Heath Elementary recently welcomed families into the school for their first Family Literacy Community Event, organized by Teacher-Librarian Lyndsay Smith and Learning Support Teacher, Zoe Krug. The free event took place on April 22 and 23 from 2–4 p.m. and was designed to bring families together to celebrate reading while connecting them with the school and valuable local community resources.
“Our goal was to bring our community together to share food, celebrate reading, and help make literacy accessible to all,” said Lyndsay. “We have many immigrant and new-to-Canada families in our community who may not realize that borrowing books from the school or public library is free and easy. There’s often a misconception that taking books home costs money.”
During the event, students enjoyed a variety of engaging, literacy-themed games that families could easily recreate at home. Families also had the opportunity to enjoy refreshments, pick up a free book, and check out additional materials from the school library.
Over the two days, several community partners joined the event, including the Delta Police Department, Fraser Health, George Mackie Library, Strawberry Hill Library, DIVERSEcity, and Literacy Now!, to connect with families and share information about services available in the community.
More than 65 families visited the event on the first day alone. However, for Lyndsay, the success of the event went beyond attendance numbers. “We want students and families to understand that free, engaging and relevant literature is available to them—in both school and local libraries,” she explained. “It’s also important that families see resources that reflect their own experiences and identities.”
Earlier this year, Heath Elementary received a Delta Literacy grant of $500, which was used to purchase a selection of books that represent the school community. The purpose behind the grant was for students to be able to see themselves in the literature so they can begin to cultivate a sense of belonging which ties into Heath Elementary’s school-wide vision.
“We wanted to be here to answer questions from parents and connect them with helpful resources,” said Katelyn, Fraser Health School and Wellness team. “It’s important families know what’s available to them in their community.”
“We want families to know about programs they may not be aware of,” shared Kirsten, George Mackie Library. “We have many resources available to families from books in multiple languages and free access to computers to story time for younger children.”
The Family Literacy Community Event was a powerful reminder of the role schools play in fostering connection, inclusion, and a lifelong love of reading, and because of its success, it’s set to be an annual event.
