See Through
March 23, 2023
Stay connected to the positive
March 23, 2023
ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
St Mary’s RC School kickstarted Literacy Week with the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Band as students tipped their hats off to reading.
As they marched, they raised the cheer: “Early morning when we just wake up, take a book and read it up!”
Literacy Week, usually held during the months of January and February, is an initiative of the Ministry of Education aimed at improving reading levels in primary schools.
The schools’ week-long literacy activities were introduced around 2007 to encourage a love for reading, with particular focus on the celebration of the reading progress of struggling readers.
According to the weekly Searchlight publication, the week saw students across the nation expressing their love for reading.
The literacy committee of St Mary’s RC has been hosting several activities to celebrate Literacy Week under the theme Reading with tradition and change – from whence we came to the 21st century.
Member of the committee, Raphilia Adams told Searchlight that the week of activities was designed to raise awareness about the importance of reading and to inspire the students and families to make reading part of their daily lives.
On Monday, February 27, the students donned colourful paper hats which they themselves designed to promote the importance of reading.
“The students were asked to make a hat tailored around our literacy week, or they could have chosen their favourite story book from whence we came…and depict it on their hats,” Adams said.
Adams said the students enjoy activities like these and the ‘hats-off march’ is usually a crowd pleaser at the school.
“They enjoy literacy week especially the part when they have hats off to reading when they get to march with the police band and sing; they enjoy that.
“They are the ones who actually help us put together the week and give us some of the ideas also, not only the teachers were involved…”.
Activities continued Wednesday, March 1, when the school hosted a public speaking competition for students of grade 5 and grade 6 under the topic: ‘Is the traditional approach to reading better than the methods used today?’
On March 2, some students participated in a read-aloud in pre-schools in close proximity to the St Mary’s RC School. On the same day, there was also a ‘teacher swap’ where teachers taught in a different grade for the day and read stories to the children.
In addition, Grade 6 student, Keython Gaymes was hosted on Hot97.1 to read a news item live on air.
The week of activities culminated March 3, which was designated ‘African Wear Day’.
