Back Row: Curtis Lowton (teacher-librarian), Daisy, Samara, Tolu, Hailey & Alana Baxter (principal)

Front Row: Matthew Bonnett-Lambert (library technician), Ali, Ghaffar, Luciana, Paisley, Orianna & Justice.

Archwood School has recently been recognized as one of 30 schools across Canada to receive a 2024 literacy grant from the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation. The Love of Reading Foundation receives hundreds of submissions from elementary schools across Canada each year. Archwood School will receive $25,000.00 from the Love of Reading Foundation over the next three years to support school literacy initiatives that increase student engagement and enhance student achievement.

As part of the grant application process, Archwood School submitted a 3-year project proposal entitled “Celebrate Everything” that provides new opportunities for students and staff to develop an increased understanding of the people who make up their school community. This literacy project is about “learning how celebrating everything can enhance a sense of belonging” in our school and in our community. The project also supports goals outlined in the Archwood School Plan, strategic priorities of the Louis Riel School Division, and objectives of the Indigo LOR Literacy Fund Grant. 

An important action of the “Celebrate Everything” project proposal includes a plan to refresh the school’s library collection and update nine classroom libraries to reflect the rich diversity of the Archwood School community.  Students and staff will take an active role in selecting and evaluating new learning resources that highlight cultural themes, including diverse celebrations, festivals, observances, traditions, and days of remembrance. The more we embrace a “Celebrate Everything” mindset, the more we appreciate how important equitable representation of resources resonates with our students and staff. 

Many thanks to the Indigo Love of Reading Foundation for this wonderful opportunity and their generosity in supporting Archwood School as a 2024 Literacy Grant recipient.