The Reading College 2024 graduating class throws their caps in celebration. (rdnewsNOW/Ashley Lavallee-Koenig)

By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

850 STUDENTS SERVED IN 13 YEARS

Reading College applauds 68 student graduating class

Jul 26, 2024 | 4:46 PM

Reading College wrapped up its 13th year of helping youth in Red Deer improve their reading and writing skills by celebrating its 68 graduates on July 26 in the main gym at Red Deer Polytechnic.

“Without a doubt, the teachers have helped the students become better readers and writers. This is my fourth year as coordinator and I saw students’ confidence flourish right before my eyes and their skill level increase with the daily targeted teaching,” said Sue Carmichael, Reading College program coordinator.

In the mornings, students focused on word work, reading and writing and in the afternoons, got to participate in a fun activity. Some of the reading skills that are focused on include reading comprehension, fluency, and decoding.

They are also bussed to and from the classes, which are held at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre, and provided breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

“Students were immersed in a literacy rich environment where they received a lot of support to develop their reading skills and to become excited about reading and writing,” explained Larissa Spendiff of community relations with Red Deer Public Schools.

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MLA for Red Deer-North Adriana LaGrange joined the celebration to share words of encouragement with the children.

“This program is so critically important. One day you might be standing here being the Minister of education, or the minister of health, or even the premier!” She said to the graduating class.

The program is run by The Foundation for Red Deer Public Public Schools, and board chair Kristine Plastow said it is one of its most well-known programs. The cost of running the program is about $100,000, but is offered for free to all participants.

“The new skills and abilities you’ve learned will take you far not only in school when you go back in September, but also in life,” said Plastow.

RDP is a partner of the program and hosts the classes and gives some of its own education students a chance to put their skills to practice in teaching some of the groups while under mentorship from the more experienced instructors.

“We know that some of the students, now that the program has been that many years, that some of those children are now Red Deer Polytechnic students,” shared RDP vice-president of finance and administration, and CFO Jim Brinkhurst. “That’s really exciting, and we know that it’s had a good impact.”

Carmichael added that heat and air quality warnings throughout the month had little impact on the class’s activities due to the indoor track and large spaces made available within the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.

Over the lifetime of the program, it has served more than 850 students. Students attend the program when they are moving from the second grade to the third grade, as reading and writing skills at that age are markers of future success in high school, said Plastow.

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