WOW! Three elementary schools read more than 65,000 books

By Tina Comeau

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Wow is right.

Three local elementary schools have read 65,470 books this school year as part of the WOW Reading Challenge run through the Adopt-a-Library program – an initiative that involves a partnership between libraries, the RCMP and police agencies to encourage schools and students to embrace literacy.

The program strongly promotes the concept, and link, between literacy and crime prevention by giving young people the skills and tools to steer them away from criminal activity. The program’s slogan is Fighting Crime one Book at a Time.

Students at South Centennial School could barely contain their applause last Thursday when the results of their participation in the reading challenge was announced. So they just kept clapping and clapping.

Not that anyone could fault them. The school learned that it had read 18,430 books as part of this year’s WOW Reading Challenge.

And of the three local schools in the challenge, South Centennial read the most books per student with a figure of 108 books per student based on its school population.

The WOW Reading Challenge has wrapped up for the year. Central and Meadowfields also took part in the challenge and when all of the numbers are added up they’re quite impressive. Meadowfields students read 29,639 books, with Central students reading 17,401 books.

Needless to say, the program has exceeded the expectations of those involved.

“The totals are phenomenal,” says Debbie Little of the Western Counties Regional Library. “This was the idea, to get kids enthused.”

RCMP Constable Mark Connell says this type of crime prevention program is so simple, yet so gratifying.

The program also received good support from the community. Hockey players from the Yarmouth Mariners, police, paramedics and firefighters went into the schools the read to students. As a reward for their reading midway through the program the schools were treated to mini concerts by Canadian Idol finalist Dwight d’Eon.

There were also draws and prizes handed out throughout the program. And Little points out it didn’t matter if a child read two books or 32 books, they were all eligible for prizes.

“That way they didn’t feel defeated from the beginning if they weren’t a good reader,” she says.

As for whether the challenge will go ahead again next year, Little says they’re hopeful, although it will depend on funding. This year Register.com provided a $1,000 grant that she says went a long way towards getting the prizes for the schools. If the program can secure funding such as this again next year, Little says there will definitely be plenty to read about.