Noel Thompson, Freelance Writer
Jennifer Richards, head of the Language Arts Department at the Irwin High School in St. James, discusses the Youthlink publication with students as part of their Education Week Exhibition. - PHOTO BY NOEL THOMPSON
WESTERN BUREAU:
PRINCIPAL OF the Irwin High School in St. James, Aldin Bellinfantie, has challenged his students to make reading and language arts a priority in their academic pursuits.
"It is said that reading, which encompasses language arts, makes a man," noted Mr. Bellinfantie. "You cannot do any other subject very well unless you do language art; it is one of the root subjects that hinges on all others and a signpost to success."
Mr. Bellinfantie was speaking at the recent opening of the school's Newspaper in Education (NIE) exhibition in which hundreds of projects created by the students from various departments in the institution were on display.
Head of the Language Arts Department, Mrs. Jennifer Richards, said the initial concept behind the exhibition was to promote the students' work during Education Week May 8 to 12 and to invite parents and the wider community to view the students' versatility.
"We expect that this year's promotion will be accepted by the public and the students. The school is really new so we are now building our resources so that the Ministry of Education, the parents and students we serve can understand what we are doing for them and the extent to which we expect to build this institution as one that is making a difference in Western Jamaica," Mrs. Richards said.
AIM TO MASTER READING
Also emphasising on the importance of reading, she said that a 'reading village' had been established at the school, which was still undergoing construction. She added that reading materials had been recently procured for the facility.
Explaining the purpose of the 'reading village', Mrs. Richards said: "It is not just for students who cannot read, but for pupils at different reading levels. What we are hoping to achieve is to have our students mastering reading so that they will pass their exams."
The reading village was conceived in 2004 after it was found that several students were reading below their grade levels.
"We recognised that it would play a significant role in our mission. There have been some success stories since we started. We are pulling everything together and are hoping that our students will see the importance of what we are doing for them," she said.
