Seamless Start to New School Year in St. Elizabeth

There was a seamless start to the new 2023/2024 school year in St. Elizabeth on September 4 as students streamed into their classrooms.

Schoolyards were filled with students donning the proper attire for their respective institutions and etched on their faces were enthusiasm and hope for the year ahead.

This was particularly true at Middle Quarters Primary School where, during the morning’s devotional exercise, students were inspired to aim for academic excellence and to embrace the mantra of HOPE, which stands for Having Only Positive Energy.

“HOPE, this will drive us for the year,” said Acting Principal of Middle Quarters Primary School, Pauvine Watson-Barrett.

She told JIS News that the “powerful” mantra is setting the stage for a year filled with optimism and achievement for students.

“Here at Middle Quarters Primary, we are in a building stage. We are here to let our parents and our students know that we are here for them, to energise and propel them for a prosperous year,” Mrs. Watson-Barrett said.

“We had the [men’s arm of the [Middle Quarters New Testament Church of God’s Life Builders Ministry who came in and conducted a devotion. So, it has been a good day and a productive day so far,” she added.

Jesina Salmon, a parent residing in Whitehall District, expressed her commitment to her daughter’s education.

The mother shared that she takes her daughter, who is now in grade four, to school at the start of each school year, so as to ensure that the student settles into her new class with her new teacher.

“It is very good for her to be back here for school and even for me to be back here to see the teachers, the workers and the other students,” Ms. Salmon said.

Over at Holland Primary School, the students were similarly eager to embark on a fresh chapter of their educational journey.

Grade-five student, Sashyana Dockery, was ready to return to school on the first day of the new academic year.

She expressed her determination to achieve excellent grades by dedicating herself to her studies, as similar to grade four, she will be doing another segment of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) this academic year.

“I am expecting good grades this year. I will be doing that by focusing on my book work,” she said.

Her brother, Shamigata Dockery, is in grade two and just like his sister, shared his feelings about being back at school.

“I feel good at school, and I’m happy to see my teacher and friends,” he told JIS News.

Shamigata said he is determined to work hard on “my schoolwork” because he wants to make his “daddy proud”.

Holland Primary School’s Acting Principal, Dorothy Evans-Wright, indicated that the majority of the school’s 250 students turned up on the first day with no “hiccups”.

“We had preplanning, and the children already knew their classes. So, this morning, all we had to do was to direct them to the different new classes, with new teachers. I expect tomorrow to be an even better day,” she said.