Hey readers! Here’s a page-turner for you! The Halfmoon Bay Chatelech Community School Association (HMBCCSA) is holding a Read-a-thon from March 9 to 15. Proceeds will be split between the association’s programs at the Halfmoon Bay school and the school’s library, and will be used to purchase new books and other resources.
Would you like to help foster a love of reading in school children? By encouraging the students to read, you contribute to their academic success. Reading is fundamental to learning. It fosters a life-long curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. Fiction sparks their imagination. Learning about our diversity instills compassion and social understanding.
The more a student reads, the more donations they gather; for example, sponsorship can be by the page or by the number of books they read. While the students will be asking friends and family for donations, the HMBCCSA is hoping that local community members will come forward as well. There’s also some friendly competition – students and classes are working to raise funds with the goal of winning prizes for themselves and their class. “We aim to get kids excited about reading and, as well, involve the community in supporting our young readers,” said Lindsay Reeve, HMBCCSA chair.
If you would like to sponsor a student, please contact Wendy White at [email protected] or Lindsay at [email protected] prior to, or any time during, the event.
Last Saturday, Area B director Justine Gabias invited residents for a coffee and a chat at Coopers Green Hall. Those attending represented a variety of non-profit organizations (and through our volunteer work, we have also become friends): the Halfmoon Bay Community Association, Halfmoon Bay Environmental Society, HMB School PAC, HMB volunteer Fire Department, the Area B APC, Community Development Forum, Elder College, Sunshine Coast Community Services Society, and the Sunshine Coast Healthcare Auxiliary.
Justine shares this: “Connecting with Halfmoon Bay residents hasn’t been easy given our lack of indoor venues. So last Saturday we tried something new: we turned Coopers Green Hall into a coffee shop for a few hours where folks could drop in, grab a coffee, chat with neighbours, and share their questions, concerns and ideas with me. It was a great success, and we are talking about hosting similar gatherings monthly. To make them even better in the future, we will invite representatives from community groups so that these “coffee shop sessions” become one-stop shops for all things Halfmoon Bay. A heartfelt thank you to all who came – I am looking forward to the next one!” Thank YOU, Justine! Gathering to share a vision for our community can be empowering and productive. I look forward to the next Coffee Shop chat! Want to reach out to Justine about ideas/topics – email her at [email protected].
If you have a community event or story you would like to share in this column, please send an email to me at [email protected].
