Lowmans Leeward Anglican ‘Hats off to Reading’

For a child’s reading to improve, the parents must be involved. This is the view of the teachers and principal of the Lowmans Leeward Anglican School.{{more}}

To facilitate that involvement, the school held a rally on Thursday, March 5th as part of their two-day Hats off to Reading extravaganza. The rally, coming on the heels of a very entertaining literacy extravaganza the day before, brought out parents, teachers and students, and was held under the theme “Open Books, Open Doors.”

After a sprightly march to music from drums through the Campden Park village, the students, adorned with creative, self-made hats, gathered at the Campden Park Basketball Court.

Speaking at the rally, Literacy Coordinator Lynette Roberts, urged the parents in attendance to take time to teach their children how to read. “If your child is able to read and write, it opens doors for progress and prosperity,” she said. Roberts also noted that parents should start teaching their children early, using every object around them as opportunities for a reading lesson. “At the bus stop, you see the word ‘stop’. Tell the child this word is ‘stop’. Help the child in every area of life!’ she stressed.

Also addressing the parents, Principal Venda Smith promoted the idea of literacy among both parents and students. While urging the parents to be involved in their children’s lives at school, Smith also offered advice to those parents who may not have reached far educationally to join the adult literacy programme. “You too will be able to sharpen your skills in the new fields of education,” she said.

Those gathered for the rally were then entertained with poetry and dances by the students of the school. A poem about the importance of reading, and a Spanish dance depicting “Mi Fruta Favorita” (my favorite fruit) were the highlights.

The stars of the show however, were the winners of the hat competition. Grade one student J’don John was the winner, with Shannique Edwards of Grade five coming in second. Treston Roberts of grade four was the third, while Hozone Williams of grade two came in fourth.

Parents attending the function spoke to Searchlight about their impression of the Hats off the Reading initiative. One proud mother of a grade five student related how her son has shelves of reading material and that she urges him to read everyday.

Another related how privileged she considers the children to be: “Many of us, because we didn’t have initiatives like this, we grew up illiterate,” the mother of a grade two student confessed.

Other parents generally expressed how good they thought the function was. “I think it’s a good thing; it (reading) would keep the children out of trouble,” one parent said. (OS)