The Tanoalei’a Community at Vaivase-Uta, under the stewardship of Reverend Enefatu Lesā had some of its parents, adults, youth members and college students reading to and with their primary school-aged children on Monday night.
This event began with the usual evening “lotu” before one adult talked about the importance of caring for the Bible and Hymn Book which are the most popular readers found in most homes in Samoa.
Specific details on reading from left to right, ensuring that every child should enjoy reading and to make reading a habit if anyone is to be successful.
Everyone who attended together read and then sang two hymns, read two chapters from the Book of Psalms and then paired off for peer reading.
Some parents read “Samoan Readers” to the very young children who were not yet able to read; while children who are able to read did so with an adult/youth listening and asking questions.
It was also a chance to acknowledge assistance from Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (M.E.S.C) through stationery items donated to the Centre and to officially open the Tanoalei’a Study and Homework Centre for 2014.
The Centre which is held every Tuesday and Thursday from 6.30p.m until 8.30 p.m. is opened to Year 4 up to Year 13 students for the Tanoalei'a area and supervised by adults and youth members from the EFKS Tanoalei’a Congregational Church.
This particular Community supports the M.E.S.C’s Literacy initiative, with its theme “Leaders are Readers”.
Despite the limited and small number of readers borrowed from Samoa Primary School and donated by other adults of the congregation, everyone who attended enjoyed the evening and are hopeful that more Readers can be donated for the centre.
If anyone of the public would like to give this centre any appropriate readers/books for school aged students please ring #7716674. After an hour and a half of reading activities, everyone who attended, shared the “yummy” ‘Koko Araisa’ for supper.
(A.P.L)
The following pictures were taken at the Tanoaleia Hall, on Monday 30th June, in support of Literacy.
Students get into spirit of Literacy Week
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The second day of the Literacy Week, dubbed the Community Day, was a bright and entertaining event for many schools around Samoa, yesterday.
As part of the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (M.E.S.C.) and Samoa Stationary and Books’ (S.S.A.B.) official programme, the day was a chance for students to demonstrate their literacy skills through performances.
Saina-Toamua Primary School principal, Tumui Iosua, invited relatives and friends of his students to come and watch.
“Leaders are Readers is the theme for today,” Mr. Iosua said.
“Each class is doing a performance, and the aim of the performances is to let all the students speak, especially in their second language of English."
“They are doing action songs, also drama performances and there is also one speech.”
Overseas volunteer, Eleanor Bedford, wrote and taught a play to her year seven students.
“The emphasis is basically on getting the children to speak English,” Ms. Bedford said. “It doesn’t matter what it is, we just want to get the children excited and give it a go, and be proud that they can speak English.”
Another volunteer at Saina-Toamua, Margaret Miller, spent a lot of time working with her year six students on pronunciation and speaking English dialogue.
“Most classes did things like action songs, but the older groups are doing drama performances,” Ms. Miller said. “My year six class teacher wanted to focus on accidents as a moral lesson."
“So I created a drama about cheating in a sporting match, and how you can’t fix accidents and you should never cheat."
“We’ve only been working on it for two weeks before school holidays last week and now they’re performing it.”
Vaigaga Primary School also held a successful community day.
Vice-principal Tiotio Apisai also said their students had just two weeks to prepare their performance.
“The programme focus is Leaders are Readers, especially on literacy, reading and writing,” Ms. Apisai said.
“The year one two and three’s are doing poems, the year four and five’s have rhymes and dramas, the year six’s are doing songs, bilingual songs so either Samoan or 
Engligh, and the year seven and eight’s are doing dramas and Samoan legends.”
Literacy week continues today with C.E.O.’s and authors visiting primary schools, colleges and the paediatric ward of the National Hospital to read to students and give inspirational talks about the importance of literacy in becoming successful.
