Saint Paul’s Take 10 and Drop Everything and Read

Staff and students at Saint Paul’s took part in a Manchester-wide Take 10 Drop Everything and Read event, as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

The event served to develop the students’ enjoyment of reading and encourage students and their families to start a daily habit of reading for 10 minutes. Research from National Literacy Trust shows that children who enjoy reading are three times more likely to have good mental wellbeing than children who don’t enjoy reading. Reading for just 10 minutes a day can help children and young people relax, unwind and explore their emotions.

“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.”

Mrs Irena Savova, the school’s librarian, commented: “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.”