WIIKWEMKOONG – Wiikwemkoong’s Junior School has been partnered with the Indigo bookstore in Toronto’s Eaton Centre through the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation’s Adopt a School program, which seeks to raise one book for every student.
Wikwemikong Junior School principal Harold Fox said he first received an email about the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation through an email.
“It said ‘follow this click’ and that’s what I did,” he tells The Expositor with a laugh.
Mr. Fox says Junior School students are always being encouraged to read. In fact, the school even has a Stanley Cup Reading Madness challenge that’s held annually during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Classes will record the number of minutes spent reading during playoff season in the hopes of being named the top class.
“Indigo has us fill out some forms, asking us what our goals are and how we encourage lifelong literacy,” Mr. Fox says. “Next thing you know, we’re part of the Adopt a School program.”
Each class in the Kindergarten to Grade 3 school has its own library.
The Wikwemikong Junior School will be featured at the Eaton Centre Indigo store from September 14 to October 6. Every time a person checks out of the store they will be asked if they would like to donate to the school. On top of the in-store donations, people also can purchase books from the school’s registry of 50 titles, and Indigo will match the donation.
“A lifelong love of reading and educational success is possible for every Canadian child,” says Heather Reisman, chair of the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. “However, we face a significant challenge with the funding of public elementary school libraries across Canada where small or nonexistent library budgets are the reality. The burden is unfairly falling on our teachers who are putting their hands into their own pockets to buy books and educational resources for their classrooms. We as a country need to do better to ensure that all students become engaged readers.”
If you’re not in the vicinity of the Eaton Centre but still want to contribute, community supporters can purchase books from the school’s book gift registry at indigo.ca.
