I love going into schools — students remind me that reading is fun and creating is magical. When life at the keyboard becomes tedious, visiting with students, particularly Division 1, remind me why I do this. They are full of curiosity and excitement, barely contained by ‘criss-cross apple sauce’. Everything is new to them and it’s an awesome feeling to fan the flames of that excitement.
St Williams Elementary School, Calgary
Late last month, I visited St. Williams Elementary School in SE Calgary. The Kindergarten and Grade 1 students were eager to show off their reading skills and wanted to know more about all the different people who work to create a book. The Grade 2 & 3 students were awed by the slow-motion video of an osprey fishing and insisted that the newly-hatched ospreys are cute (I think they look like dinosaurs). Whether we were discussing fiction or non-fiction, my books were received with great enthusiasm.
And they weren’t just being polite….they clearly love books and love reading. They love their library and their librarian. And who wouldn’t? Mrs. Vevang isn’t a jealous guardian of her collection, ready to pounce on gigglers and snatch late fines from delinquent borrowers. She has created a welcoming, vibrant space that is both cozy (with a little tent for a quiet reading retreat) and energetic (with lots of room for a raucous Lego club). I watched her make personal recommendations to students (‘perhaps something not so scary this time’) and welcome those who dropped in just to visit before the bell. She was the reason I was welcomed with such excitement. St. Williams is a very lucky school.
Hooray for librarians! Hooray for champions of reading! And hooray for kids who love books!
