Herald Schools

Oceanside High School hosts its inaugural book fair

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For more photos from the event click here

Scholastic’s book fairs are typically held at elementary and middle schools, but that didn’t stop Oceanside High School from having one on March 6.
At the school’s inaugural book fair, all students had the opportunity to buy books during their English classes. They browsed dozens of titles on display at the school library and bought $2,500 worth of books.
Dr. Beth Zirogiannis, head of the Oceanside School District’s English Language Arts Department, said high school teachers pushed for a book fair to ensure students have access to buy books and so that educators could promote reading.
“[Teachers] came to me and said, ‘Every other [Oceanside] school has a book fair, why not here?’” Zirogiannis explained. “They really get all the credit — the teachers really want to inspire students to be passionate about reading.”

Zirogannis added that because it was the first high school book fair, and atypical for Scholastic, teachers were not sure how the event would go. However, she noted, halfway through the day, organizers had already sold three times their original sales goal.
In addition to the daylong book fair, students were able to purchase books online for two weeks. Scholastic will donate a percentage of the total book sales to the high school to buy more books.
Zirogiannis said the outing was an overall positive experience. She received an enthusiastic response from staff and students, as well as constructive feedback to make the book fair better for next year.
“It was wonderful to spend the entire day of students looking at books,” she said. “I’m really proud of the English Department, the high school librarian, PTA and students for making this a success.”

For more photos from the event click here