Ministry of Education: 2008 September 2
BURNABY – To kick off the new school year, players from the Vancouver Giants and other Western Hockey League (WHL) teams joined government representatives, students and teachers at Cascade Heights Elementary school to demonstrate the importance of reading and physical activity, Education Minister Shirley Bond announced today.
“Physical activity and reading are taking centre stage for the new school year, and what better way to get the year started than by celebrating the success of the Vancouver Giants’ Read to Succeed program,” said Bond. “In fact, the program has now been expanded to include all B.C. WHL teams, so that more students will be able to take on the challenge of gaining literacy skills and being more active every day.”
The Province is providing $25,000 to expand the Vancouver Giants’ Read to Succeed Literacy program, which is now in its sixth year. The program is aimed at students in grades 4 through 6 and encourages students in their reading skills and overall studies as they begin their intermediate school years.
“Read to Succeed is an excellent opportunity to engage children in physical activity while having fun reading,” said Vancouver Giants vice-president Dale Saip. “The connection to our players has assisted in drawing out their learning potential and encouraged each student to excel academically, athletically and personally. We are incredibly happy with the success of the Read to Succeed Program and see it as a win-win situation for everyone involved.”
As part of the program, WHL players visit schools to speak about the importance of education and to present a reading and activity challenge to the students. The two-week challenge consists of 15 minutes of reading and 30 minutes of physical activity over and above what the students achieve during school hours. When all students in a class complete the challenge, they receive tickets to a WHL game. In addition to Vancouver, the expanded program will run in Chilliwack, Cranbrook, Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George.
“The Read to Succeed challenge is a great way for students to develop reading and exercise routines that will help them at school and in their daily lives,” said Healthy Living and Sport Minister Mary Polak. “We encourage students to participate in these types of programs and to continue to develop healthy habits outside of the classroom.”
Today marks the Province’s implementation of two key ActNow BC strategies to help address the issue of childhood obesity and improve the health of B.C. students. With the introduction of mandatory daily physical activity and the ban on junk food sales in B.C. schools, British Columbia now has the highest school health standards in Canada. These strategies help support the Province’s Pacific Leadership Agenda goal of improving health for British Columbians and renewing the public health-care system, and the work of the WHL’s Read to Succeed program helps support the Province’s goals of being the best-educated, most literate jurisdiction in North America and the healthiest jurisdiction ever to host the Olympic Games.
“We know that children who are physically active and eat nutritious foods do better in school,” said Bond. “Our government is committed to student health and achievement, and we want every student to be healthy so they can achieve their best, in school and in life.”
Since 2001, the Province has invested $137 million in literacy strategies through ReadNow BC, a comprehensive provincial literacy action plan that helps to provide preschoolers, K-12 students, adults, immigrants and Aboriginal people with the reading skills they need to succeed.
ActNow BC is the provincial government’s health and wellness initiative that works together with government ministries, the health sector and partners to deliver programs and services that encourage healthy choices for all British Columbians.
For more information on ActNow BC and to take the ActNow BC Healthy Living Pledge, visit www.actnowbc.ca. For more information on ReadNow BC, visit www.readnowbc.
