Students from a Nass Valley school have have taken on a reading challenge and are staying on track with results.
The reading challenge kicked off on Family Literace Day Jan. 27 at Alvin A. McKay Elementary in Greenville (Laxgalts’ap).
The goal was for 55 students to read 750 books over a three month period. So far the students have read between 200 – 250 books, said school principal Tom Wilkinson.
Wilkinson said he is very happy with the momentum that has carried forward from the initial launch just over three weeks ago. He already feels next year they should up the goal to 1,000 books.
“It’s only been three weeks and it has been fairly steady,” Wilkinson said Feb. 18. “I’d say the momentum is going well.”
Once students complete a book they post a coloured index card on a school mural which is growing to read “I love books” with a symbol of a heart representing the word love.
Wilkinson had planned moral boosters along the way for the students but said so far they have not been necessary.
“We haven’t needed to do a whole lot of extra promotions,” Wilkinson said.
“The challenge is kind of running itself.”
According to Wilkinson the village library’s evening librarian has reported a boost in the number of elementary aged students coming to the library.
He credits parental assistance as a factor to the success of the challenge saying many students are reading at home with their parents.
Wilkinson said due to the cold weather many recesses are kept indoors, and some students use this time to read.
He walks the halls occasionally handing out bookmarks to students he catches reading.
Students in the Grade 5 to 7 classes were recently given the option to read books in the Nisga’a’ language, something that Wilkinson said eight out of 12 are doing.
The Alvin A. McKay Elementary School is one of four schools which make up the Nisga’a School District.