| Eighty-four students, holding aloft star emblems, paraded into the Rodney MacArthur Rey Auditorium, for the 5th Annual Primary School National Awards Ceremony, to the applause of a large and appreciative audience. |
The event, on Thursday, November 17, under the theme “Stretching Towards The Stars”, showed a substantial increase of 22 awardees over the 62 in the previous year. The students were awarded for outstanding performance in Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Music and Sports – were awarded for their performance in the Test of Standards.
The Anguilla Electricity Company (ANGLEC), the overall sponsor, came in for much praise for its continued commitment. The company, whose General Manager is Thomas Hodge, was described as “a good corporate citizen, as well as a friend of education and youth.” This was demonstrated “through its increased sponsorship as the numbers of awardees grew from year to year.”
In addition to its sponsorship, ANGLEC gave its Achievement Award to the top four students overall from Grades 3, 5 and 6. The recipients were Grade 3: Micah Connor, Adrian T. Hazell Primary School; Grade 5: Pierson Bogar, Teacher Gloria Omolulu Institute; Grade 6: Kyiv Edwards, Central Christian School; and Tsani Rogers, Orealia Kelly Primary School.
Three other students received the Patricia J. Adams Literary Award, now in its third year. The presentation was made to one student from Grades 3, 5 and 6 who excelled in Composition Writing. The recipients were: Grade 3: Ciara Banks, Central Christian School; Grade 5: Staniqua Crawford, Adrian T. Hazell Primary School; and Grade 6: Koyeisha Richardson, Central Christian School.
Chief Education Officer, Mrs. Rhonda Connor, said the Annual Primary School Award Ceremony was one of her most favourite events on the Anguilla academic calendar. “I offer hearty congratulations to all of our students fore their scholarly achievements,” she stated. “To the proud parents and guardians, who have guided and supported them along the way, I say job well done. The foundation has been laid. The future looks bright and filled with possibilities. With our support, these children will continue to do well. They will progress to secondary school, go on to several universities and colleges all over the world and, with a sense of pride, will return home to that foundation…” Mrs. Connor was grateful to the teachers who taught and nurtured them.
Permanent Secretary, Education, Mrs. Chanelle Petty-Barrett, described education as a partnership between the home, the education system and the community. “The fact that these students are being recognised, is an indication that the partnership has worked,” she went on. “These students have excelled because they developed the habit of reaching higher and consistently striving to do better. They excelled because their parents developed the habit of encouraging and sometimes pushing them to do better. The teachers developed the habit of continuing to improve their own practice, inspiring a love for learning and properly preparing students to reach their full potential…They also excelled because the community has increasingly solidified its position as a partner in education.”
Mrs. Petty-Barrett congratulated the students for their remarkable achievements and all those whose habits of striving to do better contributed to the students attaining excellence. “In particular, I commend the Department of Education for its commitment to recognising excellence,” she continued. “I firmly believe that this ceremony has served to inspire many students, parents and teachers, to strive for excellence. It is my hope that in time to come the bar will be raised even higher so that expectations and standards will also be raised.
“I cannot end without thanking our corporate sponsor, the Anguilla Electricity Company Limited. ANGLEC has been an extraordinary corporate citizen and a welcome partner in education. We greatly appreciate the contribution you have made, ensuring that this ceremony is a reality. I assure you that your contribution has not gone unnoticed.” ANGLEC’s Corporate Officer, Jeri Richardson, said the company was proud to sponsor the award ceremony as it realised the importance of investing in the lives of the island’s young people who are the future of Anguilla. She told the parents and teachers that they ought to have pride in the students whom she congratulated for their hard work and for “Stretching Towards the Stars”. |
