St. Croix students in grades K-8 celebrated their successful completion of the Fourth Annual Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge at the D.C. Canegata Ballpark Recreation Center on Sunday, Oct. 21.
The program encouraging students to spend their summers reading -- and tracking their books for recognition – awarded certificates of appreciation and special prizes to participants who read at least five books during the summer.
“We had a great Summer Reading Challenge this year, and those who participated deserve a day of fun activities in recognition of their achievements. Through this effort, we hope that students territory-wide discover a love of reading that will stay with them throughout their lives,” deJongh said.
St. Croix Administrator Dodson James delivered remarks on behalf of Governor de Jongh at Sunday’s event. He thanked students and their families for participating in the 2012 summer reading initiative, and explained the importance of reading and education as critical towards achieving success in later years. James also encouraged students to “utilize the summer months as opportunities for learning, in addition to having fun.”
Over 500 students in the territory’s public and private schools participated in the 2012 reading challenge program.

Arts and crafts booths were available at Saturday’s St. Croix event, and a Virgin Islands Fire Service truck was also on site.
Summer Reading Challenge closing ceremonies for the islands of St. Thomas and St. John will be held on Saturday, Oct. 27 and Sunday, Oct. 28, respectively.
The Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge is a partnership between the Governor's Office, the V.I. Department of Education and the V.I. Public Libraries.