PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Education, Sports, and Culture, Rhoda Arrindell symbolically opened Children's Book Week 2010 with the planting of a tree at Philipsburg Jubilee Library on Sunday afternoon.
In her opening speech, Library Director Monique Alberts referred to the fact that this year's book week was the first of Country St. Maarten.
Themed "Read Green, Live Green ... All the Cool Kids are doing it," Children's Book Week will focus on nature and the environment. Until November 28, a wide range of activities will be organised, including outdoor activities such as a hike and a nature watch.
True to the green theme, Alberts said the library would be promoting the use of environmental-friendly e-books, which would reduce logging to make paper.
"Old magazines also cause a lot of trash. That is why we will be introducing e-books as a new service as of next year. Newspapers are already digitally available on DVD," Alberts said.
The Children's Book Week activities started Sunday with the traditional parade from the Government Administration Building to the library. This year, the parade drew a relatively small crowd, which was led along Back Street and on to the library by Seventh Day Adventist Pathfinders and Generation New Status STM drum bands.
Moderated by reading champion 2009 Xhenji Wyatt, a varied opening programme followed, which included a Tzu Chi group dance performance, a nature and environment modelling presentation with participation of several elementary schools, and a reading session by author Loekie Morales.
After Arrindell had planted a tree in the library's front garden with assistance of Ingemar Arndell (9) of Ruby Labega School, the programme continued inside the library with a tour of three exhibitions: on Children's Book Week, St. Maarten Here and Now, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Children can sign up during the entire week and read three books by Saturday, November 27, make a book report and receive a free T-shirt.
Fourth graders are invited to write poems about nature and/or the environment of St. Maarten. The best poems will be compiled into a book. Writers of the best selected poems will receive T-shirts with this year's Children's Book Week logo.
