Classes are finished and report cards are out. But some Yorkton students are still making regular trips to their school.
M.C. Knoll School and the adjoining St. Michael's School have decided to keep their library doors open for a few hours each week during the summer months. The idea is to keep their students reading, and to take advantage of the thousands of books sitting on the library shelves.
"In this area with two schools, we have 800-plus kids, all in biking distance or walking distance," said M.C. Knoll principal Jason Trost. "So, we said why can't we get a couple of high school students to open the library for a couple of hours, three days a week?"
And so they did.
Local high school students Alexa Haider and Jorah Trost jumped at the chance to do what they love - spend time with kids, and read.
"We read stories to the kids, we coulour with them, we just play with them," said Jorah.
"I really love doing anything with kids," said Haider. "And I also really enjoy reading."
The two said it was a no-brainer to volunteer.
"When I got the opportunity, I was so excited," said Haider.
While only M.C. Knoll and St. Michael's students can check books out of the library, Trost said any other students and parents are welcome to stop by during library hours, and read a book or do a craft in the building.
The program started right after the Canada Day long weekend, and so far, things have been going even better than expected.
"The first couple of days, I was very surprised by how many people actually came," said Haider. "The whole experience, and response that we're getting, it's just awesome."
On days that they're open, the volunteers said they typically see around 20-30 people stop by.
The library is open from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays, and the program will be running until the middle of August.
