Caption of picture from left to right: Library Activity Manager/PRO Morenika Arrindell Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise President Marcellia Henry, Suekishana Bera,Tiffany Seebaran, Windey Charles, Mayra Raphaela, and Library Director Monique Alberts. Not pictured is 4th place winner Shamar Wallace.
The Philipsburg Jubilee Library in collaboration with the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise held their annual award ceremony on March 27, 2013 at 6pm at the library in recognition of its outstanding "Readers are Leaders" participants.
The goal of "Readers are Leaders" is to promote literacy specifically among high school students and to encourage readers to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas through writing. The participants are challenged to read a number of books and submit reports about the books they read.
This year, a large number of students participated in the challenge to read at least 2 books per month, either individually at the Library or through their advisors for "Readers are Leaders" program at St. Maarten Academy (PSVE and Academic Sections), Sundial School and the St. Maarten Vocational Training School. The board of the reading club recently organized other events such as their annual black history month cultural event and poetry evening.
As an added incentive to encourage participants to continue reading, special prizes are awarded to the most avid readers. This year’s winners were: Suekishana Bera of St. Maarten Academy PSVE (1st prize winner); Tiffany Seebaran and Windey Charles of St. Maarten Vocational Training School (tied for 2nd place); Mayra Raphaela of St. Dominic High (3rd place) and Shamar Wallace of St. Marten Academy PSVE (4th place). During the Award Ceremony at the Library, the top 3 winners were presented with tablets, while the 3rd and 4th place winners were given $50 gift certificates. The library also donated free computer hours to each winner in the reading competition.
All participants were rewarded with goodie bags and pizza to close off the evening (thanks to the contributions of DHL, Western Union, Nagico Insurances, RBC Royal Bank, Pretty Good T-Shirts and Domino’s Pizza).
The Philipsburg Jubilee Library and the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Sunrise wishes to acknowledge the contributions of the following business and high school representatives, who were instrumental to the success of this project: Mr. Kenny Parwani of Pretty Good Wholesale and Retail, Big Sale, Jewelry Avenue, Seven Seas, Michelle Richardson-Artsen, Zeynep Sabahoglu, and Lavern Nelson (St. Maarten Academy PSVE), Yadira Pierre-Boston (St. Maarten Vocational Training School), Jacky Morrison (Sundial)and Susan van Mierloo (St. Maarten Academy Academic).