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Learners' Stories“Hated” homework benefits READIf a group of teenage girls knocked on your door, you probably wouldn’t expect them to start reciting poetry, but that’s exactly what some Saanich residents experienced recently. Claremont secondary students Sarah Ablitt, Emi Horne, Mia Brooker, and Emily Mann visited their neighbours and took turns reciting Jack Prelutsky’s poem “Homework! Oh Homework!” in exchange for a donation to the READ Society.“We collected $82 – I never thought we would raise that much money,” says Emi. 
Claremont students fundraise for READ The door-to-door “Loonies for Literacy” poetry tour arose from an assignment from Claremont teacher Susan Stenson, herself a published poet who has participated in READ’s Random Acts of Poetry. “I call this English assignment “Leaders in Literacy” and the students have to design and implement a project that will make a difference to literacy in their school, neighbourhood or community,” Stenson says. In addition to reading the poems, the Grade 9 students asked people to share a word evoked by the poem, which they recorded on a poster. The poem, which declares a student’s hatred of homework, invoked sympathetic smiles from their listeners. The girls chose to raise money for the READ Society because Sarah has attended classes regularly at READ since she was in the sixth grade, getting extra help in language arts. READ’s executive director Claire Rettie met with the foursome at their school and asked what books she should buy with their donation for use at READ. “These young girls truly are leaders in literacy and we at READ are delighted to have inspired them and to have benefitted from their efforts.” The books will get a bookplate to show that they were donated by the girls. |
