Rotaract and Library Host Children’s Reading Event

In celebration of World Rotaract Week, March 11 through March 17, Rotaract members and PJL staffers, Aukje de Jong and Maryland Powell, will be combining forces to conduct two reading activities, simultaneously for both toddlers, ages 0-4 years and children ages 5-12. Toddlers can expect to hear stories in the library’s, Baby & Toddler Room using the Japanese Kamishibai. This form of storytelling originated in Japan in the 12th century and is a mixture of oral storytelling and performing drama, illustrated in art. The art is usually displayed within a story box, while a person tells a story dramatizing it through performance. This technique will be conducted by several Day Care Center employees, who completed a workshop with library employee, Aukje de Jong. Along with storytelling, the older children will complete arts and crafts projects. These projects will be based on the stories they were read by Rotaract Members in the reading room. “The Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise has chosen to embark on this event and make it a yearly occasion, because we believe that literacy is one of the main building blocks of learning. Individuals who struggle to read will struggle to learn and this difficulty will be carried with them throughout their school years and into their adult lives. This project is an effort to combat this and reach children from an early age, instilling in them a love of reading and learning,” Elisia Lake, Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise, President said. Participating children will be treated to refreshments after the readings activities. All parents are encouraged to bring their children to this interactive event. “The more parents who turn out with their children, the more children we reach and start on an early road to lifelong learning and a love of reading. At the library, that is one of our primary focuses, to get children into the library and engaged with books. There are whole worlds waiting for them, but first, they must get here. So we are really urging all parents to come out and support this collaborative effort between Rotaract Club Of St. Maarten Sunrise and the Philipburg Jubilee Library,” Morenika Arrindell, PJL Activity Manager stated.

For more information on this event, please contact the library at 542-2097.