Maybe Something Beautiful read at St Bernadette’s

Holy Faith Preparatory (St Bernadette’s), St Ann’s, joined with children throughout the world on October 25 to celebrate the amazing power of reading aloud through the 13^th annual Read for the Record  organised by Jumpstart.

Jumpstart is an early education non-profit organisation based in the United States. The NGO is fuelled by “the core belief that every child has the potential to succeed with the right support”. St Bernadette’s has been a part of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record for several years.

Whether it’s in the classroom, at home or in the community, building literacy and language skills has the cumulative effect of enhancing the reading experiences, and instilling a love of reading in children.

This year’s book was Maybe Something Beautiful by F Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell and illustrated by Rafael López. The book inspires children to bring joy and love to their world in simple ways like sharing their talents and being generous with others. The book was read by Vice Principal Rosalie Jacob.

Maybe Something Beautiful follows a little girl named Mira who loved to “doodle, draw, colour and paint”. However, she is growing up in a city which is gloomy so Mira spreads joy by painting vibrant pictures and giving them as gifts to her neighbours.

She then meets a muralist, whose art has a major impact on restoring vibrancy and joy to Mira’s community with her assistance. Together they paint the town cheerfully.

St Bernadette’s enhanced the experience for their students by having their art teacher Annalise Dos Ramos act the role of the muralist, and Standard Four student Amaia Thomas, Mira. By the end of the book, teacher and student had created a beautiful mural. There was also an interactive session where students from Junior Infants to Standard Five were able to share their thoughts on the book and its intended message. – Tenisha Sylvester