Macedon ranges students complete premiers’ reading challenge

Students from across the Macedon Ranges have enjoyed hundreds of books over the past few months as part of the Premiers’ Reading Challenge.

Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas visited schools from across the region to donate books to the students and congratulate them on completing this year’s Challenge.

Schools to complete the challenge were:

Bolinda Primary School Braemar College Gisborne Primary School Hesket Primary School Malmsbury Primary School Mount Macedon Primary School New Gisborne Primary School Our Lady of the Rosary Parish School, Kyneton Romsey Primary School St Mary’s Primary School, Lancefield Taradale Primary School Toolern Vale Primary School Tylden Primary School Woodend Primary School They were among the 113,000 students and children who completed the Challenge from 956 local schools, 1,367 early childhood services and homes across the state.

Together, they have read more than 4.3 million books. To complete the Challenge, students in Year’s 3 to 10 had to read at least 15 books in the six months from March to September.

For students in prep, grade one and grade two, the Challenge was to read or experience 30 books.

This year, the Challenge ran its first ever reader’s review competition, inviting secondary students in years 7 to 10 to write a book review of one of a selection of Premiers’ Reading Challenge books for a chance to win free books and a visit to Penguin Random House publishing house in Melbourne.

Parents of young children were also invited to share their child’s love of reading with the world through a new Little Reader Photo Share competition, to motivate other parents to read to their children before they start school.

Since the Challenge began in 2005, more than 3 million students in Victoria have read over 50 million books, which if you stacked the books would stretch past the international space station.

For more information on the Challenge, visit: www.education.vic.gov.au/prc

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino
"We know how vital reading is to a child’s development and to help students develop their academic, social and emotional skills.""Congratulations to the students at schools across the Macedon Ranges who took up this year’s challenge!"

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas
"It’s fantastic to see so many avid readers at these schools. I hope their participation in this year’s challenge leads to a lifelong love of reading.""It’s no secret that I love to read and I’m glad that I could donate books to schools around my electorate to share the magic of reading with students."