Wednesday 18th February, 2015, The Valley, Anguilla. At a presentation ceremony held at the Teacher’s Resource Centre members of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten Mid-Isle and Rotary Club of Anguilla presented two projectors to the Principals of the Valley Primary School and Morris Vanterpool Primary School respectively.
In attendance at the ceremony was the Permanent Secretary for Education, Mrs. Chanelle Petty Barrett, Education Officer (Primary Schools), Ms. Susan Smith, Principal of the Morris Vanterpool Primary School, Mr. Michael Skellekie, Principal of the Valley Primary School, Mrs. Jasmine Hodge-Thomas, Spelling Bee student participants, President of the Rotary Club of St. Maarten – Mid Isle, Wayne Wilkie, President of the Rotary Club of Anguilla, Seymour Hodge and Rotarians from the St. Maarten and Anguilla Clubs.
Mrs. Chanelle Petty Barrett brought greetings on behalf of Minister of Education, Mr. Jerome Roberts and thanked the Rotary Clubs for the kind donation of the projectors and for their continued collaboration with the Department of Education. Mr. Michael Skellekie, thanked the Rotary Clubs for facilitating and organizing the Spelling Bee competition which was held in St. Maarten in October 2014. He welcomed a forum in which Anguillan students can participate in a regional competition. He further expressed his appreciation for the projector which will enhance the educational experience for the students. Mrs. Jasmine Hodge-Thomas, also echoed similar sentiments in thanking the Rotary Club for the donation.
The Rotary Club of Saint Maarten has organized an annual Spelling Bee competition for the last four years, but this year opened the competition to students from neighbouring Anguilla. Through the kind sponsorship of Scotiabank Anguilla, three students represented Anguilla; Frankajha Fleming from the Valley Primary School, Louise Guinto and Omar Hodge from the Morris Vanterpool Primary School with Louise Guinto taking second place in the competition. Plans are already in place for the next Spelling Bee with a hope to widen it to other countries within the Rotary District 7020.
The idea for the donation arose following the Spelling Bee competition when the Rotary Club of St. Maarten – Mid Isle requested a wish list from the participating schools.
Next month, the Rotary Club of Anguilla will be partnering with the Ministry responsible for Education and Sport to facilitate workshops and seminars under the Rotary Vocational Training programme, where a team of visiting Rotarians from Canada will share their expertise and skills in the areas of sports, fitness and nutrition with teachers and students in the Primary and Secondary schools as well as administrators in community sporting organizations throughout the Island.
– Press Release
