Editorial credit: Lester Balajadia / Shutterstock.com

The month of May saw a continued focus from CIBC FirstCaribbean on primary education and reading, as part of Reading Month.

The bank engaged with a total of five primary schools in response to the call from the Ministry of Education to participate in Reading Month. Staff of the bank read to students at Les Etangs Combined, Ti Rocher Combined, Ciceron Combined, Gros Islet Combined, Kids Care and Anglican Combined throughout May.

The participation of a visually impaired staff member on the bank’s reading team was a highlight and a hit with students. Ms. Yasmin Houson exposed students to braille assisted reading. “They were fascinated about the characters that represents the raised dots and how I was able to read by this method as confidently as sighted people do”, Ms. Houson reported.

She said that based on her interaction with students, the experience “has been unforgettable for them, and I am sure has definitely made them more conscious of persons with disabilities among us, and the fact that they are only differently able in some areas but can make a contribution to society like everyone else”, Ms. Houson noted.

As part of the activity, the bank also made a small monetary contribution to each school towards materials for Reading Month.

Earlier in May, the Morne Du Don Primary School was the recipient of a laptop donated by the bank to enhance the school’s online learning in the classroom. The bank also responded to a request for sanitary and cleaning supplies from Foundations Early Childhood Education Learning Centre to assist in managing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

  Caribbean, St Lucia