This year under the direction of Ed Wade and Theresa O'Leary, Board members of Council, READ-IN has occurred on several occasions at Holy Cross School in St. John's.

This year on April 27, Canada Book Day, St. Augustine's School, St. John's held what was a very elaborate and successful READ-IN. Being Canada Book Day, of course, books by Canadian authors were read, which had been chosen in cooperation with Granny Bates Children's Books. The community who came to school that day to read to the children included the following: Ms. Lesley Ann Brown (NLTA Bulletin), Ms. Debra Birmingham (OZ-FM), Ms. K. Tremlett (Retired Teacher), Mrs. T. Lee (Retired Teacher), Ms. V. Mahoney (Principal), Mr. Terry Rielly (Entertainer), Ms. Lynn Burry & Ms. Sharon Snow (NTV News), Mr. Glen Stanford (St. John's Maple Leafs), Mr. Steve Watson (Central Dairies), Mr. Bill Fagan (Literacy Development Council), Mr. Bob Pike (Nfld. Power) Hon. Oliver Langdon (Minister of Environment and Lands), Mr. Jack Harris (New Democratic Party), Mr. Kevin Major (Author), Ms. Roberta Hallett (Former Principal), Ms. Marie White (Councillor), Mr. Larry Jay (OZ-FM), Mr. Dennis O'Keefe (Councillor), Mr. Mark Vaughn-Jackson (The Telegram, Mr. Ed Byrne (Progressive Conservative Party), Mr. Fred Hutton (NTV News), Mr. Brian Shortall & Ms. Marg Ryall (Avalon East School Board), Mr. Andy Wells (Mayor-St. John's), Mr. Greg Malone (New Democratic Party).

This is a project of which the Literacy Development Council is proud and is grateful to St. Augustine's School for implementing READ-IN in this way. The story has an even happier ending as St. Augustine's entered an account of how it participated in Canada Book Day in a national contest sponsored by the Writers' Alliance of Canada. In competition with 13,000 entries, St. Augustine's was the winner.

Photo by Gary Hebbard, The Telegram

This is a project that any corporation should be happy to sponsor, whether contributing funds to the Literacy Development Council to be offered to schools which participate in READ-IN or offering funds or books to participating schools. After READ-IN-2000, a contribution of $1000 each from the Department of Education and Literacy Development Council was divided among four schools for the purchase of books. The names of the schools, from among those which participated, were drawn by Honourable Judy Foote, Minister of Education as she and Dr. William Fagan, Chair of Council, participated on a local KIXX Country radio show.

Moving Literacy Forward

This was the theme of the meetings of the Literacy Development Council on June 16, and 17, 2000. The Board members of Council teamed up with the Luanne Leamon, Assistant Deputy Minister - Literacy, and Cindy Christopher, from the Literacy Unit, Department of Education to implement a number of literacy activities/projects to promote and foster literacy in this province. In all 12 such projects were addressed. Among this range of projects, the three major goals of the Strategic Literacy Plan will be addressed: improving literacy levels, promoting a literate culture, and fostering an integrated approach to literacy development. Subgroups of the participants at the meeting brainstormed ways in which these projects could be put into practice. A Board member agreed to take responsibility for moving the idea forward. The proposed ideas/projects and the Board member leading a committee to make the idea/project happen are as follows: