students in our community,” said Scott Ashton, CEO of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, in a statement. “Today’s young children are our future workforce and we all have a role in supporting their learning from cradle through career.” Ashton is co-chair of the Oceanside Promise’s Leadership Table, the partnership’s steering committee, with Dr. Duane Coleman, superintendent of the school district.
The book drive is led by Oceanside Promise’s Early Childhood Success Collaborative Action Network partners, co-chaired by Silvia Alcantar of Vista Community Clinic and Marie Town of the Oceanside public library. Organizations benefiting from the book drive include Oceanside Unified School District’s PreK and Transitional Kindergarten classrooms, the Oceanside Public Library, the Oceanside Community Resource Centers, Vista Community Clinic Parent Outreach Program, Education Begins in the Home, and more.
To host an employee book drive or serve as a book donation site, visit www.OceansidePromise.org.