JIS: Wife of the Governor-General, Her Excellency, the Most Hon. Lady Allen, is encouraging young people to think big and set their goals high.

 

“You have to find what you love and do it. You also have to be committed. Anything you want to do in life, any boundaries you want to remove, you have to show commitment and never let any negative thought tell you ‘can’t’, because you can,” she said.

 

“Never limit yourself. Be outstanding at what you do and do it to the best of your ability. This will serve you well in your academic, professional and personal life,” she added.

 

Lady Allen was delivering the keynote address at the 2019 graduation exercise of the Shortwood Practising Infant, Primary and Junior High School, held on Tuesday (July 2) at the institution’s grounds on Shortwood Road, St. Andrew.

 

She congratulated the 126 graduates on the milestone achievement and urged them to continue to strive for excellence despite any obstacles they may encounter.

 

“In the next 10 to 15 years, you will be the young entrepreneurs, creative thinkers and nation-builders. There is nothing stopping you from becoming the person you want to be,” she said.

 

Lady Allen encouraged the youngsters, as they enter a new phase of life, to make the most of the opportunities presented and to hold on to the values of integrity, hard work and discipline instilled in them by their families and teachers.

 

“As you enter high school and the teenage years, you will encounter new challenges and new mountains… . You have two powerful tools – your mind and your power of choice. How you handle these and the choices you make during this coming period will determine the course of your lives. The journey will not be easy, but persevere. You are the next generation that will move this country forward,” Lady Allen said.

 

The ceremony included a presentation of special awards of cash prizes, plaques and trophies to students and members of staff for outstanding achievement and contribution to the academic and social activities of the school.

 

CAPTION: Wife of the Governor-General, Her Excellency, the Most Hon. Lady Allen (left) receives a plaque from graduate of the Shortwood Practising Infant, Primary and Junior High School, Donique Wesley, after delivering the keynote address at the institution’s 2019 graduation exercise on Tuesday (July 2).

 

JIS: Wife of the Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness, is urging young people to use their time wisely, while striving for academic and personal excellence in all pursuits.

 

Addressing a graduation ceremony at the Donald Quarrie High school in Kingston, on June 30, Mrs. Holness told the graduates that time waits on no one, and urged them to make the best of the various opportunities that will come their way.

 

“The sky is the limit. One of you can be the next Prime Minister, Head of the army or the police force, the next home-grown talent, like Chronixx; the Chief Justice, Bank of Jamaica Governor, or the next Usain Bolt,” Mrs. Holness said, reminding them that they will be the leaders of the future.

 

“As we plan for tomorrow, but with no promise for tomorrow, we should use our time wisely and we should take our responsibility with God seriously,” she added.

 

Mrs. Holness, who is also Member of Parliament for East Rural St. Andrew, told the graduates that they should make their parents proud. “It is about time we set the pace in our subject areas, and be the leaders in the discipline across life that we wish to become,” she said.

 

Mrs. Holness encouraged the females to remain focused and not be distracted or sidetracked.

 

“It is about time we as ladies take control of our situations. You as young ladies should take a stand and let your boyfriends know that you are prepared to wait until the time is right… for pregnancy,” she told the young female graduates.

 

Mrs. Holness also urged the young men to assist in reversing the growing trend where girls are taking over institutions of higher learning.

 

She said that at universities and colleges across the island, the enrolment reported is four times the amount of females to males, adding that at the University of the West Indies the enrolment is actually seven females to one male.

 

“Young men, we still want men to assume their roles as leaders of the family and of the communities, get in shape from now; it is about time,” she said.

 

Mrs. Holness provided a cash award of $50,000 each to students Tashay Roberts and Tevin Royes, who copped the Top Girl and Top Boy awards, respectively.

 

During the ceremony, a moment of silence was observed for the two students who passed during the academic year.

 

The 2019 graduating class consisted of 63 students.

 

CAPTION: Wife of the Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness (centre), shares a moment with students at the Donald Quarrie High School, Tevin Royes (left) and Tashay Roberts, who copped the Top Boy and Top Girl awards, respectively, during the school’s graduation ceremony, held at the institution’s premises in East Rural St. Andrew, on June 30.

JIS: Lower sixth-form student of the Guy’s Hill High School in St. Catherine, Legecia Angus, is the National Child Month Committee (NCMC) top Academic Achievement Award recipient for 2019. Miss Angus was recognised on Friday, June 28 at an awards ceremony held at the Alhambra Inn in Kingston.

