Photos: One Island, One Book GirlCott Event
The English Department of The Berkeley Institute is continuing its reading initiative One Island, One Book and recently held a special event where Florenz Maxwell, the author of the novel GirlCott, was the honoured guest.
A spokesperson said, “The Berkeley Institute is continuing its reading initiative One Island, One Book where they aim to have the island of Bermuda engaged in the reading of GirlCott at the same time as their students are reading and studying the text.
“On March 3, the intersection of World Book Day, Black History Month and International Women’s Month, GirlCott Season was officially launched with Mrs. Florenz Maxwell, the author of the novel GirlCott, as the honoured guest. Students and staff joined together as Mrs. Maxwell and GirlCott were officially reintroduced to Bermuda’s reading public.
“Ms. Keisha Douglas, the principal of the Berkeley Institute welcomed all in attendance. Representative Ms. Necheeka Trott of The Berkeley Institute Board of Governors, Mrs. Marva Bridgewater of The Berkeley Educational Committee, Dr. Michelle Squires of The Berkeley Institute Parent-Student-Teachers Association and The GirlCott Committee congratulated the school’s English Department on the trailblazing One Island, One Book initiative; the aim of which is to have everyone in Bermuda join together in the common goals of promoting literacy, interacting with our Bermuda students, exploring Bermuda’s history of segregation, discussing and learning about the watershed moment in our history of The Theatre Boycott, exploring the motives and actions of The secretive Progressive Group and celebrating our women and girls and their involvement in changing Bermuda for the better.
“Mrs. Maxwell shared some of the accolades and awards that she had been previously bestowed, including a mention on The Oprah Winfrey Show . She revealed to the students her formula for success, expressed as an algebraic equation: If a is believing that God is in control, then a= x+y+z; x is faith, y is hard work and z is encouraging others to follow their dream.
“Students were also reminded that Mrs. Maxwell’s inspiration was her husband of 53 years, Dr. Clifford Maxwell, who served as the principal of The Berkeley Institute for 19 years and who passed in 2013 and unfortunately did not see the novel to fruition, but in whose memory it was published.”
“The culmination of the official launch saw Headboy AJ Smith and HeadGirl Nasya Burgess read a proclamation that reinforced the core principles of the Berkeley Institute, ‘ whereas The Berkeley Institute continually bases one of its core values on promoting programme excellence.’
“The One Island One Book Initiative has established a Facebook page to align with the island wide reading of GirlCott. The page publishes entertaining educational activities, historical information related to the watershed year of 1959 and biographies of persons who may have a relationship with the themes of the novel.
“GirlCott Season will continue through April and May as the students of The English Department of The Berkeley Institute will hold sessions with the surviving members of The Progressive Group, the entire school will hold an in-school GirlCott fair and neighbouring schools in Pembroke and Devonshire will be invited to join us as we parade, on April 22, with inspirational reading and writing placards from our campus to The City Hall where The Bermuda National Library will join with displays of The Theatre Boycott and related historical displays for the public to support and celebrate with us, One Island, One Book will participate in The Bermuda Day Parade and a grand reception will be held in honour of Mrs. Florenz Webbe Maxwell at The Berkeley Institute on May 7.
“We invite as many as possible to join in with the reading of GirlCott and to interact with our Facebook page ‘One Island, One Book – The Berkeley Institute, Bermuda as we continue to celebrate, during this International Women’s month, the novel GirlCott by Mrs. Florenz Webbe Maxwell.”
