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Dress up, dress down, or pull out the Scrabble board

Literacy Day brings readers together

Sharon Broatch is trying to figure out how to look like a mud puddle. As principal of Myrtle Philip elementary school, Broatch wants to dress up as her favourite book character as part of the school’s literacy day activities on Jan. 26.

“Maybe I can just smash some mud on my face and in my hair,” Broatch says of her attempt to recreate the mud puddle from author Robert Munsch’s picture book.

In addition to a day when students and staff will dress as their favourite characters, parents are being invited to a pajama party focused on reading that will take place in the school’s library from 6:30 to 8 p.m on January 25.

A one-week readathon in which students record minutes spent either reading or being read to will raise money to buy books for the library.

Staff from three Whistler Starbucks stores will provide competitive incentives for Myrtle Philip students by also recording their reading time during the week of January 22-26.

Spring Creek Community School will also host reading and writing events on Jan. 26 to highlight national Family Literacy Day set for Jan. 27.

Volunteer readers from the community, including an RCMP officer, a councillor, a school trustee, a firefighter, and guest readers will read to primary grades in the afternoon in English, Japanese or French. Intermediate grades will focus on writing, taking part in rotating workshops with professional local writers.

Principal Gerri Galloway says the events send vital messages to kids.

“It’s really important that our children learn that reading doesn’t just happen in school, that reading is something that’s for life and that every part of our community is involved and supporting reading,” Galloway said.

As part of Family Literacy Day, Whistler Public Library will host its second annual scrabble tournament on Sunday, Jan. 28, 4-9 p.m. A $5 entry fee covers treats, prizes and refreshments. “People can come for one game or the whole night,” said librarian Nadine White.