 

She was chosen from a group of 18 students representing non-traditional high schools across the island.

 

To qualify for the Academic Achievement Award, students must attend a non-traditional high school, attain five or more subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Cerificate (CSEC) level and overcome great odds to achieve those outstanding results. They should also be involved in community service, in keeping with the spirit of volunteerism.

 

Miss Angus has been on the school’s Honour Roll since grade seven; served as Senior Prefect and is now the Head Girl.

 

At the pinnacle of her high-school life, she gained nine subjects with seven distinctions and two credits in the CSEC Examinations in 2018. Accepting the award, Miss Angus encouraged the other recipients not to think about where they are now and never to let their circumstances define them, emphasising that they should be defined by the steps that they take and what they do to achieve something even greater. She attributed her success to her determination and commitment to triumph over adversities.

 

Meanwhile, the first recipient of the inaugural Academic Achievement Award in 2014, Jaffet McDonald, who is presently a fourth-year medical student at the University of the West Indies (UWI), and is also a past student of Guy’s Hill, implored the recipients to unmask and unleash their greatness.

 

He encouraged them not to let situations in their lives haunt or stop them from starting again and again if necessary. “Be passionate about your pursuits and use your indomitable spirit to fuel your success,” he said.

 

Other recipients of the sixth NCMC Academic Achievement Awards included: Anthony Cato, Kemps Hill High and Jessica Henry, Denbigh High, in Clarendon; Natalie Cole, Vauxhall High, Kingston; Aaliyah Gordon, May Day High and Kasheem Wiseman, Cross Keys High, in Manchester; Jason Brown, Salvation Army School for the Blind and the Visually Impaired and Tianna Campbell, Mona High School, in Kingston. Also receiving awards were Shellion Brown, Tacious Golding High, in St. Catherine; Damain Rose, Black River High and Jenelle Linton, Newell High, in St. Elizabeth; Code Clarke, Anchovy High, St. James; Tashema Reddie, Bimmervale High, St. Mary; Samoya Jones, Buff Bay High, Portland; Kevoy Williams, Troy High and Sue-Amar Reid, Muschette High, in Trelawny; and Shavae Brooks, Grange Hill High and Joseph McLeod, Petersfield High, in Westmoreland.

 

CAPTION: Patron of the National Child Month Committee (NCMC), Hon. Douglas Orane (right), speaks with Legecia Angus, top recipient of the NCMC’s Academic Achievement Award 2019. Occasion was the awards ceremony, held on Friday, June 28 at the Alhambra Inn, in Kingston.

JIS: Nineteen year old Manchester student, Setrice Patricia Clarke, who established a Foundation to assist youngsters’ high school placement examination preparations, is among 12 residents of the county of Middlesex receiving the 2019 Governor-General’s Achievement Award.

 

She is one of two citizens of Manchester who have been recognized, the other being Dr. Grace Kelly.

 

Ms. Clarke and her co-recipients were presented with their awards by Governor-General, His Excellency, the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, during a ceremony at the Wembley Centre of Excellence in Hayes, Clarendon, on June 27.

 

The event was held under the theme – ‘Engaging, Empowering and Inspiring Jamaicans’.

 

Through her Foundation, Ms. Clarke, who received the award in 18 to 24 age category, has been able to assist youngsters from her Sabbath School and community to prepare, initially for the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and subsequently the Primary Exit Profile (PEP), through Easter and Christmas camps.

 

Ms. Clarke, the Office of the Children’s Registry central Jamaica representative who lost her father seven years ago, initiated the Foundation with the help close associates while enrolled in sixth form at high school.

 

Among those benefiting is her brother, who successfully sat his exams and is now in high school.

 

Ms. Clarke, who is preparing to embark on tertiary studies, told JIS News that “once I am in university, the work of the Foundation will continue with the other members who are in it”.

 

The other awardees are: Dennis McKenzie, Sejae Burey and Dr. Maurice Smith J.P. from St. Ann; Christiana Plummer, Jamar Wright and Dr. Everton Thomas – St. Catherine; Christiana Blake, Roxanne Brown, and Rev. Ann-Marie Richards – Clarendon; and Ivy Veronica Gordon – St. Mary.

 

The awards were made in three age categories – 18 to 24 for academic excellence and volunteerism; 25 to 35 – academic and professional excellence, and volunteerism; and 35 and over, for achievements attained under challenging circumstances, and significant contributions to society.

 

The Governor-General, in congratulating the awardees, said he was inspired by the stories of the honourees’, “who have engaged, empowered and inspired themselves and other individuals”.

 

“They have made a difference and left lasting footprints of good works behind them,” he added.

 

CAPTION ONE: Governor General, His Excellency, the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen (left), converses with newly appointed Custos Rotulorum of Manchester, Hon. Garfield Green, during the Governor-General’s Achievement Awards ceremony for the county of Middlesex, at the Wembley Centre of Excellence in Clarendon on June 27.

 

CAPTION TWO: The Excellencies, the Governor-General, the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen (centre, seated), and Lady Allen (third right), with Custodes Rotulorum of parishes in the county of Middlesex, and the region’s recipients of the 2019 Governor-General’s Achievement Awards. Seated (from left) are the Custodes of: St. Catherine, Hon. Rev. Jeffrey McKenzie; Manchester -Hon. Garfield Green; Clarendon – Hon. William Shagoury, St Ann – Hon. Norma Walters; and St. Mary – Hon. Maxine Marsh. The awards were presented during a ceremony at the Wembley Centre of Excellence in Clarendon on June 27.

JIS: A special education unit has been established at Chetolah Park Primary School in Hannah Town, to cater to the needs of primary-age children attending that and other institutions in western Kingston who have learning and other developmental challenges.

 

The centre, which has been named the Chetolah Mel Nathan Special Education Unit, consequent on a merger initiated with the neighbouring Mel Nathan Preparatory School, results from a Ministry of Education, Youth and Information study revealing the need for such a facility in the region.

 

Its establishment was spearheaded by the Ministry, in partnership with the Digicel Foundation, which refurbished and outfitted the unit at a cost of over $13 million.

 

Key among its features are four refurbished classrooms and bathrooms; an assessment room; an access ramp for youngsters in wheelchairs; multimedia projectors; mimio tools, which transform whiteboards into interactive smartboards; books; furniture; and storage facilities.

 

The centre was formally opened on Friday (June 28) by State Minister, Hon. Alando Terrelonge; and Foundation Chair, Jean Lowrie-Chin.

 

Mr. Terrelonge said the facility’s establishment is timely, in light of the myriad symptoms characterising the profile of children with special needs.

 

These, he noted, include cognitive developmental weaknesses; physical and psychological challenges; terminal illness; and food allergies, all of which “do require special attention”.

 

The State Minister, in acknowledging the frustration that many parents and families experience consequent on these traits, urged them to be patient with and to encourage the youngsters, as “they have a right to be here”.

 

A special education unit has been established at Chetolah Park Primary School in Hannah Town, to cater to the needs of primary-age children attending that and other institutions in western Kingston who have learning and other developmental challenges.

 

The centre, which has been named the Chetolah Mel Nathan Special Education Unit, consequent on a merger initiated with the neighbouring Mel Nathan Preparatory School, results from a Ministry of Education, Youth and Information study revealing the need for such a facility in the region.

 

Its establishment was spearheaded by the Ministry, in partnership with the Digicel Foundation, which refurbished and outfitted the unit at a cost of over $13 million.

 

Key among its features are four refurbished classrooms and bathrooms; an assessment room; an access ramp for youngsters in wheelchairs; multimedia projectors; mimio tools, which transform whiteboards into interactive smartboards; books; furniture; and storage facilities.

 

The centre was formally opened on Friday (June 28) by State Minister, Hon. Alando Terrelonge; and Foundation Chair, Jean Lowrie-Chin.

 

Mr. Terrelonge said the facility’s establishment is timely, in light of the myriad symptoms characterising the profile of children with special needs.

 

These, he noted, include cognitive developmental weaknesses; physical and psychological challenges; terminal illness; and food allergies, all of which “do require special attention”.

 

The State Minister, in acknowledging the frustration that many parents and families experience consequent on these traits, urged them to be patient with and to encourage the youngsters, as “they have a right to be here”.

 

 CAPTION: Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge (left), and Digicel Foundation Chair, Jean Lowie-Chin (second left), view a commemorative plaque unveiled during Friday’s (June 28) official opening of the Chetolah Mel Nathan Special Education Unit in Kingston. The facility is situated on the compound of Chetolah Park Primary School in Hannah Town. Others sharing the occasion are the Ministry’s Region One Education Services Director, Dr. Kasan Troupe (third left); Acting Principal of Chetolah Park Primary, Mervis Blackwood (third right); former Principal, Robert Smith (second right); and students of the school.

