Monday, November 05, 2012

Grandparents get their own special day


  
Grandparents now have the chance to be celebrated just like mums and dads.

Literacy charity Duffy Books in Homes makes a point of rewarding grandparents who have gone the extra mile.  They may have helped with coaching a sports team, doing maintenance around the school or even simply spending extra time helping their grandchildren with their reading.

Schools in the Duffy programme then choose one lucky grandparent to win the Caught Being a Good Grandparent Award.  Schools choose their lucky grandparent in many different ways.  Children might write stories or poems about them or if the choice is too hard then there might be a lucky draw.  They are then recognised at a special assembly during the week of 5 November.
 This year’s award is New Zealand New Millennium, published by Penguin Books.  The book spotlights some of New Zealand’s iconic images between the years 2000 and 2010 and is accompanied by a special certificate.

Duffy Books in Homes General Manager, Linda Vagana, says “Grandparents are important figures in children’s lives so we’re very happy to be able to recognise their contribution.”

Since the official launch in 1995 with 80 schools, 16,000 students and 14 sponsors, the Duffy Books in Homes programme has grown to encompass 532 schools, around 100,000 students and 200 sponsors in 2012.  More than eight million books have been distributed to children in low-decile schools since its inception and the programme now distributes more than 600,000 books annually.

No comments: