MML Celebrates World Book Day 2012
Read - Embrace Tomorrow that was the theme of World Book Day South Africa 2012. This year Maskew Miller Longman once again embraced the opportunity to encourage reading by donating readers to primary schools in South Africa. A few of the MML staff members were able to visit the schools and share their stories with us.
In the eThekwini Region of KwaZulu-Natal the teachers and learners at Khanyisani Primary School eagerly awaited the arrival of Gloria Mthetwa from the MML KZN office. It was the 23 April 2012, World Book Day, and they were very excited about the gift they were about to receive.
Unbeknown to Gloria, the school had prepared a heart-warming programme for the day - all the activities planned for the event centred around the donated books. Learners (from grade R – 7) were confident that they would be able to come up with activities as soon as they received the books, which they did.
The learners were so good – they simply went to the table, chose a book to use and created an activity or item on it.
Activities on the day included:
Phonic reading (Grade R) | Drama (Grade 2) | Poems (Grade 3) | Spelling Bee (Grade 4-7) | Dialogue (Grade 7) | Storytelling (Grade 4 and 5) and reading (Grade 1 – 7)
“For me it was touching and amazing ….” Gloria Mthetwa
Klapmuts Primary School in the Cape Winelands region hosted the Western Cape Education Department’s World Book Day celebration on the 25thApril 2012. Publishers were invited to donate books to one of the 14 participating primary schools and to engage with the learners at the event by reading to/with them. Maskew Miller Longman chose to give the host school, Klapmuts Primary School, a donation of 300 books. Guests, including the provincial MEC for Education, Donald Grant, were entertained by poetry readings and a motivational speaker.
Bruce Modise visited Kamogelo Primary School in Gauteng on World Book Day. He said that learners and teachers were treated to some wonderful edible treats and that visitors were entertained with the learners’ reading skills. Learners were selected from each grade to read from one of the donated books and it was amazing to see learners read in English, Setswana and isiXhosa.
In total Maskew Miller Longman donated over 2,400 books to schools across South Africa and were delighted to be able to participate in the various World Book Day celebrations across the country. These types of activities allow us to interact directly with the learners and remind us all of the joy felt when people receive new books.and teachers were treated to some wonderful edible treats and that visitors were entertained with the learners’ reading skills. Learners were selected from each grade to read from one of the donated books and it was amazing to see learners read in English, Setswana and isiXhosa.