On Friday, January 20th, 2017, Minister of the Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Affairs, Ms. Silveria Jacobs attended the Slumber Party Reading event at the Oranje School. The activity was part of events leading up to the 30th Annual Book week celebrations, which is celebrated from February 20th to February 25th, 2017. The theme for this year’s book week at the Oranje school is “No Gas Required, Depend on Reading to Travel the World.”
Minister Jacobs along with other employees within the Ministry ECYS as well as community police officers and concerned citizens took time out of their schedule to take part in the literacy event and read to the students of various grades.
Minister Jacobs is very proud of the management, teachers, committee members, parents, volunteers and students who participated in this event and would like to encourage citizens on St. Maarten to drop everything and read for 20 minutes on a Friday morning as long as their job type permits. If that time does not work out, Minister Jacobs would like to encourage all to take time to read at some point during the day, every day. “By modeling positive behavior related to reading, parents and other adults can be role models for our youth and promote lifelong learning as well. Reading helps build knowledge and knowledge is powerful. Oranje school is being commended for being an example of Education on the Move year round,” Minister Jacobs added.
Minister Jacobs would also like to commend the Hillside Christian School on their book week as well. Whilst she was off-island and unable to attend, she was able to follow its success via social media. This is also a wonderful activity to promote literacy and is also a prime example of Education on the Move. All schools are encouraged to celebrate and promote literacy beyond the classroom to include parents and the community in these efforts as much as possible.