Reward Programmes at Mount Olivet Boys’ Home

The Mount Olivet Boys’ Home in Manchester has implemented some creative reward programmes to encourage high achievement at the institution.

In an interview with JIS News, Operations Officer at the facility, Yashi Williams, spoke about the rewards programmes that he believes “garnered much results” and is partly responsible for the accomplishments.

“If residents complete their homework, we make ‘Sky Juice’ and we give them that with cake. We’ve had residents create homework… to ensure that they can take part in this venture,” he said.

Although the reward may seem small, Mr. Williams noted that they have seen major improvements as a result of it.

“We’ve seen residents coming from an average of 30 per cent in Maths to 100 per cent. We have three residents at a particular high school on the overachievers board with averages of 100 per cent, 86 per cent and 87 per cent in Maths,” he disclosed.

“We are also seeing [where] one resident, he had an average last term of 33 per cent and he’s now at 76.7 per cent,” Mr. Williams continued.

In addition to the homework reward programme, the Home has undertaken to encourage and reward outstanding academic performances with a quarterly excursion.

“The residents who achieved more than 75 per cent on their average for the previous term, the plan is to take them on an excursion. We’re going to Green Grotto Caves. We’ll be going down to Scotchies and we’ll just be touring that section of St. Ann,” Mr. Williams noted.

He said that the aim of each excursion is not solely to treat the outstanding performers “but it is also educational” and will send a message to the remaining residents that “you can be a part of this next term”.

Mr. Williams pointed out that the Home takes time to “focus on the needs of each child”.

“If we have one that is struggling with reading, we have various programmes. We put them in the [computer] lab [on] YouTube and we find different programmes that assist with remedial reading, [ as well as] Maths [or] any subject at all,” he said.

Mr. Williams said the Home is now working through the United Church in Jamaica and The Cayman Islands to acquire Special Education Teachers in Reading, Maths and other subjects to help residents who are struggling and to continue to boost learning at the Home.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) hosted a Back-to-School Treat at the facility on Saturday [August 17].

The team presented some 28 residents with back-to-school items and engaged them in a career talk session, which is an annual activity for the agency.

The session explored careers in the automotive, music, medical, education and legal fields.

They were guided on the best personality types that could match those areas and the subjects needed at the high-school level to advance their studies in the different professions.

During the visit, it was revealed that all the residents were successful in moving to the next grade level, with two residents matriculating.

The treat ended with each resident receiving school bags, school shoes, socks, books and other stationeries, courtesy of sponsors such as Dr. Sue and You Foundation and Sammy’s Shoes Ja.

There were also donations raised from partnerships with Massy Distribution Ltd, Tastee Limited, Mega Mart, Fontana Pharmacy, Carlisa Enterprises, Wisynco, CHILLIN’ Restaurant and Bar, Pizza Please, Trade Winds Citrus and Azan’s Supercentre.