News and Media

Marching for Literacy in Nevis

(L to R) Terres Dore, Cynthia Grenylon and Palsy Wilkin, Principal Education Officer. image

Wakeley Daniel, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Premier and his daughter attended the first Rainforest of Reading in Nevis. image

After marching through Charlestown, over 500 students attended the first ever Rainforest of Reading in St. Kitts & Nevis. image

Handmade costumes and props gave a special quality to the parade of readers. image

Illustrator Gabrielle Grimard with new friends from Elizabeth Pemberton School in Gingerland, Nevis. image

Homemade costumes and props based on festival books added a special quality to the parade of readers. image

(L to R) Terres Dore, Cynthia Grenylon and Palsy Wilkin, Principal Education Officer. image

Wakeley Daniel, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Premier and his daughter attended the first Rainforest of Reading in Nevis. image

After marching through Charlestown, over 500 students attended the first ever Rainforest of Reading in St. Kitts & Nevis. image

Handmade costumes and props gave a special quality to the parade of readers. image

Illustrator Gabrielle Grimard with new friends from Elizabeth Pemberton School in Gingerland, Nevis. image

Homemade costumes and props based on festival books added a special quality to the parade of readers. image

The Rainforest of Reading comes to Nevis

CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS– November 6, 2015.

Beneath cloud-crowned Nevis Peak, the first-ever Rainforest of Reading festival was held on Friday, November 6, 2015. Holding banners and wearing costumes to represent 12 different books, three grades of primary students marched into Elquemedo Willett Park. At the head of the parade was a brass band whose cacophonous melodies stirred a crowd of over 500 students, teachers and parents.

The children were thoroughly excited as they engaged in storytelling, colouring craft, word searches, bananagrams, drawing, meeting an author and illustrator, all centred around expanding their knowledge and ability to think, problem solve, create, innovate, imagine and adapt.

Terres Dore, Education Officer, Department of Education

The parade marked the end of a month-long journey through 12 stories and kicked off a day-long celebration of literacy. As well as playing various word and picture games, participants met special guests Cynthia Grenylon (author of Mr. Circle Man) and Gabrielle Grimard (illustrator of Today, Maybe) from Sherbrooke, Québec. All 11 schools on Nevis attended. Students also cast their votes for the Rainforest of Reading Award for most popular title of this year’s festival.

Special thanks for their superb efforts to: Thelma Parris-Mills; Londa Brown; Terres Dore; Cynthia Grenylon; Lawrence Richard and Palsy Wilkin.

SOME CONTENT originally appeared in NevisPages.com © 2015 Nevis Pages Ltd.

November 6, 2015

Topics: Nevis, St Kitts

From: Rainforest of Reading

Further Reading

Previous Article:

CTV News: OWSH gains national attention

Find 52: St. Lucia: 2016

Out of this world

After reading "Postcards from Outer Space' a student in Montserrat is inspired to be the next Chris Hadfield.

Too many people grow up. That's the trouble with the world.
WALT DISNEY

(1901-1966)

Reading brings us unknown friends.
HONORÉ DE BALZAC

Novelist (1799-1850)

If you believe what you read...you can, quite literally, believe anything.
NORTHROP FRYE

Professor, Philosopher (1912-1991)

A good book is the best of friends, the same today and forever.
MARTIN TUPPER

Author (1810-1889)

It's a long story

Books packed by kids in Ontario for their peers in the Caribbean travel 1,800 kilometres by road then another 5,275 kilometres by container ship.

Literacy is, finally, the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realize his or her full potential.
KOFI ANNAN

Secretary-General of the United Nations (1997-2006)

The future is always beginning now. Each moment is a place you've never been.
MARK STRAND

Poet (1934-2014)

It is by acts and not ideals that people live.
ANATOLE FRANCE

Author (1844-1924)

All I know is what I have words for.
Ludwig Wittgenstein

Find 52: The Road to Reading in Grenada

In February 2015, Richard ran right around Grenada, a distance of 52 miles. 52 "Mile Captains" raised $40,000.

If we want to make this world a better place, then we have to become better ourselves. There is no easy route.
DALAI LAMA

Challenging literacy development

Although English is the official language of St. Lucia, Krewyol is spoken as much or more outside the classroom.

I read. I travel. I become.
DEREK WALCOTT

St. Lucian author & 1992 Nobel Laureate

And the Winner in Montserrat is....

Marlaina White (Left) announces the Second Annual Rainforest of Reading Award to Illustrator Jan Dolby (Middle) and Author Joyce Grant for "Gabby."

At the moment that we persuade a child, any child to cross...that magic threshold into a library, we change their lives forever.
BARACK OBAMA

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.
WILLIAM JAMES

Philosopher, Psychologist (1842-1910)

If you get the right [words] in the right order, you might nudge the world a little.
Sir Tom Stoppard

Playwright

Start some kind words on its travels. There is no telling where the good it may do will stop.
Sir Wilfred Grenfell

Humanitarian, Medical Missionary (1865-1940)

Life is too deep for words so don't try to describe it, just live it.
C. S. Lewis

Author, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe