Scores of teachers, students and parents of the Firestone School System gathered on Friday, June 2, 2023 to witness the maiden edition of the Elementary School Reading Competition. Over one hundred students showcased their reading abilities and competed for prizes. The Director for Human Resources and Social Services, Cllr. Marion N. Wreh-Socree, several managers and supervisors from various departments across Firestone Liberia were also in attendance.
All competition contestants were students from elementary schools within the Firestone Liberia School System. Twenty-seven students qualified for the finals after seventy-four students were eliminated during the first round of the competition. In an interesting reading competition final, six students scored averages to secure the win for their respective grade. Uriah Gonteh, Tenneh Armah, Motee G. Siakeh, Hopkin Gbokako, Othello Juah and Faith Domah were the winners of the Elementary School Reading Competition receiving medals and gifts. The six winners were from grades 1 – 6 across different elementary schools.
“This is our first reading competition. We thank and congratulate the winners. We look forward to doing this regularly and seeing more winners in the coming editions.” Cllr. Marion N. Wreh-Socree, Supervisor of the Firestone School System commented.
Ten-year-old Hopkin Gbakako spoke to the Voice of Firestone upon receiving a winner’s medal. “I want to say thanks to my parents and teachers for teaching me the reading skills. We tried our best to make them happy. I am happy also for the gifts.”
The Education Department’s extra-curricular and early childhood sections used elementary reading books for the first round of the competition and supplementary reading material for the finals.
Parent, Madam Victoria Pahn remarked “I want to take this time to thank Firestone Liberia. I was so excited to see our children coming out before us to read. I am so proud. To our wonderful teachers, I say a very big thank you. Thank you so much. And to the judges too, thank you.”
According to the organizers, the competition will see more contestants in the next edition with an even greater display of reading skills.