“Last night at our family dinner night (Healthy Food Healthy Families) a little girl, who has been with us for three years, walked to the basket of books that I had told the children were at the front door for them as they left. We heard a squeal as she found a book that her teacher reads to them. She immediately picked it up and read the title. It is such a great feeling to know how much these books mean to these children and I wanted to share this with you. These books in the lives of these children are like gold.”
- Susan Quaiff, Executive Director, The Hub Centre
“It is rare that I have worked with community partners that are so dedicated to helping children. They give hundreds of hours each year to ensure that kids in our community have free books to take home, cherish and read. They are changing futures by putting new books into the hands, homes and classrooms of the young members of our community. It is rare that a day passes that I don’t see a student reading a book that came to our school through the County Kids Read program.”
- Paul Pickard, Principal, Queen Elizabeth School
“The families have expressed to me that the children look forward to getting a new or gently used book each month and that it has not only improved the children’s writing skills, but also the parents’. These families that are using the food bank can’t afford food, so obviously can’t afford to purchase books for their children.”
- Linda Downey, President, The Storehouse Food Bank
"My grandson loves his Dinosaur book. Thank you County Kids Read!"
"Peppa Pig!!! I want to go home and read it!" (four years old)
"My daughter loves finding all the new books! Pricing makes it hard to fulfill her reading wants and needs."
"Seeing the hockey books made me think of my brother-in-law with autism. He would love them thanks to his new love for hockey!"
- Comments from participants at the Healthy Food Healthy Families program at The Hub Child and Family Centre
A few things I have overheard from families:
“Mom can we pick a book today. I love the truck books so much.”
“We are so lucky for this program. My children have so many books from County Kids Read.”
- Sabrina Hudson, Co-ordinator, The Hub Child and Family Centre
“The County Kids Read group continues to provide such a boost to literacy levels of our kids. Every time parents are given their child’s book they are so excited. Many times they will open the book and start reading….I can’t praise the generosity and value to our young clients enough. Everyone wins and I am so proud to be the recipient of County Kids Read efforts and initiative. I know we are making a difference.”
- Peggy Neil, Community Nurse, Prince Edward County Health Team
County Kids Read Nominated for a HPEDSB Great Place Award
“They (CKR) are changing futures by putting new books into the hands, homes and classrooms of the young members of our community …
The work they have done through County Kids Read will have a long lasting impact on the students in our school and throughout Prince Edward County.”
- Excerpt from nomination letter by Paul Pickard, Principal of Queen Elizabeth School, Picton
“As a teacher, I cannot express adequately enough how much this service in our community means to me, and to the children. They make this area truly a ‘Great Place’.”
Sherlyn Keddie, Grade 1/2 Teacher
“The organization of County Kids Read has made a significant contribution to the students in my class – both this year and the last year. I have taken my class to visit Anne and her many volunteers many times throughout the past two years…..Anne and her volunteers go above and beyond when it comes to this program. They work with me very time I go to make sure each student has a book that interests and is a suitable reading level for each child.”
-Victoria Carroll, Grade 4/5 Teacher
Prince Edward Collegiate Institute, K-12 School
“For the past five years, I have been taking my primary classes to visit the wonderful volunteers that were inspired to create and develop County Kids Read. We access this valuable resource several times throughout the year and it is an absolute highlight for my students every time. When students go for the first time and see the variety of texts lovingly sorted and placed on the shelves... when they hear for the first time that they are allowed to choose a book and take it home to keep forever, their faces alight with disbelief and pure joy! County Kids Read helps foster the love of reading - a lifelong gift! I am so grateful!”
- Julie Hymus, Classroom Teacher
Queen Elizabeth School (amalgamated with PECI in 2018-19)
“We are thrilled, as a school, to be able to host author visits that are organized by County Kids Read. Author visits along with the book acquisition program have had a positive impact on our school, supporting the educational and personal development of our children. Namely, we believe that support from County Kids Read has tremendous effect on our students’ interest in reading and more importantly their ability to read well. Our vision of graduates that are “globally minded learners and leaders” cannot be achieved without the valuable community supports that our students enjoy.”
-Paul Pickard, Principal
A Letter to County Kids Read Class Visit Coordinator, Brenda Franks
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Dear Mrs. Franks,
The students in 1/2K, as well as Ms. Keddie, would like to thank you for allowing us to visit your book room. We really appreciated the free book we each got to keep. We all liked our pick. We also enjoyed the story that was read to us on the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Thank you for a great visit! Speaking of visits, we would love to come back soon! Could you let us know when the earliest day and time? We LOVE our books!!!!! Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Sincerely, The Students of 1/2K PECI