A teacher’s hard work and dedication finally bore fruit on Friday as St. Winefride’s Secondary School launched its first Reading Club.
According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) release, the Reading Club is the result of one dedicated teacher’s desire to help the students improve their literacy.
When Arena Benjamin completed her training at the Cyril Potter’s College of Education (CPCE), she began teaching at St Winefride’s Secondary School and soon observed that her students were struggling with their literacy. In an effort to help them overcome this hurdle, she decided to create a Reading Club and began work towards establishing the reading room.
Throughout her pursuit, she was supported by fellow teachers, students at the school and officials of the Ministry of Education.
This persistent teacher, who spent long nights in the school’s compound working to realise her project, was justifiably proud as she acknowledged her hard-won success. “We want [our students] to explore and own the world we are living in, and they must believe that this can only be done through the power of reading,” she emphasised.
Today, an old storage room has been transformed into a bright and engaging Reading Room for students to enjoy, while enhancing their literacy skills.
Her work, which went beyond the call of duty, is very much appreciated and serves as an inspiration to students like Deena Rampersaud, who gratefully remarked, “I think it is very nice that Miss Benjamin brought this Reading Club because it will help children to process words that they do not understand better and I think it will help me with my school work. So, I can get to do a lot of things in life. I would like to become a teacher just like Miss Benjamin.”
The DPI added that the Reading Club will operate for three days per week and students will be able to play interactive literacy games, borrow books and have discussions about literature. Fifteen students have already secured membership of the club.
