B10 The Chronicle Herald Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Education Week April 20-26, 2014

Active Citizenship. Get involved. Take action. Be the difference.
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Eight-year old Rachel really did-
nt like to read or write. No won-
der. Neither is very much fun
when every sentence is a struggle.
If new gures are any indication,
Rachel isnt alone.
This month, Nova Scotia got a
wake-up call when the Minister of
Education brought to light the
worrying results of a new study
that showed that 30 per cent of the
provinces Grade 3 students were
not able to read at the expected
level.
With numbers like that, its not
surprising that more parents and
teachers than ever are turning to
literacy programs like SpellRead
for help.
Created more than 20 years ago
by a P.E.I. mother, SpellRead has
become the gold standard in read-
ing programs for students from
preschool to adulthood and is now
used in public schools in many
American states.
By combining phonemic and
phonetic activities with language
arts, the program works to build
comprehension, uency, decoding,
spelling and writing strategies.
Small groups and high-quality
teacher training makes it a particu-
larly effective way to strengthen
literacy skills.
SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT
But SpellRead isn't just about
achieving a growth in assessment
scores. The program also aims to
provide a supportive environment
for students to blossom personally,
too.
SpellReads success has received
attention from local and interna-
tional literacy leaders alike.
Just as importantly, its after-
school programs, summer camps
and exible learning schedules
have won the approval of students
too.
After one year with SpellRead
Rachel is now reading one grade
above her grade level and loving
it.
With her success has come a
newfound self-assurance.
The other day, Rachel wanted to
work on the write-ups for six Girl
Guide badges after school, says
her mother, Terri-Lynn. It was
such a surprise to see her sitting
alone working on her write-ups
and she was so happy to read each
one to me.
Rachels teachers have also no-
ticed a difference at school.
Theyre seeing how SpellRead
has helped her, says Terri-Lynn.
Theyve noticed an increase in
her condence.
To nd out more about SpellRead
or for a free reading skills assess-
ment, go to www.halifaxlearning-
.com.
Proven program turns struggling
learners into avid readers
Nothing puts your creativity to the
test like competing with the best.
Thats exactly what local lm
students did when they competed
against 81 digital lm works from
seven countries around the world
at Centre for Arts and Techno-
logys rst ever, International
Student Film Festival.
A competition like this is an
excellent catalyst for learning,
said Fateh Ahmed, Digital Film-
making program manager at The
Centre for Arts and Technology.
It gives them a chance to learn
from one another and an oppor-
tunity to truly elevate their game.
Its a unique industry forged by a
blend of art and science. Theres
always something to be learned by
working together.
Sponsored by local lmmakers,
lm groups and the Centre for
Arts and Technology, the Student
Film Festival was created to show-
case the growing lm talent locally,
nationally and internationally. In
addition, the festival featured
workshops from industry experts
for creative talent of all types to
help perfect their craft.
Its always interesting to see what
types of works resonate with stu-
dents, added Fateh. We see short
lms, documentaries, music
videos, experimental lms and
animated works, but also a lot in
the horror and science ction
genres. It really is a fascinating
mix.
There was a tremendous amount
of international talent at the inaug-
ural festival, and theres shaping up
to be even more for the next one,
says Fateh. Every work of lm
requires countless hours of plan-
ning, production and post. A lm
festival is the closest thing to a live
performance as you can get. Its an
incredible opportunity to learn,
grow and see rst-hand how creat-
ive works can move audiences.
EMERGING INDUSTRIES
The Digital Filmmaking program
at the Centre for Arts and Techno-
logy focuses on the entire lm-
making process for the local in-
dustry with further practice in the
grant and funds processes for lm.
Centre for Arts and Technology
provides certicate and diploma
programs for emerging industries
in entertainment, digital art and
information technology. It
consists of three Canadian
college campuses in Kelowna,
B.C., Fredericton, N.B. and
here in Halifax and provides a
special educational experience
that draws on the talent and
resources of industry profes-
sionals from coast-to-coast.
The 2014 lm festival will take
place in mid-August and will be
open to the general public. To
reserve tickets and secure prior-
ity seating, call 902.429.1847.
For more information on the
Centre for Arts and Technology
2013 Film Festival, please visit
www.digitalartschool.com/
halifax.
Future movie stars gearing up for second
annual Student Film Festival
Its always
interesting to see
what types of works
resonate with
students.
Fateh Ahmed
Digital Filmaking
program manager