Grades 1-3 classrooms at Imperial Community School now have better access to books thanks to a partnership donation.
United Way Regina and SaskPower teamed up to make a $40,000 donation to the school to fund four classroom libraries.
. @SaskPower is donating classroom libraries to grade 1-3 classrooms at Imperial Community School. Students thanked the utility by giving them a book written by them. pic.twitter.com/5lmlTxFMSs
— Mackenzie Read (@read_mackenzie) December 4, 2019
This money purchased about 400 books per classroom, as well as reading pods, benches and chairs for the kids.
SaskPower’s Kathy Young said statistics show if you can get a grade 3 child to a grade 3 reading level, they will be more successful as students, which also follows many other aspects in life. “Those children that fall behind by grade 3, our statistics show that they struggle through different areas of life as well.”
“We really want to get to these sweet, little, young and get them excited about reading,” Young adds. “Have age appropriate books that they can read, and read over and over, and a nice variety so it just becomes a life-long of learning.”
Vice-Principal Amy Singh said after the initial unveiling of the libraries, the kids just gravitated to the books. “The teacher and United Way sponsors and I were having a quick conversation on the side. The classroom had been engaged in a learning activity before we came in, and as soon as the cover came off the books they just couldn’t help themselves and gravitated to the books. One by one they were pulling books off the shelves and reading.”
Singh added that reading doesn’t just help the kids learn in the classroom, but helps in everyday life. “We work towards making sure they reach their literacy goals so that as they grow and get older, they can prosper in the things they are doing and the careers they choose to have.”
She said that this donation is the gift that will keep on giving.
