Rodney’s young readers rise to Mayor’s challenge

Click to enlarge
Bradley Coleman shakes hands with Mayor John Law while his mother, Kaye, brother Tyler and friend Matthew look on.

MEDIA RELEASE
Orewa, 9th July 2007

Available for immediate publication.

Media release

Rodney’s young readers rise to Mayor’s challenge

For the fourth consecutive year more of the district’s children have risen to the Mayor’s annual reading challenge.

This year 692 children from throughout the district completed the challenge with the majority representing one of 27 schools.

To enter, each child had to read for at least half an hour every day in May, and those who visited a Rodney library twice were entitled to a bonus entry in the competition draw.

This year’s competition winners were Bradley Coleman (11) from Gulf Harbour School who won a new bike for first place, while Daniel Laslett (11) from Mahurangi College and seven year-old Lewis Williams from Warkworth Primary each received a CD radio cassette recorder for second and third place respectively.

Rodney District Council’s Mayor, John Law, says he is delighted the challenge is encouraging more of the district’s children to read.

“We continue to see more children participating, and we would like to thank schools and parents for their continued support,” says Mr Law.

The three schools that submitted the most entries in the Mayor’s reading challenge were Warkworth Primary (139), Orewa North Primary (99) and Mahurangi College (61).

Rodney’s Children’s Librarian, Tina Collins, says the response this year has once again exceeded expectations.

“Schools continue to get behind this initiative and we are proud to be working with them to encourage literacy in the district,” she says.

This year more than 250 children gained an extra entry by visiting Rodney libraries a least two times in May as part of the Mayor’s Reading Challenge.љ The Challenge is supported by FreeRide’n’ Huapai, The Warehouse Snells Beach, the Whangaparaoa and Orewa Lions clubs and the Rotary Club of Warkworth.

ENDS

© Scoop Media