Youthful writers shouted and cheered as they received mini netBooks, digital cameras, talking dictionaries and other prizes during the Juanita Gardine Elementary School Young Freedom Writers Showcase on Wednesday.
“It started out as a competition,” said Rashidah El Shabazz, the school nurse. “Now it has expanded into a schoolwide project.”
The young writers’ workshop engrossed the Juanita Gardine campus for the better part of last year and all through the current school year. Students created articles on subjects ranging from the VITAL-S test to the preparation of healthy foods.
“We started an afterschool program with about 20 students preparing healthy foods and writing articles about the experience,” the school nurse said. “A journal was produced and it inspired the students to write more. Students came eagerly and the program was a big success.”
The program was kick-started by a grant from the St. Croix Methodist Church. It created nine editions of newsletters, first titled Juanita Gardine School Wellness Team, but later changed to Juanita Gardine School Newsletter as it became a schoolwide project.
St. Croix Foundation later provided $1,500 to the program to help keep the students’ creative juices flowing.
The school’s technology resource person, Veronica Prescott, published the newsletters, while librarian Janice M. Ferdinand joined the project when she joined the Gardine staff.
The young writers produced poems and essays for Wednesday’s culminating activity.
Saidah Marrero, Shaniah Neverson, Alieshla Beras and Shakira Delerme received first-place certificates and mini NetBooks.
