The Olympics came to Parkes last Friday when about 500 K-2 students took part in the Paint Parkes Flame REaD activities in Cooke Park and Clarinda Street. The theme of the day was Games On to tie the event in with the Rio Olympics with a variety of sports in Cooke Park, and stories, plays, songs and other challenges in the main street.
“It was a fantastic day and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback,” said Pietta Bridge, co-ordinator of the day. “The sporting activities Zumba sessions and dancing at the Henry Parkes statue were among the favourites.”
The Reading Day torch went to all the schools during the week leading up to the day and Parkes Public School Captain, Henry Johns had the honour of lighting the Reading Day flame in Cooke Park. Paint the Town REaD was developed in Parkes in the 1990s, under the charismatic leadership of Rhonda Brain, and has today spread to more than 37 locations across Australia. The day motivates communities to read, talk, sing and rhyme with their children from birth so they’re ready to learn to read and write at school.
This year students had to follow clues to find seven rhymes in shops in the rhyme hunt. The winners are Stuart Baker (6) from Parkes Public and Phoebe (6) and Heidi (7) Hanstock of Holy Family. They each won a hard cover book. Planning has already started for next year’s event.