Six grade 4 students from Winlaw Elementary School have earned second place at the Grand Finale of the Regional Reading Link Challenge held May 6 at Trafalgar Middle School Library in Nelson.

The Winlaw Bookworms pushed through two rounds of overtime in a nail-biting final, finishing second to South Nelson Elementary School by a single point. The Winlaw team includes grade 4 students Louis Kremple, Lewis Ash, Shylo Watson, Natesa Bryers, Ursa Folinsbee, and Dyami Staarink. 

In the Reading Link Challenge, teams of six students read the same six books then compete in trivia-style quiz competitions based on their knowledge of what they’ve read. 

“The challenge was very fun and I’m excited that we made it to the Nelson Challenge and went into double overtime! The challenge made me want to read a lot more books,” said Louis Kremple. 

The Bookworms qualified for regionals after winning a Slocan Valley challenge in March, besting teams from Winlaw and W.E. Graham Schools. They went on to compete with eight other teams from Nelson and area schools at the regional competition. 

“It was great to see the students’ excitement building as the date of the challenge approached. Over several months, the whole class read and re-read this year’s selected books,” said Ms. Megan Jamison, who teaches the grade 4/5 class. 

Winlaw Elementary Principal Andre McDowell attended the Challenge and saw firsthand how students enjoyed the event and how deeply they had read their books.

“It was amazing to see how enthusiastic the students were about reading and how much knowledge they had on each of the books. We are so proud of the Winlaw Bookworms and all the other students who put their best effort forward in this challenge.”

Winlaw Elementary thanks Emily Corley of the Nelson Public Library, who facilitated the reading challenges.

The Reading Links Challenge is coordinated by B.C. Librarians across the province, with the aim of promoting a life-long love of reading, bringing more awareness to the value of libraries, and creating and strengthening partnerships between libraries and local schools and community groups.

PHOTO CAPTION: The Winlaw Bookworms (l to r): Louis Kremple, Lewis Ash, Shylo Watson, Natesa Bryers, Ursa Folinsbee, and Dyami Staarink.