Students are benefitting from being back in the classroom full-time.

As part of the provincial Education Sector Strategic Plan, and the ensuing Interim Provincial Education Plan, school divisions in Saskatchewan have tracked student achievement in Grades 1 to 3 reading.

The most recent reading results collected in June 2022 show that Holy Trinity Catholic School Division remains 13 points above the provincial results with 79% of Grade 1 to 3 students reading at or above level compared to 66% for the province.

Ward Strueby, Director of Education and CEO with Holy Trinity Catholic School Division, was thrilled with the results.

"When kiddos are in school in front of their teachers learning beside their peers, that's when the magic happens. Parents are great supports and do excellent work at home but when you have those trained educators in the classroom that focus on reading, you see the magic and you see the results increase."

He would like to see those numbers improve even further.

"Eighty per cent is where we traditionally like to have our students. We were as high as 87 per cent back in 2018/2019, so we would love to get back to that place again."

Strueby credits the Levelled Literacy Intervention Program (LLI), which provides additional supports for students not yet reading at level, as well as introducing a new Reading Interventionist position in the 2021-22 school year. Both the LLI and new Reading Interventionist position are continuing this school year.