FernFolio

The Get Caught Reading Hall of Fame closed on May 30th.  This year it surpassed previous records with 150 students, 91 Primary children, 47 Junior students and 12 Intermediate students!  These 150 students read 14,000 picture storybooks and 2,000 novels, 16,000 books in all.
The Get Caught Reading Celebrations began on June 13th with the Primary Assembly.  Children came to auditorium following afternoon recess and listened to my earnest admonishments to read, read, read, before the school principal handed out the certificates.  As each name was called, children broke into warm and sustained applause.  They were very enthusiastic and supportive of one another!
Following the presentations, children were invited to eat ice cream sundaes, ably prepared by my small army of helpers, most of them members of the Girls’ Book Club.  By the end of the celebration, all of the 4-litre containers of ice cream were empty, we were all rather sticky, and the air had taken on a sweet, vanilla smell!
The Junior Assembly was held on the following Monday.  One of the Junior students, a girl in grade 6, managed to beat the old record for number of novels read in a single year, reading 200 in all.  And to think that, when I began the Get Caught Reading Program, five years ago, I thought 5 levels would be ample!
The Intermediate Awards were far more casual.  The twelve readers came to the library after recess on the 18th of June and we sat around and talked books while polishing off bowls of ice cream and sauce.  Many of the intermediate readers are also members of the Intermediate Book Club, so it was an altogether lovely hour.
In September, I will remove the photos from the Hall of Fame bulletin board, and we shall begin again to count the books we read.  My goals, as always, are to hold more class parties to celebrate a whole class in the Reading Hall of Fame, and to encourage more Junior and Intermediate students to read, especially the boys.  I would also love to surpass this year’s totals of 150 students and 16,000 books.  I don’t suppose I’ll be entirely satisfied until everyone is in the Reading Hall of Fame!
FernFolio Editor