Last Friday morning, April 13th, the Adrian T. Hazel Primary School staged a special event to present a collection of several gifts to selected classes. The presentations formed part of a school initiative, known as “Degrees of Participation”, which involves parental participation in their children’s school-related events.
The classes winning prizes were assessed on the level of parental participation which they would have demonstrated over a period of two terms. Eight prizes were awarded, with the 1st prize going to the class with the highest degree of parental participation and the 8th prize being presented to the class with the least parental involvement.
The Principal, Tr. Tracelyn Hamilton, explained the extent of importance which her school places on parental involvement: “One of the prime activities focused on improving the collection of report cards. This, we thought, would equate to great gains for our children. Teachers work hard to teach, test and make report cards to share with parents. We felt sharing report cards is a key opportunity for teachers and parents to dialogue. Hence, we encourage all parents to take some time and come to the school to collect their children’s report cards.
“In addition, PTA meetings are held to provide opportunities for parents, teachers and students to ensure that the most suitable learning environment is achieved for all learners. Also, Parents’ Evenings are geared at engaging parents in areas of the curriculum that would build home/school understandings. Besides, we organize Parents’ Conferences to give parents one-on-one opportunities with their children’s teachers on matters that relate directly with their children. These are essential areas in which all parents should be involved.”
The prizes themselves, which included such items as laptops, projectors, speakers, etc., were all donated to the classes by benevolent individuals who take great interest in the work of the ATHPS. In this regard, the Principal stated:
“The first ray of light for this occasion came when I received an email on December 11th, 20017. It came from Mr. Andrew Goldberg, a past visitor to the island, who wanted to adopt a classroom. I quickly took the opportunity to share with him our “Degrees of Participation” initiative. He, in turn, expressed his intention to provide sponsorship for two classrooms. Without delay, he worked on securing the gifts. He suggested that we source the items from local businesses, and was kind enough to provide sponsorship for 2 Dell laptops; 4 EPSON projectors and 6 sets of Logitech speakers.
“Then, on March 28th, two ladies entered my office and said that they were sent on a mission with a donation for the benefit of our children. I explained to them our “Degrees of Participation” program and shared that we were trying to provide all teachers with needed resources for their classrooms. They readily decided to be part of this initiative and agreed to provide a projector and a set of speakers on behalf of the Hehereirs of Nantucket.”
Mrs. Hamilton said that Mrs. Anne Parles of Straw Hat Restaurant also secured a projector from her friends, and this was donated as a gift to the Special Needs Unit of the school. In addition, an Ipad was donated by Mrs. Linda Boland who has been a friend of Anguilla for many years.
On behalf of the faculty and students of the ATHPS, Mrs. Hamilton wishes to express thanks to Mr. Goldberg, the Hehereirs of Nantucket, Anne Parles and Linda Boland for their kind contributions to the school’s “Degrees of Participation” program.
