On the morning of 3rd June 2026, our school embraced one of its most cherished traditions - the DEAR Programme. For a dedicated stretch of time, the usual hum of the school day gave way to something quieter, more intentional: the rustle of pages, the soft scratch of pencils and the unmistakable atmosphere of young minds fully absorbed.
Students were thoughtfully grouped into diverse clusters -
or given the freedom to work independently - based on their individual
interests and preferences. The result was a beautiful mosaic of engagement
spread across classrooms and our library.
"Some were lost in storybooks; others were puzzling
over newspaper challenges or crafting with their hands - yet every single
student was engaged."
Many students turned to the newspaper as their companion for
the session, solving the printed puzzles, trying out creative crafts suggested
within its pages or gathering in small groups to discuss and debate the news
stories they discovered. The conversations that bloomed from these discussions
were wonderfully spontaneous and thoughtful.
Meanwhile, in the library, students chose books that called
out to them from the shelves - settling comfortably and reading independently
at their own pace. Watching them select, open and genuinely connect with a book
of their choosing was a moment of quiet pride for all educators present.
The most encouraging observation of the day was the visible improvement in reading engagement. More students are approaching reading not as a task, but as a personal choice - a habit steadily taking root. DEAR Day continues to sow the seeds of a lifelong love for reading, one page at a time.
