Ecole Fox Run School hosted a Literacy Night Jan. 25 from 6-7 p.m. The Fox Run Lunch Leaders - a group that plans events and fundraisers for the school - picked “S’mores and Camping” as the theme for this year. In the spirit of the event, the library was decorated with a favourite camp themed activity, s’mores.
Ecole Fox Run School has been participating in Literacy Day for many years in hopes of sparking a love of reading in the students.
During the day, students participated in a variety of literacy and camp themed games and activities.
In past years, Fox Run students have had well-known members of the community such as Mayor Sean McIntyre come read to the students. This year the students were asked a variety of literacy-themed questions from their teachers such as “What book are you currently reading?” and “What is your favourite book genre.”
At 12:50 the audiobook “Romeow and Drooliet” was played over the public address system for students and staff to enjoy before lunchtime. Lunch Leaders also made up contest packages for every student in every class. The packages included a literacy camping adventure worksheet to enter into a school-wide contest and also a family Literacy Bingo to be entered into a draw for a gift card.
“I think it is important to promote literacy as not enough people read. I think a lot of it is due to technology, which has seemed to replace reading,” DeeAnn Daniels,the Fox Run librarian.
Daniels continued by saying the activities planned at the school were to celebrate Family Literacy Day which fell on Jan. 27 this year. Daniels thought the most important part of the day was to have the students read for at least fifteen minutes and do some literacy activities.
According to UNESCO’s website approximately 774 million adults lack minimum literacy skills. One in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women. About 75 million children do not attend school at all or don’t attend on a regular basis.
By Kellen McLean
FOX RUN REPORTER