Local primary school holds annual Literary Week

By Melissa Bryant
Reporter~SKNVibes.com

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THIS week marks the fourth celebration of the Maurice Hillier Memorial Junior School’s Literary Week, an annual event aimed at enhancing children’s reading and writing skills under the theme “Celebrating Reading Through the Arts”.

SKNVibes spoke to Icilma Springer, Principal of Maurice Hillier Memorial Junior School and founder of Literary Week, who explained the importance of this initiative.

“Throughout my years of teaching I have realised that reading is a problem area in St. Kitts, so this programme aims to make reading fun in children’s eyes so that more of them will become involved in activities such as reading and writing, and will learn to express themselves better.”

Activities began yesterday (Oct. 28) with the second annual “Wave of Reading Kindness”, in which the school donated over 40 storybooks and textbooks to the Paediatric Ward at the Joseph N. France General Hospital.

Today, the school’s sixth graders will debate the topic “Students should be given homework although they spend all day at school” and there will be an internal Spelling Bee Competition at the Old Girls’ School on Thursday, October 30.

Local playwrights Creighton Pencheon and Loughlin Tatem will be honoured for their invaluable assistance and contribution to the school.

The programme will conclude on Friday, October 31 with the “Carnival of Books” exhibit, where students will display book reports in various shapes, such as hamburgers, stars, et cetera.

There will also be a used book sale in the afternoon and the proceeds will go to the school.