Runaway Anguilla, a community group engaged in charitable work, and Mr Alexander Fedee’ a Caribbean national and donor residing on the island, have partnered in providing some well-needed technological equipment for Campus B of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony on Friday, September 6, Mrs Jacqueline Connor, Education Officer, Multi-Professional Services, said the Education Department had undertaken to seek the assistance of community partners and other stakeholders towards the success of students.
“The Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School is our only High School and therefore has been designed to serve the entire secondary age population,” she stated. “We have different departments within the school and each department strives to provide an appropriate educational programme for its students. Hence, the Special Education Department is no exception. However, by the very nature of this department,learning should be differentiated and aligned to each student’s needs. This can only be done with resources that allow teachers to present the subject matter in various modes…
“A few months ago, the department engaged community partners, such as Runaway Anguilla and Mr Fedee’, to assist in the upgrading of teaching and learning resources for the Special Education Department. This positive response resulted in Runaway Anguilla donating a laptop and a projector – and Mr Fedee’ donating a desktop computer.”
Mrs Katherine Webster-Browne, Head of the Special Education Department, described the donated equipment as being part of the most promising tools to accelerate learning among her students. She explained that the equipment would be used primarily for teaching the students Maths and English.
“Each of these tools is a part of the bridge, to the future, that every teacher builds in partnership with each student, his or her parents and the community,” she continued. “I know our exceptional students and committed teachers will use these timely resources wisely towards building that bridge as well.”
Responding, Ms Claire Hage, spoke on behalf of Runaway Anguilla which is supported in its charity work by a number of sponsors and other personsin the community. “It is made up of a group of dedicated ladies who share a common spirit,” she told her listeners. “We have all come to realise the need to support the parents, teachers and educational administrators of the children of Anguilla.
“It has become increasingly difficult for parents to purchase all necessary school books, other supplies and uniforms to be fully-equipped for school. It is then difficult for teachers to work with the students who don’t have these required materials. Runaway Anguilla’s fund-raising events are for the immediate needs of educational support for the youth and medical support for the elderly. We are still accepting requests from families who need assistance in purchasingschool books, supplies, uniforms, shoes and anything else their children require.”
Ms Hage was grateful to CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa, LIME Anguilla and a number of smaller businesses for sponsoring the organisation’s fund-raising events.
Meanwhile, Mr Fedee’, a St Lucian roof-contractor, commented that his continued donations to needy cases were an expression of his thanks for being allowed to reside and work in Anguilla. He previously worked at Viceroy and later with the Workshop Initiative for Support in Education (WISE).
