Sherwood Park News has reported:

Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) is celebrating Read In Week from Oct. 5 to 9, inviting students, families, staff and community members to take part in reading activities across the division. This year’s theme, “Let Stories Soar,” highlights how books can open new worlds and broaden perspectives.

EIPS hosts the week each October to encourage students to develop a lifelong passion for reading and raise literacy awareness among staff, families and community members. Although the initiative is geared toward students and families, everyone is invited to participate and build connections through a shared interest in reading.

“Read In Week helps support students in finding a fascination with reading that follows them outside of school and into experiences that may give new shape to their own perspectives,” says Maria Corsi, an instructional supports consultant at EIPS. “This year’s theme, ‘Let Stories Soar,’ celebrates how reading can transport us to amazing new worlds and broaden our perspectives.”

Students will take part in activities about selecting books, exploring storytelling and considering how stories can teach lessons, widen perspectives and foster empathy. Planned events include guest readers, classroom book talks, bookmark making, buddy reading, competitions to log reading minutes, reading parades, favourite-book-character dress-up days and outdoor reading.

At Bruderheim School, guest readers will visit throughout the week, and students will make a book mosaic bulletin board, with each tile representing a different book. Glen Allan Elementary plans to invite guest readers, including Oil Kings players, Edmonton International Airport employees, and students from Bev Facey Community High and F.R. Haythorne.

Fort Saskatchewan High students and staff are holding a bookmark design contest with prizes. The school also plans daily announcements featuring book quotes, bookmark giveaways and book displays.

Mundare School has invited guest readers and will hold “Flashlight Friday,” with the whole school reading alongside student buddies. Junior high students will also read to children at the local daycare. At Strathcona Christian Elementary, Grade 1 and 2 students will dress as their favourite book characters on Oct. 7.

EIPS invites staff, students, families and community members to read on their own, with a child or to someone in their community. The division is also encouraging participants to share what they learn during Read In Week 2026 by posting their own stories on social media with the hashtag #EIPSreads.

Elk Island Public Schools is one of Alberta’s largest school divisions, serving approximately 17,750 students in 42 schools. Its communities include Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Vegreville, Strathcona and Lamont counties, as well as the western portion of the County of Minburn. The division describes itself as an integral part of those communities.