Students and Staff Drop Everything and Read
Story provided by Andrea Wallin, District Library Learning Commons Coordinator
In the 2022-2027 District Strategic Plan, the Kamloops-Thompson School District is committed to supporting students to develop foundational literacy skills by providing diverse learning opportunities that promote joyful reading, thoughtful written responses, and interesting conversations.
In celebration of National School Library Day on Monday, October 28, 2024, over 13,000 District students and staff from 38 SD73 schools participated in the annual Drop Everything and Read Day (DEAR).
In gyms, labs, school libraries, and classrooms across the District, students were invited to join the national movement by dropping everything and reading for 20 minutes!
Literacy events: SD73 Teacher-Librarians coordinated a variety of literacy events leading up to the day including pajama day, buddy reading activities, and reading challenges. Teacher-Librarian Renae Gartrell from Dallas Elementary shared, “DEAR is an opportunity for an entire school to come together and promote the importance of reading for pleasure. There is a strong correlation between daily reading and reading achievement. Not only do we gain knowledge, but personal connections and reflection are also gained through reading.”
Connect to school goals: Roberta Kuan, Teacher-Librarian from RLC Elementary, tells us that the school-wide event is special for her school as it aligns with the school’s literacy goals and additionally helps create positive connections with the adults in the building. Kuan says, “It’s pretty incredible as the entire school participates at the same time!”
History of DEAR: DEAR began in 2007, when Surrey Teacher-Librarian Bonnie Chapman shared a literacy promotion idea at a professional learning conference. She and her colleagues recognized the importance of promoting reading for pleasure, and the strong correlation between daily reading and reading achievement. In 2008, several teacher-librarians across the province began preparations to launch a province-wide literacy promotion event.
DEAR continues to grow in our District, in British Columbia, and on a national level.
Check out the BC Teacher-Librarian Association poster and website bctla.ca for more information about DEAR.
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