After eight years without a library and facing a litany of literacy challenges, the Watsonton Primary School in Clarendon has been gifted with a small library of books from the National Rums of Jamaica (NRJ) Foundation.

Dubbed the Mini Library, an outdoor bookshelf and more than 70 books were gifted to Watsonton to entice the students into reading for leisure.

“Oftentimes students are only exposed to the usual texts and prescribed books and reading is seen as more of a chore than an enjoyable activity, so we thought to provide them with something different. We created an inviting bookshelf to first catch their eye and of course ensured to have it stocked with some fun and exciting titles to choose from,” said director of the NRJ Foundation, Martha Miller.

The Lionel Town-based primary school, which still rotates its student body on a shift system, has been operating without a formal library due to space and infrastructural issues, as well as issues with obtaining a supply of library books.

According to Watsonton Primary School’s literacy coordinator, Staci-Ann Archer Reid, the absence of a library over the years has greatly impacted the capacity of the school to fulfil its literacy goals.

She said that the students have not been exposed to the usual range and diversity of books that is typical in a library, and that it has posed a challenge to the staff to maintain and promote a passion for reading among their students.

“This is something that we have longed for and we really do appreciate it,” added Archer Reid.

In the meantime, principal of the school, Marchelle Williams-Hines, shared that some of the students have displayed regression in their reading and writing skills since the onset of COVID-19.

“We have implemented different initiatives through the school’s literacy committee and we are working along with the students and the parents in getting the students up to par. Since the start of this academic year, we have had our literacy fair, we have our inter-house spelling competitions, and we have reading competitions,” said Williams-Hines.

The school has also disclosed that the books donated in the mini library will be used to further foster an enjoyment of reading and will be incorporated into initiatives to bring a gamified and competitive element to the school’s reading programmes.

“I am very pleased with this donation of a mini library from the NRJ foundation. This will go a very long way in supporting our efforts here at the school to reignite interest in not only the students, but in the staff as well, to engage in reading in a meaningful way,” added Williams-Hines.

The NRJ Foundation, which is the recently incorporated philanthropic arm of National Rums of Jamaica installed the mini library ahead of the school’s celebration of Children’s Day on May 31. It is expected that by improving their reading skills, students will be better equipped to express themselves and voice their concerns at school and within the community.

The mini library is one of many initiatives at Watsonton undertaken by NRJ which has its Clarendon Distillery in Lionel Town.