The Primary School Guidance Counsellors of the Department of Education, once again organized a full day’s Transition Day activity for the 200 plus students on Friday 22nd, May. The students are preparing for their entrance into the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School in September, 2015. The objectives of the program are to assist students in overcoming some of the anxieties that they might be experiencing as they are about to leave the safe confines of the primary school and enter into the unknown world of high school. The second objective is to raise the students’ awareness of the expectations of them at the A.L.H.C.S. Promoting the development of new bonds amongst the students is the final objective.
The agenda for the day included morning devotions (which were led by teacher John Martin), motivational speeches and interactive sessions. The motivational speakers were Mr Rodwell Grant, a senior care juvenile worker at Zenaida Haven who spoke on four key areas, Responsibility, Respect, Self Esteem and Drugs. Mr Ivon Connor was the final presenter who emphasized the importance of knowing yourself and not allowing others to change who you. Mrs Sarah Buffonge Francis, who will be the Year Head for this batch of students, took time out to highlight the differences between school life at primary school and that of high school. The interactive sessions saw the group of boys being split into two groups where they were addressed by Dr Sammy Daniels on “Peer Pressure” and Mr David Christmas on “Becoming a Young Gentleman”. Likewise the girls heard from Mrs Vanessa Connor and Ms Sherise Brooks who spoke on the same topics as the men, respectively. In addition to these sessions the students were given the opportunity to socialize and meet new friends through the use of ice breaker activities.
The Guidance Counsellors wish to take this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thank you to the following individuals and businesses for their valuable contributions without which the day’s event would not have been possible: Miss Mirabell West, Viceroy Anguilla, Best Buy Supermarket, Corner Bar Pizza and Mr Gareth Brown. They also wish to thank their colleagues in the M.P.S.S. Division of the Department of Education for the role that they played in ensuring the day’s event ran smoothly.
The Transition Day activity was started some six years ago and has become a valuable day on the Department of Education’s agenda in ensuring that the students who are entering high school are adequately prepared for the transition. The Guidance Counsellors have already embarked on the journey to host three transition day activities throughout the year, thus allowing the students more time to foster relationships with their peers. It is the counsellors’ way of trying to make a difference in trying to curtail some of the rivalry that we are seeing far too often in our schools.
Contributed by the Guidance School Counsellors Mrs Vivienne Fleming, Mrs Chanicia Buchanan and Mrs Janelle Connor.
