February is Reading Bonanza month at Red Deer’s Koinonia Christian School and all 190 students, from pre-school through to Gr. 12 are taking part in a fun competition to encourage more reading.

“We have some very enthusiastic students,” says school librarian Roxlyn Seim.

“Reading is what it is all about and it involves reading everything, books of course, but also the Bible and newspapers. The students get to choose what they read, and it also involves the parents, some grandparents and the staff.”

Readers at the school have two goals to reach to get everyone involved in a competitive way, says Seim. They’ve just passed the first goal, to read 450 books and that means everyone, a class at a time, will get to enjoy an ice cream sundae.

A second goal is 700 books by the end of February. And if they reach that goal math and physical-education high school teacher Mike Doerksen will have to wear a Oilers jersey and parade up and down the school halls carrying a banner declaring that the Oilers rock.

“Since he is a serious Flames fan this will be very embarrassing for him to do, and the students are enjoying torturing him that they will reach the goal of 700 books. But he’s being a real good sport about it. We have a big thermometer in the hallway to measure our progress. It’s a little different way to get our students to read more.”

Seim says at one point 130 books were read over four days and the students seem to be enjoying making Mike Doerksen sweat.

She says the competition is also encouraging some of the school’s more reluctant readers to take part in the competition.

“The students are loving the competition and it’s great to see participation from every level at the school; elementary, junior high and high school.”

acryderman@reddeerexpress.com