BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - SIX primary schools have advanced to the final of a Poetry Reading Contest organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with FINCO as part of the Drama Week of Activities (Nov. 11-16).
The final leg of the competition takes place at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow (Nov. 15) at the Zion Moravian Church, located on Victoria Road.
Drama Coordinator Moses Byron informed this media house that ‘Using Drama to Sensitise Youth to Social Ill’ is the theme for the drama week.
For the competition, the schools were placed into zones with representation from one student, where each of them did two pieces - a hidden piece and a seen piece.
Byron explained that students had to read the hidden piece – which they had a few minutes to look over - and to perform the seen piece.
The students are from grades three to six collectively.
The winners and second placed schools respectively are as follows: Basseterre Zone - Beach Allen Primary and George Moody Stuart; West Zone - St. Paul’s Primary and Tyrell Williams; and East Zone - Joshua Obadiah and Estridge Primary.
Byron shared that the judging criteria include Articulation, Body Language, Confidence and Conviction. He said that teachers were responsible for selecting each student who represented the schools.
As gathered, all the primary schools will be having drama quizzes today (Wednesday). Then on Friday, which is dubbed ‘Drama Day’, primary school students will assemble at the Independence Square, where they will perform poetry pieces, starting from about 9:00 a.m.
Yesterday, primary school students wore tags on their uniforms for ‘Tag Day’, as part of the week of activities.
Byron noted that the first poetry contest of this nature was held some three years ago.
Commenting on the objective of the drama week, he revealed that it “is to bring awareness to the art form and to motivate the children to also show that drama can be used to develop our youths not only in their expression, but also in articulation, memory and ways to develop their confidence”.
Byron was asked about benefits that students can obtain from participating in the competition.
“I expect them to be motivated to go on. Also, to believe in themselves that they can be outstanding in drama and in whatever field they choose because they have been given the opportunity to expand and to show their ability. So, I think this would motivate them to expand in aspects of life…and those who have dramatic ability, we would be able to help them to show them that they can be outstanding and get the opportunity also to help them put out their all and practice and get themselves involved (in drama).”
The top prize for the winner of the competition is a laptop and the other participants are also expected to be rewarded with handsome prizes.
