Staff and students at Saint Paul’s took part in a Manchester-wide Drop Everything and Read event, a great way to get everyone in school reading and at the same time raising money for books and stories for children in hospitals and schools.
The event served to encourage and develop the students’ enjoyment of reading. The students and staff brought in their own books or borrowed a book from the school library where there are many award winning books to choose from ranging from chillers and thrillers to war stories, drama and comedy.
“The celebration of reading was designed to remind students and staff of all ages to make reading a priority activity in their lives,” explained Mr Jamie Sharrock, English teacher. “We want people to make reading a regular part of their routine . . . whether they’re reading solo or together with their classmates, parents, or friends. The students could borrow books from the library where the titles are carefully chosen to reflect all tastes and abilities. It is very important to instill in young people a need and desire to read. Research shows that teenagers who choose to pick up a book for pleasure are more likely to succeed in life.”
“To highlight the importance of reading in our school community and encourage our students to read for pleasure, we tell our students and staff to put aside all distractions and enjoy books together,” said Mr Alex Hren, Head Teacher. “The session was very successful with some students complaining when their reading time was over – we certainly sparked their enthusiasm for reading and books.”
