THE Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club on Sunday honoured five outstanding Grade Six assessment students and nine head teachers from the Lower Corentyne area as part of its 20th anniversary celebration. The students and head teachers were honoured under the Club’s first ever Zara Apartment Berbice Educational Awards Scheme and the Annual Tribute to Head Teachers Programme which is sponsored by George Subraj of Zara Apartment based in the United States and Ms Indra Jagnarine of Tota’s Bakery & Restaurant of Brooklyn, New York.
The Club honoured the four top Berbice students of the 2010 Grade Six Assessment students – Kessa Kendall, Victoria Harry, Alisa Chaturi and Simon Bactowar, along with Kerissa Lashley the top student from Rose Hall Town.
Ms Karen Bowling, the teacher who tutored Kessa Kendall, was honoured as the Zara Apartment Teacher of the Year. The head teachers honoured were Michelle Bagot – Ankerville Nursery, Sandra Whyte – Rose Hall Town Nursery, Rosaline Butcher – Port Mourant Primary, Vijay Bhyro – Rose Hall Primary, Jonita Henry – Belvedere Primary, Felton Fraser – Lower Corentyne Secondary School, Nirmala Hussain – Corentyne Comprehensive High School, Colin Bynoe – Port Mourant Junior High School, and Barbara Hamilton – J.C Chandisingh Secondary School.
Secretary/CEO of the club, Hilbert Foster, disclosed that the programme was held under the club’s Annual Pro-education Campaign which seeks to get youths to stay in school and obtain a good education. Foster congratulated the top Grade Six students on their achievements and described them as positive role models to all youths in Berbice.
The students were urged to continue to strive for excellence, while, at the same time, assist others to excel. Foster challenged the awardees to always say no to drugs, pre-marital sex, crime and the evil ways of Satan.
The long serving youths and sports administrator also congratulated the nine head teachers on the excellent work they were doing in the Lower Corentyne area, and for the part they played in guiding youths on to the correct path. Noting that head teachers were usually in the background at awards ceremonies, Foster stated that the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, along with Zara Apartments and Tota Bakery & Restaurant, were pleased to honour the head teachers, and he urged them to uphold the high tradition they have set themselves.
Guest Speaker, Educator Ms Bynoe, wife of GTU President Colin Bynoe, spoke on the importance of education and challenged the students to set high personal goals and then work hard to achieve them. Secondary school, the awardees were told, was totally different from Primary school, and as such they would have to be mentally strong to overcome challenges that may arise.
She praised the administrators who were honoured as role models to others in the education system and urged them to continue giving of their best. According to the experienced educator – discipline, vision, a positive attitude, ability to listen to others and a pleasant personality go into making a successful head teacher, and she called on the awardees to strive to be the best in their field.
Headmistress of the Corentyne Comprehensive Secondary, Nirmala Hussain, speaking on behalf of the awardees, stated that it was an honour to be recognised for work given out of love for the teaching profession. She expressed gratitude to the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club and the two sponsors for making the head teachers and the students feel very special, and pledged that together the awardees would uphold the very high standard they have set for themselves. Top students Kessa Kendall and her teacher Karen Bowling each received a trophy, and, together with the other students, carried home a large collection of gifts and educational materials. Each head teacher received several special gifts and Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club 20th Anniversary souvenirs. The gifts for both programmes cost $150,000.