Redcliff Mennonite Alternative program gets 1,500 children’s books through grants
Redcliff Mennonite Alternative Program students have been granted the gift of reading, and have decided to share their good fortune with the entire community.
RMAP applied for and received a grant from the “Indigo Love of Reading Foundation.” About 1,500 children’s books, which have an estimated value of $15,000, arrived in the community earlier this week, and were unveiled to the public Wednesday.
The successful grant application was the result of a close collaboration between RMAP staff and the Redcliff Public Library, which serves as the school’s learning library.
“The partnership between the Redcliff Public Library and RMAP has been extremely beneficial,” said RPL manager Tracy Weinrauch. “Not only to the students in the school but for the community as a whole.”
A good portion of the books will end up at the library for the Redcliff public to use, said RMAP Grade 1/2 teacher Cheryl Rebmann, who spearheaded the grant application for her school.
“We are going to keep some classroom sets, and some will go to the library as well to open up this opportunity to the community. It was a team effort but I thought it would be a really good idea to partner up with the library on this. They have been such a big part of our lives here at the school,” confirmed Rebmann.
As for her students, Rebmann is extremely pleased the youngest classes at the school will now have more resources to practise their English reading skills.
“Most of our students are considered English language-learners; so their first language is Low German actually, and not English. Bringing in more English books helps them increase their vocabulary in English ... This grant just gets them to enjoy reading and looking at books. Books can open whole new opportunities for them.”
Grade 2 student Nelly Hamm couldn’t wait to get her hands on the new books.
“When you read you can have new adventures in your imagination. I like all books. I read a book every single day,” she said.