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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
Member of Parliament for Marathon and Minister of Education, Science and Technology the Honourable Jerome Fitzgerald presents student leaders of the Claridge Primary School with their Christmas gifts valued at $15K during a book presentation to the school (Photo by Edgar Arnette).
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Nassau, Bahamas - Scholastic books flooded the campus of Claridge Primary School as the Member of Parliament for the Marathon Constituency chose to give the gift of reading this holiday season. “As Minister of Education, I realized that the best gift I could give this holiday season would be related to promoting education. Last year, I donated toys to the children, but this year, I wanted to give something more tangible something that I know could have a lasting impact and remain relevant even beyond the holiday season.”
Claridge Primary is the only primary school in the Marathon Constituency and so they have been privileged to receive many much needed items from their Member of Parliament. The Minister used the resources available in his ministry and engaged the expertise of educators to ensure that the books were appropriate for the ages and reading levels of the students.
Mrs. Eulease Beneby, NortheasternDistrict Superintendent, Dr. Francina Thurston, Ministry of Education Consultant and other education officials along with residents from the Marathon Constituency and parents were present for the special assembly.
Member of Parliament for the Marathon Constituency and Minister of Education, Science and Technology, the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald reads to the first graders of Claridge Primary School, the only primary school in his constituency (Photo by Edgar Arnette).
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The students listened intently as the Minister spoke and he engaged them throughout his remarks. He opened by saying “I am here to deliver goodies to you today. How many of you like to read?” All hands shot up and the Minister observed that some children had both hands in the air.
To emphasize the importance of reading, the Minister told them of his love for reading; “as a child, I loved to read and even now, I still enjoy reading a good book. I visited many countries through the books I read; experienced many fun and exciting adventures through different characters and events and I discovered lots of new things, simply by reading. Best of all, reading allowed my imagination to run wild. I remember reading the classics: Hardy Boys, Huckleberry Finn, The Red Badge of Courage, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and lots of others. I remember enjoying a book so much that I took it everywhere I went and never wanted to put it down until I was finished.”
A display of some of the books donated to Claridge Primary School by the Hon. Jerome Fitzgerald, Member of Parliament for Marathon and Minister of Education, Science and Technology, who gave the gift of reading this holiday season to the primary school students in his constituency (Photo by Edgar Arnette).
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The Minister shared a compelling story that had all the students attention fixed on him. He told them the story of a little boy whose life was changed by reading. He introduced the little boy as Ben and shared how “Ben and his brother experienced difficulty in school. Ben fell to the bottom of his class, and was teased by his classmates. He told them how Ben’s mother was determined to turn her son’s life around and how she limited their TV time to just a few select programs and refused to let them go outside to play until they'd finished their homework. Although their mother could barely read, she required them to read two library books a week and give her written reports. Initially Ben hated this new routine but soon got accustomed to it and soon began to not miss watching television. Ben began to learn how to use his imagination and found it more enjoyable than watching television. “Within a year, Ben amazed his teachers and classmates with his improvement. The children's books he read while he was stuck in his house now had relevancy in school. He was able to recall facts and examples from the books and relate them to what he was learning in school. In 5th grade, Ben astonished everyone by identifying rock samples his teacher had brought to school. The Minister pointed out that Ben realized that reading had opened up his mind and that he knew things that no one else in his class did; this boosted his confidence. Minister Fitzgerald stated that Ben, “the little boy who was considered to be the dumbest in his class grew up to become a brilliant man, all because reading changed his life!” The children were thrilled when the Minister revealed that the little boy Ben is now the most famous neurosurgeon in the world, Dr. Ben Carson.
The students of Claridge Primary School were given a challenge by the Minister “to read at least one book a week and allow it to transform your minds and allow the knowledge to be transferred into other areas of learning. Minister Fitzgerald engaged the students and had them repeat, “I will become a Super Reader” which they shouted out with enthusiasm.
They were also given a responsibility by the Minister and that was “to take very good care of the books.” He said he was confident that the books would be put to good use. Wishing the students a very Merry Christmas he added that he would have been the first person to deliver their Christmas gifts; to which they all applauded.
He concluded, by asking the students how many of them wanted to be successful; again, all hands were raised. He ended by having the students proclaim “I’m going to be a success!”
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