Boychuk and the squadron are involved in many activities in the community, however this year’s highlight would no doubt be the recent trip to Vimy Ridge to celebrate its 95th anniversary.

“Words can’t even describe,” Boychuk said while speaking about the trip. “You have one experience in a classroom where you learn a little bit about it, but actually being there and experiencing it first hand not only did a lot for me personally, but seeing how the kids responded was more than we could ever ask for.”

Boychuk said the squadron has already started to talk about another trip in five years to celebrate the monuments 100th year.

“It is definitely something we are talking about, as long as we can get the funds together,... we definitely want to do it.”

The monument in France isn’t the only one to hit a milestone. The 577 squadron will be celebrating its 60th next year.

“The support that this unit receives... is unheard of,” she said. “Next year being the 60th, we’re just starting to talk about how to make the 60th special, and we’re not really sure yet.”

She added the squadron is looking to have an appearance from prominent military officials for an event, however, she wouldn’t name names at this point.

The Rotary Club also committed $5,000 to the Reading University, a program which aims to get all students who participate to read at a Grade 3 level.

The program is modelled after a similar one in Camrose, which in turn came from an initiative spearheaded by a former newspaper editor in Richmond, Virginia.

The program started in 2009, which brings in 100 children for three weeks in July, from all three major school districts in the area: Peace Wapiti School Division, Grande Prairie & District Catholic Schools and the Grande Prairie Public School District.

“Any child who has a need we’ll bring in and make sure they’re taken care of...we make sure there are no boundaries,” said one of the program organizers Rhonda Side.

The program uses the Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) to gauge the success of the program, and although the future of PATs is under review by the province, Rhonda said the program will simply find another way to track results.

There’s a literacy scale, the Fountas & Pinnel, and they’re assessed going into the program, and they are assessed going out of the program,” Side said. The PAT tests them on a broader, longer term scale.

Side also added Grade 3 reading skills are very important to the kids’ long-term achievement because in Grade 4, students begin to read to learn, and if they don’t have the ability, they quickly lag behind.

graeme.bruce@sunmedia.ca