Reading Bear visits Queen Alexandra School & Canuck Place Children's Hospice

By Ivan Chiu, Reading Bear AmbassadorAs Valentine’s Day loomed around the corner, nine Reading Bear Society (RBS) team members visited children in 11 Kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms at various schools throughout the Lower Mainland. Not only did these team members read to the young students, but they also gifted each child a book, Valentine card, and hand heart! Also, each classroom received a bagful of books and bears to encourage further reading. But what is a classroom without teachers? So, the teaching staff were also gifted with chocolates and cards for the amazing work they do.Like all the schools we visited, Queen Alexandra Elementary School received our presence with warmth and happiness. Thanks to the skills of the classroom teachers, the children sat attentively as the RBS team read stories, sang songs, and shared bear facts with them. For example, did you know that a polar bear actually has BLACK skin? Apparently, they only look white because their fur (which is actually transparent), reflects the light so that the bear just looks white. One of the most memorable moments from that visit was the enthusiasm and energy that poured from the children when we asked them to show us their bear roar! One child’s roar was deafening and he smiled from ear to ear.Finally, we are delighted to announce our first visit to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice (CPCH) in RBS history! CPCH is one-of-a-kind establishment focused on providing world-class management for children with challenging/unique medical conditions. As with the other schools, the RBS members visited both children and staff at CPCH and gifted books, cards, heart stamps, and chocolate! At the end of the visits, no one could say they did not feel uplifted from the amazing experience.May each and every one of you also have happy Valentine’s day!