Drop Everything And Read - Holly Claus

         Educators (DEAR)) Drop Everything And Read 

Educators don't wait another minute. It's almost too late. Hurry, race to your school library or your community library or to your nearest bookstore. Get your hands on The Legend of Holly Claus. Fetch it in novel form for grades four and up or as a beautiful picture book for younger readers. 

Hundreds of thousands, through my conference work and school visits have heard me say that Holly Claus is my favourite Christmas book ever. 

Holly Claus is the Harry Potter of Christmas - a book that every family should have read...should have in their library to read and re-read at this time of the year.

If you have not experienced the magic of Brittney Ryan's New York Times best selling Holly Claus, consider this my gift to you.

Imagine a place in time where Santa would receive a letter from a boy asking what he, Santa, would like for Christmas. What if that letter contained the magic that would allow Santa and his wife Vivianna to finally have the child they have dreamed about for centuries. What would they name their child and how would the Christmas Princess deal with the curse that followed her into the land of the Immortals...the land of Forever...???

Holly Claus is a book for young and old alike. I first shared it with our daughter Victoria when she was six. My 26 year old will tell you that her childhood was highlighted by Harry Potter and Holly Claus.

When I asked if she had not outgrown these classics, she answered,

"Dad, I haven't outgrown Harry and Holly. I grew up with them."

A hero - let it be you

 To become a reader, every child (every student) needs a hero. 

 A Perfect Mission Statement: Our school is a sanctuary for students, staff and parents.

A Focus/objective - Our school will make "reading" our focus this year. The collective goal of our staff and our parent support body will be to promote reading in everyone of our students. 

Our plan 

To adhere to the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori (shown here)

To learn to read, Maria taught three pre-requisites. 

1. Time

2. A hero

3. Books. 

Heroes

Children (as do we all) need a hero to guide them along the path of becoming readers They will do as you do and not as you say.

There will be a designated time everyday where absolutely everyone within the school premises will read. Call it DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) or START (Students and Teachers All Read Together)…or what you may but that period of time is sacred. Who will read? The principal and vice-principle. The office staff. The custodial staff. All teachers and teacher assistants. Any and every visitor who chose to be in our school during that allocated time. Signs will be posted at the doors of entry stating that our school is inaccessible during this time period and that if the need is great, this is the phone number of our principal who will take your call but will prefer you call back at a later time. 

Start with your own children...

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