Langley Park urged to ‘Wise up, Read more, Get smart’

“Wise up, Read more, Get smart;” this was the theme for this year’s Reading Extravaganza at the Langley Park Government School, which was celebrated during the week February 24 – 28, 2014.{{more}}

Students were engaged in several activities to build awareness of the importance of literacy as a lifelong skill.

Each class hosted its own Reading Challenge. Grades 4 to 6 participated in a Public Speaking competition and Grades 2 to 4 vied for Spelling Supremacy among Blue, Green and Red House.

The activities culminated on Friday, February 28, with a march through the community of Langley Park and a showcase of students’ literacy talents. Literary coordinator Sheverne Marshall-Cato, in her remarks, stated that reading teaches children about the world around them. Through reading, children learn about people, places and events outside their own experiences. She noted that reading is beneficial for life in that “How much you read and write today will affect your future job, family, position and even your salary.”

Headteacher Elva Springer stressed that reading is not limited to Language Arts, but is critical to success in all subject areas. She urged parents to foster a love and appreciation for reading at home by modelling its usefulness, whether it’s reading a newspaper, cookbook manual or novels. Mrs Springer also called on teachers to equip students with the requisite strategies for decoding new words and monitoring their reading, as well as to provide opportunities for students to read.

Friday climaxed with a grand prize-giving ceremony for outstanding performances in the Reading Extravaganza and the Annual Sports Meet. The school will continue to place emphasis on reading throughout the month of March, with a book sale and the creation of a word wall.

Meanwhile, Melodi Harewood, a Grade 4 student, emerged the winner of the Public Speaking component, while, Zada Barker, Grade 3 and Nellie Sampson, Grade 4, were winners of the Spelling Bee.

The Reading Stars identified were Shaquania Jacobs – Grade1Mc; Elvanique Horne – Grade 1W, Shaquan Sam – Grade 2, Nathniel Young – Grade 3; Melodi Harewood – Grade 4, Dorlana Daniel – Grade 5 and Velanie Thomas – Grade 6.