Every Flip of a Page Brings Knowledge – reads the theme of the READ2012 campaign. Organised by Scholastic, publisher and distributor of children’s books, and held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, this campaign is aimed at promoting and fostering appreciation for books among school children. It was actually a week-long 1Malaysia Reading Campaign, culminating on 24 October 2012 when students across Malaysia set aside 2, 012 seconds or 33.5 minutes to read together.
Since it was SMK Pending’s maiden participation in the campaign, the 166 avid readers from the lower secondary who were gathered in Dewan Global, were burning with flames of excitement and enthusiasm. Fanning the flames and hoping that they would continue to be ablaze was Pengetua, Ivor Emmanuel Lim who, in his speech, called upon students to develop good reading habits.
“Reading is important as it helps us to amass a wealth of knowledge. Not only will reading improve your writing skills, it will also enhance your critical thinking. Students who read will be better off than those who don’t. Those who read will not only excel academically, but will also go on to become more effective members of the society because of the knowledge they have gained from reading widely.”
Also present were Penolong Kanan Petang, Puan Hazel George and teachers in the afternoon session. Days before the event was held, posters shouting messages encouraging students to read were hung in various strategic places. Students were reminded to bring a storybook to read on the day of the event. Boxes of storybooks were also prepared by diligent teachers for those who did not own one.
For its participation, the school will be rewarded with 50 English storybooks, courtesy of Scholastic. Kudos to the teachers and students who had come together to make the event a resounding success. It was a privilege to have you all on board.
Prepared by
Sim Siaw Phing
