I Love to Read Month came to a close Tuesday, and Sunnyside Colony invited several readers to read to them. A Portage Terrier team member came out, along with some colony residents and a news reporter from PortageOnline among others. Principal supervisor and teacher Tim Lehman says his students really do have a great love to read.

"You should see the number of books they go through in a given week," says Lehman. "Over the course of the month, we had a number of other visitors at the school who also love to read, and the students did a really good job of welcoming the visitors, listening carefully to what was read and if anything, I think they're going to want to read even more after this."

Lehman says he appreciates the support from the community.

"Everybody who I asked about coming wanted to come and was eager to come and check things out, and to share some of their time with the students," continues Lehman. "I really appreciated that. It was so easy to line up some visitors. We have grades 4 to 8 in this classroom."

One of the students adds, "We take a lot of books from the Prairie la Prairie Library and we have a whole bulletin board of receipts over there. So when we buy books, we take the receipts and staple them all over there."

Lehman gives a shot out to the library staff at the colony school, as well.

"They've been very supportive in providing the books for the students and pulling the books off the shelves, getting them ready for when I come to pick them up," adds Lehman. "So, thanks a lot, Portage library staff. We love you guys." 

During the last day with I Love to Read Month, the students received a visit from a Golden West Broadcasting news reporter and Lehman had students stand at the front of the class and read a newscast.  

Grade 5 student Damaris Kleinsasser explains how it took place.

"My teacher made a spinner with all our names on there, and then he pressed the spinner so that it's fun," says Damaris. "Then my name came up."

The students were asked to read the sample newscast and not sound like they were actually reading the words on paper.  Students asked several other news-related questions, as well. 


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