When given the option, fifth-grader Eliza Boyer’s first choice isn’t to sit down and read a book.

“I don’t like reading,” she said. “But I’ve enjoyed it more this month because we were working toward earning this reward party. It’s fun to do these activities here, but also all month when we’ve learned about Harry Potter at library and STEM.”

A Harry Potter-themed monthlong reading challenge engaged the students of Willow Canyon, culminating in a lunchtime party for the winning house. The event featured butterbeer, Hagrid’s toss, fortune telling, Harry Potter trivia and the discovery of wizard names.

“We started with an assembly where we sorted each teacher into a different Hogwarts house,” said Meghann Shaw, PTA member who oversaw the reading month. “It was really fun, because we had somebody play Professor McGonagall, and we had a sorting hat and a microphone, so it appeared like the hat was talking to the kids.”

Throughout the month, the houses competed in a reading challenge.

“They could read anything — so if their parent is reading to the student or if the student reads a book and then even listening to an audio book counted. Some students turned in 100 minutes per day; they’ve been excited about it,” she said.

As the competition neared its end, more than 115,000 minutes had been logged.

Additionally, for every 100 minutes read, students’ names were entered into a drawing for prizes. Every week, names were randomly drawn for donated gifts and gift cards.

“We drew one per grade to motivate them to read; many students were enthusiastic about it because they wanted to get more tickets for the prizes and gift cards since those went to individuals,” she said.

Most classes also held read-a-thons for an hour, allowing students to bring blankets, pillows and snacks while reading. The minutes they spent reading were added to their house’s total.

Students also dove into the Harry Potter universe through various activities. In PE, they played quidditch; in STEM, they learned transfiguration by modeling objects with clay; and in the library, they participated in a bookmark-drawing contest. Every grade had winning bookmarks, which were made and distributed to all students in that grade for literacy month.

Poppy Hunt won the fifth-grade contest with her Harry Potter-themed bookmark, drawn with colored pencils
and crayons.

“I love to draw,” she said. “It took me two weeks to do it.”

Reading is another one of Poppy’s passions.

“Any chance I get, I read. I read every night for at least 50 minutes. I had about 5,000 minutes this month,” she said.

Poppy also enjoyed the book swap held this year.

“So many people brought books to swap,” she said. “I liked finding a new one to read and hoping someone
likes mine.”

Shaw said many people contributed extra books.

“We had more than 400 books that were donated so every kid got to choose a good book,” she said. “The Willow Canyon community is amazing.”

Every school day brought new moments of fun. As students walked the hallways, they spotted their teachers on Azkaban “wanted” posters, along with house banners and their own artwork. Students dressed as their favorite Harry Potter characters, wore house colors and teachers signed up to wear costumes as well.

“We called it ‘I Spy Harry Potter’ so everyday students tried to see who Harry Potter was,” she said.

Many students also participated in the search for the golden snitch, which was hidden around the school — in the library, lunchroom and even near the principal’s office.

“It was a scavenger hunt, where each week the kids had to see if they could find the golden snitch in different common spaces; they had a lot of fun with that,” Shaw said. “That and the book swap were new this year.”

Shaw has been involved with Willow Canyon’s Literacy Month for seven years, with the last four focused on a Harry Potter theme.

“It’s something the kids can really relate to, and everybody gets excited about with reading,” she said. “It’s a great way to involve kids and motivate them to get to know each other and read to earn points for their houses.”λ