MOUNT STEWART, P.E.I. - A grant given to a local elementary school will not only transform the school’s library, but the school’s principal said it will also provide the whole community with better access to literature.
Mary Kendrick said she was thrilled when it was announced on May 29 that Mount Stewart Consolidated School was the recipient of a $30,000 Indigo Love of Reading Foundation Literacy Fund grant.
The school very much supports and promotes literacy, but the existing library wasn’t able to meet the needs of the students, Kendrick said.
“It’s just wonderful, it’s great,” she said of the news. “This is my third year here, and I felt the library really was lacking.”
The Mount Stewart school is one of 30 schools across Canada to receive the 2018 grant, part of the foundation’s annual $1.5 million commitment to high-needs elementary schools.
“I love books. I have a thousand books in my house ’cause the books at our school don’t show any interest to me.”
-Clara Ezekiel
From writing 30 letters to Indigo to having a say in selecting the new books, Kendrick said her student were involved throughout the grant application process.
Grade 6 student Cayle Coffin, who was happy to hear the good news, said he loves reading sports books.
“It’s pretty awesome, we’ll be expanding our library definitely a lot more and it will be better for us to learn,” he said. “We’ll be more educated.”
Nine-year-old Clara Ezekiel was also pleased the school received the grant.
“It’s very exciting,” she said. “I love books. I have a thousand books in my house ’cause the books at our school don’t show any interest to me.”
Kendrick said there are 40 Aboriginal students enrolled in the school, and the grant will help create a part of the library dedicated to Indigenous culture, which will include a variety of First Nations books that will be purchased over the summer.
There is a small public library in the area, but it isn’t open often, so Kendrick said the new library will also benefit community members by opening it up to them one night a week.