26th January, 2018 -- Cayon High School has won the Hands Across the Sea Literacy Award for St. Kitts and Nevis, for the 2017-18 school year, announced Harriet Linskey, the executive director and co-founder of Hands Across the Sea.
Hands Across the Sea is an organisation dedicated to raising the literacy levels of children in the Eastern Caribbean.
In a brief ceremony held at Cayon High, Linskey indicated that the development of the school’s library has been the result of dedicated work of the principal, teachers and students.
“Two years ago, this was an empty room. Under Mr. Morris’ leadership and Mr. Charles leadership, the English Department, staff and the student librarians, this whole library has really been transformed. It is filled with brand new books.”
The books and library material were sourced and purchased by Hands Across the Sea, with financial support coming from the Christophe Harbour Foundation. The library is designed in such a manner to make reading an enjoyable experience for the children.
The Christophe Harbour Foundation was represented by Charles Darby, the director of development at Christophe Harbour.
He said, “We, certainly, like to do our part to support the children of St. Kitts, but it is all Hands Across the Sea that deserves all the credit, as well as the students. The student librarians all deserve a round of applause. This is a well deserved honour and something you should be very proud of. We are proud to be supporting you, as Christophe Harbour Foundation, my family and all of Christophe Harbour. Congratulation!”
Darby said also, ”We are beyond thrilled that in just two years time Cayon High has made such tremendous progress in their literacy programs… The school has worked diligently to instil a love of the library and reading in the students, and it certainly shows.”
Darby noted support from the Christophe Harbour Foundation is a clear indication of the organization's commitment to St. Kitts’s youth and the community.
As part of the award, US$1,000 of new books are to be shipped to the library. The kind of books will be determined by the teachers and students.
CHS Principal Francil Morris said, “Thank you very much Harriet and Tom, and the Christophe Harbour Foundation. I am very pleased and delighted that Cayon High School has been chosen to be the school of the year, in terms of literacy.”
When we met first and discussed our vision in terms of literacy, you came on board and helped us to transform this area where our students are excited to come and read. Our students love these books, and they were very much behind determining the sort of literature we require in our library.
“This is all about them, and I am extremely proud that they are the ones that made these decisions. We are trying to build leadership capacity in our students, and I can assure you that the prize, the additional literature, will be put to good use,” Morris said.
Morris said he looks forward to further collaboration with Hands Across the Sea and the Christophe Harbour Foundation.
The vote of thanks was presented by Student Librarian Britney Martin, the vice president of the Cayon High School Library.
In giving thanks to Hands Across the Sea and to the Christophe Harbour Foundation, Martin said, “These books expose our vocabulary, and we learn new things every hour. You are a gift from God for giving us these books to help in our education.”
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