November 27, 2020, Tagum City – Honing the reading skills and cultivating the importance and love for reading of students amidst this pandemic, Deped Tagum City Division brought the community into the magical world of reading virtually in line with the celebration of National Reading Month 2020.
School heads and teachers showcased their expertise in their creative and interactive storytelling as part of the nationwide synchronized “Araw ng Pagbasa” at nine o’clock in the morning using online platforms.
They gathered over a thousand views, hundreds of shares and reactions which tackled stories with moral lessons relevant to the students in adapting the new normal situation.
Prior to this, DepEd Tagum City also launched its first Virtual Celebration of the National Reading Month on November 19 which featured Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Josephine L. Fadul as the storyteller and participants were engaged on online games such as spelling bee and rebus puzzle.
The said division also enjoined school heads in all public elementary and secondary schools to hold activities for this month-long celebration with strict observance to the health protocols and guidelines set forth by the IATF and the local government.
School Reading Coordinators this year were given the leeway to create their own reading month theme based on their school reading program and conduct reading month activities geared to promote reading like demonstrations of linguistic, literacy, communication and reading skills in Mother Tongue, Filipino and English languages.
Moreover, through the initiative of Education Program Supervisors, Dr. Darwin F. Suyat, Dr. Cristy C. Agudera, and Dr. Elena C. Lagrimas, the division intensified its reading program through series of training/workshop for evaluation and enhancement of reading intervention and enrichment materials on October 29, 2020 and will be followed by a comprehensive conference on presentation of Reading Intervention Materials in MTB-MLE, Filipino and Language entitled “Write and Connect” come this December 2020.
These undertakings were all anchored with DepEd’s commitment to provide, accessible, relevant and liberating basic education for all and to respond the challenge of “Bawat Bata Bumabasa”.
On the other hand, one of the big schools in the division which celebrated the reading month, Magugpo Pilot Central Elementary School organized different activities and contests such as Drop Everything and Read Photo Contest, Masining na Pagkukuwento, Book Talk and 3 O’clock Reading Habit all aimed to strengthen students’ reading ability, deepen their appreciation for books and gear up students with values and meaningful life lessons even at home.
The school also conducted its first Virtual Launching of 2020 Reading Month Celebration on November 16 through FB live headed by the school head, school reading coordinator and participated by teachers, students, and parents.
By Kaye P. Omapas