JIS: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has lauded the sterling work of the church in assisting the Government with the delivery of quality education to the nation’s children.

 

Speaking at the graduation ceremony for Campion College at the institution in St. Andrew on June 27, Mr. Holness noted that the church has been playing this valuable role “for more than 180 years since Emancipation and the Colonial education grant”.

 

“Church-run institutions provide a higher level of governance through their Board. They ensure greater accountability of the principal and management; they are able to mobilise a resource base larger than the school itself, but most importantly, they uphold a higher standard of moral leadership and the promotion of a culture of excellence in education,” he argued.

 

The Prime Minister further noted that it is not a coincidence that, “regardless of the metric used to assess schools, church-run institutions dominate by far, the top-50 schools in Jamaica”.

 

He singled out the work of the Catholic Church in “maintaining consistently high standards” for Campion College, pointing out that in its almost 60-year history, Campion has been in the top-five performing schools and the top school for most of its history.

 

“This high level of performance can (also) be attributed to many factors, such as the achievement of the intake batches, the quality of the teachers, involvement of the parents, the past students’ association and great leadership from successive principals,” he said.

 

In the meantime, the Prime Minister advised members of the graduating class, whom he said “represent some of the best that Jamaica has to offer,” to act with urgency, and not waste time in attaining their goals.

 

“Whatever it is that you want to achieve in life, you cannot put if off until tomorrow. Take all the actions necessary to achieve your goals now, because you, at this time, may believe you have a long time to go, but time stands still for no man or woman,” Mr. Holness said.

 

He also charged them to continue to build on the teachings of the school, which places great emphasis on social justice, caring and having compassion for others.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (right), presents the Top Boy award to Deshaun Brandford during the graduation ceremony for Campion College on the school’s lawn on Thursday (June 27). Mr. Holness was guest speaker at the event.

JIS: Recipients of the 2019 Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education are being hailed for their extraordinary commitment and dedication to shaping the lives and sharpening the minds of the nation’s children over many decades.

 

This praise comes from Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who presented the 40 outstanding educators with their awards during a ceremony on the lawns of Jamaica House on Wednesday (June 26).

 

The recipients, with 1,250 years in combined contribution to Jamaica’s education system, have served from the early-childhood sector to the post-secondary level.

 

Mr. Holness noted that the awards ceremony shows appreciation “for their commitment and service and the difference that they have made and continue to make in the lives of our children and, ultimately, the future of Jamaica”.

 

“Each, no doubt, has a unique style that has allowed them to impart knowledge to their students in a manner that awakens their intellectual curiosity, stimulates their appetite for learning and fuels them to engage in nation-building across various sectors,” he said.

 

In his remarks, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, noted that educators, whether in the classroom or in administration, “have helped to shape the character of students through the values imparted and in helping them to awaken their dreams and aspirations”.

 

“Your work and sacrifices have enabled many students, who might have otherwise given up on themselves, to catch a vision of what they could achieve and to apply themselves to accomplishing these goals,” he said.

 

Permanent Secretary in the Education Ministry, Dr. Grace McLean, noted the value of the annual awards scheme in giving proper recognition and acknowledgement to a group of persons who “have devoted their lives and time in service to our country”.

 

“It is a selfless and often thankless task, without which this country would neither improve nor prosper… . It is [through education]… that we are able to have direct contact with our children, that we are able to mold them and train them to create a population and a workforce that is conscious, hard-working, honest and full of integrity,” she said.

 

The Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education is awarded to teachers with a minimum of 15 years’ service to education in Jamaica, whose contributions are deemed outstanding.

 

To be considered for the award, recipients must have shown evidence of community involvement, including participation in civic and club activities.

 

CAPTION ONE: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (left), presents an award to Retired Principal of the Black River High School in St. Elizabeth, Barrington Buchanan. Occasion was the 2019 Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education held on the lawns of Jamaica House on Wednesday (June 26).

 

CAPTION TWO: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (third right, front row), with the 40 recipients of the 2019 Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education, following the presentation ceremony on the lawns of Jamaica House on Wednesday (June 26). Also pictured (in front row, from second left) are Permanent Secretary in the Education Ministry, Dr. Grace McLean; State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando Terrelonge; and Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda; Their Excellencies the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, and Lady Allen; Rev. Ronald Thwaites representing Leader of the Opposition, Dr. Peter Phillips; and award recipient and Retired Principal of the Black River High School in St. Elizabeth, Barrington Buchanan.

