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Recovering from the edge of extinction
St Alban’s Primary on path to becoming a centre of excellence
Sunday, November 09, 2014
Broadcast journalist Earl Moxam tells St Alban’s Primary students that they should not allow others to limit their ambition.
Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth — Broad smiles were everywhere as the St Alban's Primary School fraternity recently witnessed the handover of cheques worth in excess of $330,000 for the development of the school.
For chairman of the school board, Dr Glenda Simms, the cash donations from past students was further evidence that the school in Stanmore, just west of Malvern in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is moving forward, steadily recovering from the very edge of extinction.
When Simms, among Jamaica's leading women's rights advocates, took over as board chairman in 2012, the close-to-100-year-old St Albans was down to just 20-odd children on register.
She nostalgically remembers when, as a student at St Alban's in the 1940s and 1950s, the school -- originally built by the Anglicans -- was "jam-packed, running close to 200". Back then, her schoolmates included former Cabinet minister and celebrated attorney, Senator KD Knight, and retired High Court judge Velma Hylton.
Simms has been in charge as the school gained a new principal, Christopher Dubidad, in May. And she has watched anxiously as student numbers have grown over the last two-and-a-half years to just over 60 currently.
Now, she argues that with the community and past students recognising growth and progress there will be no looking back in the drive to make St Alban's a "centre of excellence".
"I believe there is a new energy," she told the Jamaica Observer, "there are many people out there who will give back to the school, it's just to find a way to show them we are doing something, success will breed success ... we are on a path to success."
The largest chunk of the recently donated money came in two cheques worth $131,000 and $78,000 from a past student living in Britain who has insisted that his identity should not be disclosed, school leaders say. That money is to go towards the purchase of a bus to transport children who travel several miles from the outlying districts of Retrieve, Abraham, and Burnt Ground. Some of those children currently walk to and from school.
A cheque worth US$1,000 from US-based past student Novelyn Parchment and her husband Wesley will be used to begin construction of a modern toilet block to replace outdated pit toilets. Another cheque of $20,000 from yet another past student, Maureen Braun, will also support the toilet-building project.
Dubidad heaped praise on the donors describing them as people "who are willing to give while expecting nothing in return".
He expects the school will be in a position to purchase a school bus in 2015 so long as others "will chip in to support". And while he is hoping the Government will "partner" in building the flush toilets, he isn't waiting around. The principal said a work day had been set for Thursday for volunteers from the community to begin excavation work.
"This is 2014; the children deserve better than pit toilets," Dubidad said. The headmaster has plans for wide-ranging development of the school, including separation of classes using ply or other suitable material, utilisation of a farming area for agricultural training and proper maintenance of the playfield to support organised sports such as cricket, football and athletics.
Former West Indies fast bowler Daren Powell, now turned People's National Party politician, is a past student of St Alban's.
Guest speaker at the presentation ceremony, highly respected broadcast journalist Earl Moxam urged students at St Alban's to set their goals high and to reject any attempt to place limits on their ambition.
"Don't allow anybody to limit your possibilities," said Moxam, who is originally from Treasure Beach but now lives in Malvern.
He told those getting ready for the high school entrance exams, GSAT, early next year that they should not feel discouraged should they be placed at so-called non-traditional high schools.
"You can excel wherever you go," he said. "Don't allow yourself to be limited by achievements at age 11, 12... keep working, keep trying and you will succeed."
Moxam encouraged the young ones to develop an appreciation for books as well as the reading habit.
"Reading will give you knowledge and make it easier for you to reason and articulate well. It will help you to properly speak and write English, and English is the language of business," Moxam said.
Recovering from the edge of extinction
St Alban’s Primary on path to becoming a centre of excellence
Sunday, November 09, 2014
Broadcast journalist Earl Moxam tells St Alban’s Primary students that they should not allow others to limit their ambition.
Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth — Broad smiles were everywhere as the St Alban's Primary School fraternity recently witnessed the handover of cheques worth in excess of $330,000 for the development of the school.
For chairman of the school board, Dr Glenda Simms, the cash donations from past students was further evidence that the school in Stanmore, just west of Malvern in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is moving forward, steadily recovering from the very edge of extinction.
When Simms, among Jamaica's leading women's rights advocates, took over as board chairman in 2012, the close-to-100-year-old St Albans was down to just 20-odd children on register.
She nostalgically remembers when, as a student at St Alban's in the 1940s and 1950s, the school -- originally built by the Anglicans -- was "jam-packed, running close to 200". Back then, her schoolmates included former Cabinet minister and celebrated attorney, Senator KD Knight, and retired High Court judge Velma Hylton.
Simms has been in charge as the school gained a new principal, Christopher Dubidad, in May. And she has watched anxiously as student numbers have grown over the last two-and-a-half years to just over 60 currently.
Now, she argues that with the community and past students recognising growth and progress there will be no looking back in the drive to make St Alban's a "centre of excellence".
"I believe there is a new energy," she told the Jamaica Observer, "there are many people out there who will give back to the school, it's just to find a way to show them we are doing something, success will breed success ... we are on a path to success."
The largest chunk of the recently donated money came in two cheques worth $131,000 and $78,000 from a past student living in Britain who has insisted that his identity should not be disclosed, school leaders say. That money is to go towards the purchase of a bus to transport children who travel several miles from the outlying districts of Retrieve, Abraham, and Burnt Ground. Some of those children currently walk to and from school.
A cheque worth US$1,000 from US-based past student Novelyn Parchment and her husband Wesley will be used to begin construction of a modern toilet block to replace outdated pit toilets. Another cheque of $20,000 from yet another past student, Maureen Braun, will also support the toilet-building project.
Dubidad heaped praise on the donors describing them as people "who are willing to give while expecting nothing in return".
He expects the school will be in a position to purchase a school bus in 2015 so long as others "will chip in to support". And while he is hoping the Government will "partner" in building the flush toilets, he isn't waiting around. The principal said a work day had been set for Thursday for volunteers from the community to begin excavation work.
"This is 2014; the children deserve better than pit toilets," Dubidad said. The headmaster has plans for wide-ranging development of the school, including separation of classes using ply or other suitable material, utilisation of a farming area for agricultural training and proper maintenance of the playfield to support organised sports such as cricket, football and athletics.
Former West Indies fast bowler Daren Powell, now turned People's National Party politician, is a past student of St Alban's.
Guest speaker at the presentation ceremony, highly respected broadcast journalist Earl Moxam urged students at St Alban's to set their goals high and to reject any attempt to place limits on their ambition.
"Don't allow anybody to limit your possibilities," said Moxam, who is originally from Treasure Beach but now lives in Malvern.
He told those getting ready for the high school entrance exams, GSAT, early next year that they should not feel discouraged should they be placed at so-called non-traditional high schools.
"You can excel wherever you go," he said. "Don't allow yourself to be limited by achievements at age 11, 12... keep working, keep trying and you will succeed."
Moxam encouraged the young ones to develop an appreciation for books as well as the reading habit.
"Reading will give you knowledge and make it easier for you to reason and articulate well. It will help you to properly speak and write English, and English is the language of business," Moxam said.