ACROSS NORTHEAST COAST VOLUNTEERS REPLACED TEACHERS ON READ ACROSS JAMAICA DAY
OCHO RIOS, St Ann; May 6, 2026
Strange faces were in many classrooms across the north eastern parishes on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, reading for children and interacting with them on Read Across Jamaica Day.
Representatives of companies and agencies, the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, service clubs, school Boards, parents, and other volunteers were among those reading to the children and emphasising the importance of reading.
(After the reading, at Dulcie Fullerton Basic School, St Mary)
Read Across Jamaica Day is observed annually during Education Week.
Representatives of the Kiwanis Club of the Garden Parish were also on the road in Ocho Rios, St Ann, reading at Ocho Rios Primary and St John’s Preparatory.
(Janice Moncrieffe and Sharon Neita from NWC Port Maria branch, after engaging students at Newstead Primary School)
Police officers were in the classroom too. At Mount Zion Primary and Infant, Constable Gawain Montague and Detective Constable Davian Ash from Runaway Bay police station read to students of two classes.
For some National Water Commission (NWC) staff, books replaced bills on Tuesday, as they left their offices for classrooms.
(From left, Principal of Mt Zion Primary and Infant School, Jacqueline Brown, says thanks to police officers for reading, Cons Gawain Montaque, and Det. Constable Davian Ash, against a background of charts as Grade 3 teacher Gregisha Grey, looks on)
Teams from the NWC fanned out across St Ann and St Mary, reading to students and stressing the importance of literacy as part of the national initiative.
(Kiwanian Ladada Hemans interacting with students at St John’s Prep Ocho Rios)
“Today (Tuesday), we are about more than water. It was about pouring into our children,” said an NWC representative.
In St Mary, NWC staff visited Newstead Primary and Dulcie Fullerton Basic schools. While in St Ann, their presence was felt at the Chester and Priory Primary schools
(Kiwanian Dr Marva Hewitt asking a question, during her story reading)
Teachers welcomed the support, noting that guest readers help to bring stories to life and show students that the entire community is invested in their education.