JIS: The Government is maintaining its position that the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) is a viable alternative to the previous high-school-placement examination.

 

Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, in touting PEP, said it is part of the creation of “a new type of Jamaica where persons apply critical thinking, and the process of investigation and discovery is used in the solution to problems”.

 

The PEP has replaced the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), and has been used to place students in high schools for the 2019/20 academic year.

 

“Life chances are no longer being determined by grades achieved in two days of examination to determine your fate,” Mr. Holness said while addressing the presentation ceremony for the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education, at Jamaica House on Wednesday (June 26).

 

He said that the goals of PEP are especially important “amid the rapid societal changes” where the Government’s approaches, programmes and areas of emphasis must keep pace to be relevant to contemporary society and to the future.

 

“This involves creating an encouraging and nurturing environment which allows for creativity and for the enquiring and curious mind to explore new ways of doing familiar things. It involves transforming persons from being consumers of technology to being creators of technology. It requires innovation and out-of-the-box solution-oriented thinking,” Mr. Holness said.

 

In this regard, the Prime Minister assured that the Administration is continuing to re-engineer the education system, “so that every single child gets access to the best educational opportunities to fulfil their potential and ensure that Jamaica can grow and be a prosperous country”.

 

“I am happy that more students than ever have access to better equipped and better resourced classrooms. I am confident that with our increased focus on early childhood and helping institutions to raise their standards of operations, we are laying a stronger foundation for future generations to excel,” he said.

 

For his part, Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Karl Samuda, said that while the vast majority of teachers are supportive of PEP, he is aware that concerns remain, and assured that the Ministry is doing everything to address these matters.

 

“We are confident that PEP is building a framework that will enable students to think critically, strengthen their ability to reason, build their comprehension and develop their problem-solving skills,” he said.

 

Mr. Samuda added that teachers have played a critical role in the successful roll-out of PEP.

 

The PEP examination is intended to provide a better and more complete profile of students’ academic and critical-thinking capabilities at the end of primary-level education.

 

The first cohort of grade-six students sat the PEP exam this year. They were tested in three stages with a Performance Task Test on March 27 and 28, an Ability Test on February 26 and a Curriculum Based Test on April 16 and 17.

 

CAPTION: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, addresses attendees at the presentation ceremony for the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education, at Jamaica House, on Wednesday (June 26).

JIS: Senior Director in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Gillian Wilkinson-McDaniel, is pointing to the need for greater inclusion of youth and technology in the development of the creative and cultural industries.

 

“I want to challenge us to involve youth more when we are thinking about culture. Our children are creating apps and entertainment platforms, and this should be included in our normal operations and used to change cities,” she said, while addressing the Eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, on Wednesday (June 19).

 

Mrs. Wilkinson-McDaniel noted that the creative industries are the outgrowth of the country’s rich and diverse heritage, and technology has increased the ways in which the culture is shared.

 

She noted, for example, that video games have become a popular way for young people in the diaspora to learn about the Jamaican culture.

 

“As technology disrupts everything we do, including our business practices, our interactions and even politics, we see that there will be a greater need for its inclusion in sports, music, the arts and culture,” she pointed out.

 

“As purveyors of culture, we now need to translate [cultural] information in a way that our children, grandchildren and generations to come will begin to understand what the Jamaican culture is about,” she added, noting that this will also help to bridge the gap between Jamaica and the rest of the world.

 

Meanwhile, Youth Leader, Diaspora Advisory Board, Tanesha Westcarr, noted that young people in the diaspora are making an impact in the arts and sports and want to contribute to national development.

 

“If we are to engage them, we have to create pathways so that they stay interested in areas that they are passionate about,” she said.

 

Ms. Westcarr commended the cultural bodies that have included the youth in their discussions and said she is looking forward to the Government endorsing the Jamaica Diaspora Youth Council framework.

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is expected to approve a proposal for establishment of the Council, which is aimed at promoting cultural connectivity, business and entrepreneurship among Jamaican youth.

 

It is expected to generate greater inclusion of youth in the development of creative and cultural industries.

 

CAPTION: Senior Director within the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Gillian Wilkinson-McDaniel, speaking during the Eighth Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference on June 19, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.