Effortville Primary Wins Regional Clean Schools Competition

Effortville Primary School in May Pen snagged the top prize at the National Solid Waste Management Authority’s (NWSMA) Clean Schools Awards competition regional finals held on Wednesday (June 3) at the St. Mark’s Anglican Church Hall in Mandeville, Manchester.
The school, which was named the parish winner for Clarendon, also captured the top place in the ‘best waste to art category’ of the competition.
A total of 14 schools from the parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth competed in the contest, which was sponsored by Southern Parks and Markets Waste Management Limited and Teenage Observer.
Executive Director of the NSWMA, Joan Gordon-Webley, speaking at the awards ceremony, congratulated the students and their teachers for the high level of creativity and energy displayed in the presentations.
“The message was clear in the presentations and the energy and creativity displayed made it difficult to select a winner,” she said.
She urged the students to keep their communities clean by properly disposing of their garbage.
Other regional winners included: Manchester High School in the poster category; Ritchies Primary from Clarendon, which received the cleanest school award; and Goshen All-age School in St. Elizabeth for best cultural presentation.
John Austin All-age in Clarendon, Kendal All-age in Manchester, and Leeds Primary in St. Elizabeth, were named the most improved schools, while Burnt Savannah Primary in Elizabeth, and Huntley All-age in Manchester, were the other parish winners.
The annual Clean School Awards competition, forms part of the NSWMA’s broader public education programme and is aimed at improving and encouraging better waste management practices among the youth.
Competing schools are expected to ensure that the school plant is pristine, identify environmental ambassadors, produce and perform a cultural item about waste management, and prepare and present a waste-to-art project.
The national finals is slated for today (June 5) at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston, where all the regional winners will compete for top prizes and awards.