Witham MP’s Get Witham Reading event to go ahead
Witham MP, Priti Patel, has confirmed that this year’s ‘Get Witham Reading’ will go ahead on Friday 3 July 2020, despite schools being closed to the majority of pupils due to Covid-19.
Priti has hosted Get Witham Reading at local schools every year since it was first launched in 2012. However, this year she is inviting children and young people across the constituency to participate in the event from home. Priti has written to all headteachers and parents at local schools to announce the changes to Get Witham Reading and share activities to allow pupils to participate in this year’s event.
Children and young people at home, and at school, if their parents are critical workers, can participate in Get Witham Reading by reading as many books as possible by Friday 3 July 2020 and submitting a list of the books read and a short summary of which was their favourite and why to Priti’s office. Alternatively, they can participate by writing a book review or poem and submitting this to Priti’s office by Friday 3 July 2020. All entries must be sent via email to [email protected] and must include the child’s full name, age and school. All children that take part in Get Witham Reading 2020 will receive a certificate of participation and the winner of the most books read and best short summary will receive a prize.
Commenting on the changes to this year’s event, Priti said: “I am delighted that my annual Get Witham Reading event will be returning this summer for its ninth consecutive year. Since 2012, local schools have done tremendous work to encourage reading and raise literacy standards in Witham through Get Witham Reading and, even though schools are now closed to the majority of pupils due to Covid-19, I am keen to use this year’s event to build on this progress, continue to promote the significant benefits of reading and inspire more children and young people to enjoy reading both inside and outside of school.
“I hope that many children and young people of all ages across my constituency will participate in Get Witham Reading from home this year and I am looking forward to hearing about their activities and receiving their book reviews and poems.”