THE READ Like a Demon program (RLAD) has drawn to a close for another year, with hundreds of students completing the program and coming together at Casey Fields for the annual RLAD Gala Day. Mitch Clark, Jamie Bennell and Aaron Davey came along and shared their favourite books with students, while also answering questions from a curious crowd.
Students from each school were selected to share their work at the Gala - either a book review they had posted throughout the year on the www.readlikeademon.com.au blog or their own writing - bravely sharing their work in front of hundreds of participants, teachers and players.
Each year, RLAD participants have the opportunity to enter the program’s writing competition, which promotes students to become authors, and celebrates their growth as readers and writers throughout the year. RLAD ambassadors - Colin Garland and Cale Morton - chose a winner from a shortlist of stories that students submitted to the Casey Cardinina Library Corporation, the founding partners of the program.
This year, many great stories were submitted, but the clear winner, with an Olympic themed story, was Tessa Walker from Courtenay Gardens Primary School. Tessa’s teacher, Mrs Emptage, took part in the RLAD program for the first time this year, and was very excited that one of her students will be published, saying, “We are just thrilled for Tessa that her story will be published. It came as a surprise, as Tessa submitted her story directly to the library, which shows her initiative and organization.”
Tessa was a very humble winner of the competition, and chose to have Jamie Bennell read her story to the room full of participants, parents and sponsors. Tessa’s story - The Race - is the story of an Olympic athlete who overcomes adversity and disappointment. The story will be published and presented to Tessa next year, and will be added to each of the twelve libraries in the Casey Cardinia area, as well as school libraries that participate in the RLAD program.
The Gala Day was a great community day, through which the solid partnerships between the Melbourne Football Club and primary schools in the Casey area, as well as with the Casey Cardinia Library Corporation, were celebrated. The Casey Demons supporter group supplied a healthy lunch for students and teachers, and students took home a Demons library bag and book, supplied by Hardie Grant Publishing.
