Crown Counsel motivates Parents of Grade 6 Students at Deane Glasford Primary
By Joyette Mills-Ward
Business Reporter-SKNVibes.com
~~Adz:Left~~BASSETERRE; St. Kitts - PARENTS of Grade 6 students at the Deane Glasford Primary School in St. Peters’ benefitted from a motivational speech recently made by Crown Counsel Rhonda Nisbett-Browne from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions where parents were advised to assist students preparing to sit the upcoming Tests of Standards examinations.
The presentation was part of a programme being run by the Deane Glasford Primary School to boost the morale of the students through parental involvement and encouragement and to improve students’ performance during examination time and Test of Standards.
Emphasis was placed on the importance of knowing where children were after school and keeping them constructively occupied as a means of stemming the problem of today’s youth heading towards a life of crime.
Nisbett-Browne, directly involved in the prosecution of persons ‘on the wrong side of the law’, told parents “It hurts to see parents lose their children to crime and imprisonment. I do not wish to see any parent entreating a judge for mercy or for a lighter sentence on their child’s behalf”.
Nisbett-Browne highlighted education as a key to alleviating the cycle of poverty saying that regardless of a persons’ social standing or economic background academic excellence could be achieved through proper parental support guidance and motivation. This, she stated, could in turn catapult that person and perhaps an entire family or village into a higher standard of living.
SKNVibes.com spoke to Elsie Patrick-Leader, Principal of the Deane Glasford Primary School who revealed that a number of initiatives were being taken to ensure better exam performance by the Grade 6 students and that students graduate to Secondary School as confident and well-adjusted young adults with good virtues and morals.
SKNVibes.com learnt among the initiatives being taken at Deane Glasford Primary, Pastor Leroy Matthew of the People’s Evangelical Centre speaks to the children about spiritual and moral matters on alternating Wednesdays. Additionally, Peace Corps worker Linda Coughlyn, assigned to the St Peters Health Centre is scheduled to speak to the children in Grades 5 and 6 about HIV/AIDS, Puberty and Hygiene.
Patrick-Leader also mentioned two teachers who go ‘above and beyond’ the call of duty to ensure that the children understand what is being taught; Jean Boddie, who regularly stays after school to give revision lessons to her students and Heather Fergus-Morris, also a Grade 6 teacher, who holds extra classes every Saturday for Maths and English for all interested students.
Test of Standards Examinations are set to begin around June 10th, 2008. At the Grade 6 level, these examinations are used as a yardstick when determining students’ placement upon entering Secondary School. The examinations are given in four subject areas; Language Arts (English), Mathematics, Science and Social Studies (Informatics) and are set for students of Grades 3 to 6.
