This is the third time we have run the Literacy Initiative One Book One Community in St. Kevin’s Community College in partnership with parents and with the wider community. We continue to run this exciting literacy initiative very couple of years because of its success in getting students, their families and the wider community reading and discussing a good book. There is something very inspiring about young people expressing their creativity and when this is supported by the school, home and community it can have a powerful impact on young people.
Choosing the right book to anchor this initiative was very important to us as an English Department and we found great support with in Wicklow County Library in doing so. We wanted to get young people reading and keep them reading! (A Place Called Perfect is part of a trilogy) As soon as we read the novel we knew the scope for fun and creativity was immense and we could feel ourselves getting excited about the opportunities it would present for us in the classroom. We also felt that students having fun and having a space to be creative is more important than ever giving the challenges that Covid-19 has presented the teaching and learning environment with over the past two years. A Place Called Perfect would also give us the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills in our students with the exploration of ideas such as perfectionism, censorship and freedom of expression. At present the six 1st year English classes in St. Kevin’s as well as the 5th and 6th class students form both local national schools are busy reading the book and together with their teachers are planning a wide range of activities which they will showcase to the author Helena Duggan on April 1st.
We are really looking forward to getting started!