Library hosts reading competition
Several weeks ago we ran a story on the opening rounds of a reading competition sponsored by the National Library Service. This morning we returned to Princess Margaret Drive for the finals, and discovered that this supposedly lost art has been found… very much alive and kicking.
These children turned reading stories into an art form this morning in the grand finals of the second annual reading contest. The contest was held at the Leo Bradley Library and featured stories from twelve primary school students in two categories. According to the Branch Manager of the library, Trevelee Logan, reading Belizean literature is a very important aspect of the competition
Trevelee Logan, Branch Manager
“For the lower division they are given an option of reading any story. For category two they are asked to read a Belizean story which is promoting Belizean literature. So that’s the whole idea of it.”
They got the idea of it of course, and didn’t mind proudly sharing their stories.
Aimee Flores, Holy Redeemer Primary School
“My story is about a little girl who goes to school and when she comes home it is always late. It’s minutes to six and today her papa decided to tell her if she comes home late something bad will happen to her because he is tired of seeing her come home late, minutes to six.”
Shanice Lovell, St. Martin De Porres
“Anansi was too lazy to do anything and he wanted letters and he hated going to the post office for them. And he saw snake coming back from town with some letters and he saw snake moving so he asked snake to be his post man.”
Sharon Pitts, St. Mary’s Primary
“Rabbit went to college so he said that fi mek he know and all the other animal know that somebody dead them have to poom.”
Beside the exploits of Anansi, Snake, Brer Rabbit and the postman, there is usually a moral to every story.
Sharon Pitts
“I learned that I certainly learned that you no fi cook other animals.”
Shanice Lovell
“Thief never prosper.”
Stacy Martinez, St. John Vianney
“I learned that you should always be patient and wait a little more.”
And as the children patiently waited for the results, they were entertained by some of last year’s festival of arts gold medal performances.
But before anyone dies or lives happily ever after, Branch Manager Logan says, the story telling competition will be taken countrywide… as soon as funds are available. Arreini Palacio For News Five.
The winners of this year’s reading competition in the upper division were Catherine Baizar of Grace Primary who captured first place, Arreini Castillo of St. Joseph, second and Monique Grinage of St. Ignatius walked away with third place. In the lower division, St. John Vianney got both first and third positions. Stacey Martinez was the winner and Jenicia Guild accepted third, while Tania Domingo of Queen’s Square came in second.
