Christiana Leased Primary celebrates literacy

CHRISTIANA, Manchester:

Under the theme 'Combining Talents, Creativity and imagination in achieving Literacy', Christiana Leased Primary School recently hosted a festival to celebrate its 93 per cent literacy rate.

The festival took the form of an all-day event where students were decked out in costumes of their favourite cartoon and story book characters and read stories from a wide array of books.

Students from neighbouring primary schools were also invited to take part in the word-a-thon competition, dubbed 'Fairy Tale in Jamaican style', special readings and a costume parade which saw the top performers being awarded.

Paying a key interest in the literacy levels of the children, vice-principal Vinette Bowen acknowledged that with the continued work of the children, the literacy rate will increase to 100 per cent by next month when the new results are released.

The principal, Christopher Tyme, urged those present at the event for their assistance in ensuring that the school's literacy rate improves.

"On a yearly basis, we seek to improve the literacy among our students, trying to find creative ways of motivating and encouraging others to strive for excellence. Today is a day when we continue on that journey. Today, as we embark on our literacy festival and the opening on our literacy land, we are encouraging all students, parents and well-wishers to see how best we can join hands to ensure that whatever is done is done well so that our students can progress and prosper," said Tyme.

EMPOWERMENT SPEECH

The second staging of the literacy festival saw an empowerment speech being given to the students by the acclaimed youngest author in the Caribbean and student of the Shortwood Practising Primary and Junior High School, Shaun Brown.

He encouraged the students to not only read, but to set goals for themselves, making plans and working hard to attaining these plans

"Make a plan, no matter how young you are work on achieving those plans. Become passionate about reading and refuse to be ordinary," Brown urged.

Literacy coordinator Marlene Golding said the institution is poised for greatness.

rural@gleanerjm.com