Department of Education officials joined representatives from the India Association of the Virgin Islands and local Rotarians for the distribution of thesauruses to eighth graders at Bertha C. Boschulte Middle School and Addelita Cancryn Junior High School. Also joining forces with the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, the India Association and Rotary collaborated to purchase books for each public school eighth grade student in the territory, and began distributing them to classes on St. Thomas-St. John on Thursday. Accompanied by each respective school principal, India Association President Mulo Alwani spoke to the students about the importance of receiving a good education and said that the thesauruses could help to improve their communications, writing and reading skills, according to a press release from the V.I. Department of Education.
“We feel that education is the most important thing in the life of a child,” Alwani said on Thursday. “And it is wonderful for us to see the joy on the faces of the children when we come to the classrooms, talk to them and give them their books.”
While this is the first year that that India Association has been involved in distributing thesauruses, the organization has previously purchased dictionaries for V.I. third graders.
Joining the organizations at BCB Thursday was Deputy District Superintendent Michael Harrigan, while Insular Superintendent Jeanette Smith-Barry accompanied the group at Cancryn.
“One of our focus points is student achievement, and efforts such as these will most definitely help us realize our goals,” Smith-Barry said. “We always welcome and thank members of our community for continuing to be involved with our schools and students.”
