After three months of the school’s child-friendly library opening at Bokogo Catholic School, the library had got hundreds of story books and held many reading activities from reading aloud to independent reading conducted by the teachers. It did not stop at school, the students borrowed books to read at their home. Books such as T-Rex, In the Village, The Shark and the Sea Monster, The Old House Occupant, Cio and Cia, I want to be A Diligent Farmer, and many other books had been checked out from the library by June 2022, making them the most favorite lists in the library.

It was obviously not easy for the teachers and librarian to come to this stage as they had to put much effort into the process. They needed to remember many stages which included reading with expression and proper intonation as well as to select the best book for students become interested to listen to their teachers’ stories. Ibu Lenti, grade 1’s teacher, described that she had to practice on and on at home until she was ready to read aloud in front of her students. Similarly, Pak Aris, who was busy at his work as the school operator, had to allocate his time for the reading activities with the fifth-graders in the library.

Apparently, through those efforts and collaborations inside the school, we can now see the results. The students are engaged in reading activities, not only in school but also at home. With their own initiative, they visit the library and read independently there. Also, the fourth and fifth graders seem to pick up some inspirations from the pictures in the books they have read. How amazing! The good news continues with the third graders who can now write their own stories at home. They made stories about their experiences – the sad, happy, interesting ones. The principal, Pak Silvester, invited all teachers and students from the next-door kindergarten to visit and join the activities in the library. Although the kindergarten’s students have not been able to read yet, they are happy as they can see beautiful pictures in the story they pick.

Well done. Indeed, this school library along with the great collaboration among and efforts from the principal, teachers, librarian, and school operator has nurtured the students’ creativity. We can’t wait to hear more good news from Bokogo’s school.