-part of school improvement plan
The Tucville Primary school on Thursday launched its new reading room as part of its five-year School Improvement Plan (SIP), in an impressive ceremony that stressed the importance of reading.
The school had submitted its SIP in 2005. The plan was approved by the Ministry of Education and the school was granted $1million in November 2008 to finance an appropriate venture. Speaking at the ceremony, Headmistress of Tucville Primary Barbara Semple expressed her pride and honour in the school’s new reading room. She noted that after analysis by the teachers of Grades two, four and six, it was found that there was a need to improve reading and English among the students. The headmistress explained that consultations and discussions were then held with the parents, teachers and the Community Involvement Specialist within the Ministry of Education Anthony Haunte. It was after all this that it was decided that a reading room would be opened to improve the reading level in the school.
Semple expressed her sincerest thanks to Haunte for his advice and consultations and to Chandrakala Ramsammy, the Principal Education Officer. She also expressed her thanks to all the persons who did their part to help make the room a possibility.
While the money that was allotted to the school through its SIP was used to furnish and stock the reading room with books, furniture and other materials, the headmistress stated that the room is in need of a computer with internet access. Donations of cash or kind are welcomed and all interested can contact the headmistress at the school.
Haunte who is also responsible for the School Improvement Grant Initiative told the children at the ceremony that the room offers them an opportunity to improve their knowledge and he pointed out to the children that the more knowledge they had the more valuable they would become. He urged the children to utilise the reading room. “Use it to the best of your ability to explore what you want to explore,” he said. “The reading room is [your] gateway to knowledge.”
Also urging the children to utilise the room to the best of their ability, Ramsammy told them, “It is important that you learn to read. You will learn to do everything when you learn to read.” She also stressed the importance of taking care of the books and to the parents who were present she said, “Parenting takes sacrifice. You have to sacrifice something to help your children during the time set aside for working with them.” She urged the parents to help their children and do their part so that their education is a success.
The use of the reading room will be time-tabled into the class schedule as a period. The children will be supervised by a teacher and it is hoped that the use of the room will teach the children the joys of reading, improve their ability to read all sorts of materials as well as how to use the computer and internet, improve their study skills and assist them in identifying a number of prominent Guyanese and Caribbean writers. The reading room is also furnished with a television for the showing of educational programmes on DVDs and a special section designed to be for the use of Grades 1 and 2 pupils. (Tiffny Rhodius)
