Booksin has activities throughout the year to enhance learning and bring the community together.

Community Activities:

•Walkathon

Booksin’s Walkathon has been in existence since 1987.  This fundraising extravaganza raises more than $100,000.00 annually to support student activities, programs, and teachers.  Besides the great exercise achieved by walking thousands of miles, a silent auction, activity booths, and fantastic food make this a community event not to be missed! 

Walkathon

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•Family Fun Night

Booksin’s Family Fun Night gives the whole community the opportunity to spend a relaxed Friday evening enjoying dinner, games, and prizes for all ages.  As each classroom sponsors a game or an activity booth, the atmosphere is full of community spirit, conversation, and old-fashioned fun.

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Community Outreach:

•Red, White, and Blue Week

Each year, the second week in February is set aside as “Red, White, and Blue Week”.  Students are encouraged to wear patriotic colors all week, and the daily announcements include patriotic songs.  In addition, a special fundraising event is held to benefit a charity.  In 2008, Booksin students ”Jumped Rope for Heart” to raise money for the American Heart Association.  Pennies for Patients, a benefit for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and JW House, a residence for families with children in treatment for life-threatening illnesses, have also been projects featured during “Red White and Blue Week”.

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•Charitable Activities

Booksin is proud to sponser fall and spring food drives in November and March benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank.  A spring clothing drive provides donations to San Jose Unified School District’s Healthy Start Program.  In October of 2008, students donated their Halloween candy to the Red Cross Operation Care and Comfort serving American soldiers in the Middle East.  Each year many Booksin classrooms adopt families in December through the district’s Healthy Start Program to brighten the holiday season, and the staff adopts a needy family as well.

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Student Activities and Outreach:

•Cornerstone Leadership Kids
The Cornerstone Leadership Program at Booksin is based on the forty-one developmental assets that support children and youth so they can thrive. It is the intention to build these assets with young children, with the focus on sustaining and increasing their optimum relationships/interactions with peers and adults.  Booksin students volunteer their time before and after school and at lunch as Big Buddies, Garden Guardians, Library Helpers, Parking Lot Greeters, Peace Monitors, and Safety Patrol Officers to ensure that students have opportunities to serve their school community in meaningful and beneficial ways.

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•Fun Fridays

Fridays are especially great days at Booksin. Cornerstone Moms plan games and activities which take place during lunch. Students may choose from a menu of make and take crafts designed specifically for them.

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•Garden Guardians

Supervised by the Garden Moms, fifth grade students assist primary students in planting, weeding, building projects, and other activities designed to beautify Booksin’s wonderful organic garden. 

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•Big Buddies

Over fifty upper grade students are connected with primary students that need the extra support of a special friend.  Junior Buddies meet once a month for a combined one-on-one activity.  In addition, the Upper Grade Buddies greet their Jr. Buddies before school every Thursday to wish them well and give them encouraging stickers.

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•Library Helpers

Students leave their own classrooms for thirty minute blocks to help in the library.  They assist students, help with shelving, and complete other tasks assigned by the library clerk.

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•Mellow Mondays

Each Monday the children have an opportunity to come in and enjoy the library. Chess strategies, coloring and drawing, or just snuggling up with a good book are some of the quiet activities offered to them.

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•Peace Monitors

Each year over fifty third, fourth, and fifth grade students volunteer for the Peace Monitor program.  Trained students (Peace Monitors) help other students find positive/peaceful solutions during the lunchtime break. These monitors are responsible for other students and assist them in solving problems which may arise.  Meetings are scheduled once a month for updates and allow monitors to share or ask questions.  Peace Monitors can be identified by their bright lime green vests worn during the primary lunch period.

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•Parking Lot Greeters
Parking Lot Greeters are involved in greeting parents and students three days a week in the parking lot DROP OFF area.  Greeters are there to encourage appropriate drop-off skills and greet students entering the school in a positive way.

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•Principal’s Pride

Students deserve to be honored for their good work.  Each classroom periodically sends students to meet with Ms. Maijala to celebrate their academic achievements.

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•Safety Patrol
Students serve as crossing guards before and after school to ensure the safety of all while members of our school community cross major intersections around Booksin.

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•Spirit Days and Assemblies

Students enjoy special Spirit Days such as Crazy Hair, Crazy Scarf and Tie, and Pajama Days.  Once each month, the entire student body gathers in Spirit Court to honor two students from each classroom for their use of Lifeskills.  Celebrating student creativity and use of Lifeskills are important to the Booksin School climate.

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•Student Council

Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade students participate in Student Council.  Representatives from each classroom in these intermediate grades help make decisions about campus life, choose a Lifeskill for the school to focus on each month, and plan special events such as Spirit Days, Fuzzy Grams, and Smencil sales.  Through fundraising organized by the Student Council, Booksin students contribute to charitable organizations such as Sacred Heart and Our City Forest.  Charitible activities change annually and are unique based upon a theme chosen for the year.