SMM

First SMM Coffee Morning and Reading Workshop Held

The first SMM Coffee Morning and Reading Workshop was held last January 24, 2019 at the SMM Library. Its goal was to actively involve the SMM parents in the school’s endeavour of supporting the UAE National Agenda of creating and strengthening a generation of lifelong readers who enjoy books and contribute to a knowledge-based society. It views students’ knowledge, skills and strategies for reading in various contexts, across all subjects.

It was spearheaded by the English Department through its Reading Program initiatives. Ms Karen, the principal provided an overview of the school’s Reading Policy. A Focused Group Discussion for small groups was conducted by Ms Jannet, the school’s Reading Champion. The discussion was mainly focused on the current issues of reading at home, in school and in the SMM community as a whole. Some teaching reading strategies were also discussed. Ms Eloisa, the English Department Head, conducted a Storytelling session with the parents. The activity showcased some reading strategies that promote comprehension and vocabulary development through interactive storytelling and story reading.

The activity which was well- attended by one hundred twenty-one parents was conducted in two sessions, one in the  morning and one in the afternoon. It was deemed successful as the parents heartily expressed their intention of partnering with the school in  attaining the reading program goals not only for their own children but for the entire SMM community as well. An intensive Reading Workshop shall be held for the parents and other volunteers who shall be part of the Guided Reading sessions in school to improve the performance of the struggling readers. The workshop is tentatively set on the first weekend of February this year.