Visiting Travel Advisors Take Part in Read Across Jamaica Day

Students at the Salt Spring Primary and Infant School in St. James were treated to a special Read Across Jamaica Day celebration on May 6, when 40 travel advisors from the United States (US) and Canada visited the institution under the banner of the Sandals Foundation.

The travel advisors, who are in Jamaica ahead of Global Travel Advisor Day on May 7, engaged students from grades one to six as well as those enrolled in the infant department.

This outreach was held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information; the Jamaica Information Service (JIS); the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), and several community stakeholders.

The visit also formed part of a larger initiative coordinated by the Sandals Foundation, which saw approximately 200 travel advisors from both the United States and Canada engaging students in literacy-based activities at schools across St. Ann and St. James.

At Salt Spring Primary and Infant, the group immersed themselves in classroom sessions and shared stories with the eager young learners.

“The reception is going great, [and] the children are having an amazing time,” said Director of Operations at the Sandals Foundation, Karen Zacca.

“We’re reading with the children. The children are reading to us. This is an incredible school where you can see that they have the passion for not only teaching children how to read, but having the children express themselves and show their confidence to our guests that are here today,” she added.

The outreach marked the first time the Sandals Foundation has brought travel advisors to participate in a school-reading programme, although the Foundation regularly conducts its weekly ‘Reading Road Trip’ initiative that takes resort guests into community schools every Thursday.

In addition to the reading, the Sandals Foundation made a meaningful contribution to the school’s literacy programme through the establishment and official unveiling of a ‘Word Alley’.

The Word Alley is a dedicated space that features scores of sight words that the students can engage with regularly to further reinforce their vocabulary.

“I think once children see words that they can relate to, and they see them repeatedly, they will learn to know that these words are part of their real life and build some real positive interaction because of the words that they’re going to see every day,” Ms. Zacca said.

Grade-two student Okelia Whyte praised the Word Alley, which she believes will help to make spelling and reading more accessible to the students of the institution.

Another student, Tevaneake Phage of grade four pointed out that the Word Alley is invaluable, as it will aid students in preparing for classwork and spelling tests more confidently.

She also recounted how the visitors’ reading exercise deepened her understanding of some challenging words and expressed gratitude to the Sandals Foundation and the partnering entities.

“I want to say thanks to Sandals, the JIS team and other stakeholders who came to our class and helped read to us,” Tevaneake said.

In the meantime, Education Officer for Region 4 in the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Christopher Kerr, described Salt Spring Primary and Infant School as “the beacon on the hill” and thanked the Sandals Foundation for their ongoing support and involvement.

Mr. Kerr noted the significance of the Word Alley as a valuable contribution to students’ educational development, reinforcing the timeless principle that “reading maketh a man; reading maketh a woman”.

The school’s Board Chairman, Conrad Thomas, extended heartfelt thanks to the stakeholders.

He underscored the presence of the travel advisors and the Sandals team, noting that they had made a deep and lasting impact.

The day’s events not only celebrated the joy of reading but also reinforced the importance of community involvement in education, Mr. Thomas said.

“Your presence here has left an indelible mark upon all of us. We are extremely grateful [and] may you continue to inject your positive energy into our lives,” he added.

The JIS team also donated several books to the institution and pledged to continue the partnership in future endeavours.