A Literacy Advantage at Riverview
by Dan Mullins
Late this summer, a group of young people had a great time and got an advantage at Riverview Elementary… a CampVantage!
Thanks to dedicated staff who created a unique opportunity for students and a community ready to get involved, CampVantage went off without a hitch.
A grant from Réseau Réussite Montréal, a regional organisation which promotes school perseverance and the success of young people, was used to finance the camp which was free for the 21 student participants. It ran for nine weekdays in August and included a healthy breakfast, making it easy for students to start the day fully energised.
The main objective was to focus on literacy skills and to gear up for school. This was achieved through play and hands-on activities. Play is learning, and learning was happening throughout the camp, whether during a game of multiplication hopscotch, while gathering items in nature, or when students gave one another superpowers en français. The camp was designed to provide an enjoyable way to transition back to school while reviewing the knowledge they acquired in previous years.
“We wanted to ignite the fire that would engage them throughout the school year,” explained Allison Brown, principal of Riverview.Ms. Paolina, Ms. Kelly, Ms. Tina and Mme Laurence’s enthusiasm and expertise was very evident, and much appreciated.
Was CampVantage a success? You can probably judge from some of the community reactions:
“This is such an awesome project to get kids back into learning! Love this!”
“What an awesome program you guys made! Thank you so much for inviting me to this wonderful program!”
“So so so Awesome! What an initiative!”
