On the morning of Wednesday, 22nd June, the ballroom of the Royale Caribbean Hotel was the venue for the graduation ceremony of the Class of 2022 of The Valley Primary School, the “Home of the Golden Horses”. It was the second in a series of primary school gradations scheduled to take place throughout the course of this week and next week.
The Valley Primary prided itself in celebrating the academic achievements of forty-nine graduands – 23 girls and 26 boys. With their theme “We’ll Rise Until We Touch the Sky”, the graduating class marched into the well decorated room to Belle Mariano’s song, “I am on the Rise”.
Two of the graduands led their peers in the singing of the National Song – and a fervent prayer was offered by Pastor David Christmas.
The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Joshua Gumbs, Graduate Music Teacher. He used the opportunity to make an appeal to parents to seek to reinstate the moral values and ethical principles that our society was founded upon:
“Just like you graduands, I too was a child,” he reflected. “I grew up in a family where values were taught and imbedded in me as a child. I grew up in a home that feared God more than man. Today, however, for many parents, while you play and stray and go out on your independent way your children are left wanton.”
“We are living in an Anguilla that is crying for help,” he said, “and that cry is not silent anymore. We have people in our society with the blood of souls on their hands. We have girls birthing girls, and boys mentoring boys on how to be men – the wrong way. As a Caribbean people, we once prided ourselves as a unified body, but it appears like we have now adopted the New Age way of living and lost our sense of accountability.
“Today, as children grow up, many parents seem to lose what their first intention as parents was, which was to train and nurture our children. But parents have the responsibility for not only bringing these children into the world, but being responsible for them as they walk through life.”
The customary certificates were presented to each graduand, and there was a wide array of awards presented to student who performed exceptionally well. These awards included the Delta Petroleum Award, the Honourable Shellya Rogers-Webster Award, the Gloria Kelsick/Family Award, the Liberty Credit Union Award, the Carty’s Family Award, the NBA Sports and Social Club Award, the Rochelle Reed/Family Award, the Persistence Award and the Hello Tourist Project Award.
Teacher Jeneva Hughes introduced the Valedictorian, Alissa Hodge. Alissa is an astute academic and an avid sport enthusiast, who was not shy to speak positively of her own accomplishments. She was quite vocal about rising and conquering the world. By comparison, she made reference to her sister, Alanis, who had attained the status of Valedictorian in 2020.
Alissa alluded to Joel Olstein who said: “Make up your mind, that no matter what comes your way, no matter how difficult, no matter how unfair, you will do more than simply survive. You will thrive…
“I am sure that all of us graduands are grateful and relieved to have reached this milestone. Two years ago, my sister Alanis, stood before the Class of 2020 as Valedictorian. And she advised them to keep their eyes on their goals. Today, I, the more outspoken sister, stand before the Class of 2022 to encourage us, as Olstein did, that if we make up our minds to reach any goal, we will thrive.
“Certainly we have had our share of happy times and fond memories at The Valley Primary School…In Grade Five, when I represented The VPS Golden Horses, in the Primary Schools Bicycle Race, I did not just win, but I was able to set a new primary school cycling record…Then there was a competition to determine who would get the highest test scores. I was able to win not one, not two, not three, but four medals representing VPS at the National Level.
“So, how do we thrive in spite of our difficulties and unfair challenges? The answer is that we must be mentally strong. Over the past seven years of primary school, we have learnt how to be mentally strong – how to embrace change and welcome challenges; how to be unafraid to speak up; and how to celebrate other’s successes.
“Many of us have been developing these three characteristics over the last seven years. These practices have put us in a good position to thrive and not just survive. Our theme says: ‘We Will Rise Until we Touch the Sky’. But I say further, we will rise until we conquer the world.”
“Finally, there is today,” she said. “It is the best day to have this wonderful ceremony. I thank everyone who planned and prepared this to make it such a lovely event for us.”
All the graduands sang the song “I Rise”, directed by Music Teacher Shermel Archibald.
The Class of 2022’s Salutatorian was Tsehai Carty who did a great job of delivering The Vote of Thanks in her own unique style.
