Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan visited Maramba Primary School on Monday to promote the Premier’s Reading Challenge. From left: Vice-captain Kara, school captains Harrison and Alex, vice-captain Brendan, with Luke Donnellan and principal Darrell Mullins.By Rebecca Fraser
STUDENTS at Maramba Primary School were encouraged to pull out their books and join the Premier’s Reading Challenge on Monday when Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan visited the school.
This year the challenge has been expanded to include prep to grade 2 students and the recommended booklist includes about 4000 titles — more than twice as many as last year.
Mr Donnellan said the challenge was a fun way to improve literacy and instil a love of reading in young people.
He said the expansion of the program was a great opportunity for parents to become more involved in the challenge.
“Parents can support the challenge by listening to their children read or by reading to them.
“Last year 130,000 students from about 1500 schools took part in the challenge reading more than one million books.
“With the expansion of the program we expect the challenge to be even bigger and better this year.”
Every student who successfully meets the challenge will receive a certificate signed by Premier Steve Bracks.
Students in years 3 to 9 who accept the challenge need to read 15 books, including at least 20 from the challenge booklist, by 30 August.
Students in prep to year 2 must read or experience 30 books, including at least 20 from the challenge booklist, by 30 August.
Mr Donnellan has donated $200 to the Narre Warren school to help purchase new books and another $75 to the student that reads the most books.
Schools and students can enrol in the Premier’s Reading Challenge online at: www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/vicpre.
