News and Media

Marching for Literacy in Nevis

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 Nevis​Pages​.com © 2015 Nevis Pages Ltd.


Topics: Nevis, St Kitts

Reading brings us unknown friends.

HONORÉ DE BALZAC
Novelist (1799-1850)

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

Sir Tom Stoppard
Playwright

All I know is what I have words for.

Ludwig Wittgenstein

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

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

WILLIAM JAMES
Philosopher, Psychologist (1842-1910)

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

NORTHROP FRYE
Professor, Philosopher (1912-1991)
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)

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

MARTIN TUPPER
Author (1810-1889)
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)
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

It is by acts and not ideals that people live.

ANATOLE FRANCE
Author (1844-1924)
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
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