Literacy Hero Grayson Smith from the Medicine Hat Fire Department reads to a kindergarten class at Ross Glen School from the book Dot the Fire Dog.--NEWS PHOTO SAMANTHA JOHNSON
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
The theme for Education Week this year is Learning Uplifts All, and Ross Glen School kicked things off with its Literacy Heroes event on Monday.
A wide range of guests – CFB Suffield, Mavericks, Medicine Hat News, Tigers broadcasting team, members from all three local first response agencies and several school board representatives and trustees – were invited into the school to read to students. Bringing in people from a wide range of professions gives the event a community feel and shows the students how important literacy is across all jobs.
Grade 4 teacher Michael Tschritter said, “It helps us inspire a love of reading that lasts a lifetime, is really what the focus of Literacy Heroes is. It’s really helping to see how different members of our community celebrate and champion literacy. Not only that, it’s also the opportunity to share some really awesome books with our students.”
Grayson Smith from the Medicine Hat Fire Department was getting ready to read to a kindergarten class and said, “I’ll probably end up talking about fire safety. This provides them with a real-life person they can ask questions to and have a good time with. It builds a community trust and rapport with the fire service and the kids.”
Smith was going to read from Clifford the Firehouse Dog, Dot the Fire Dog and Click Clack Surprise.
Superintendent of Medicine Hat Public School Division Mark Davidson believes it’s important for young people to see different kinds of people reading who enjoy it so they can see that reading has value. Davidson tries to get out and be part of the schools as much as possible as it helps him feel more connected to the work and makes it easier for others to reach out to him.
“It’s funny too when kids say that they recognize me,” said Davidson. “Or they remember me coming to their classroom in Grade 5 and now they are in junior high. It’s also funny when they ask if I’m in the FBI or if I’m the prime minister.”
