Strains of Christmas music filled the Rodney MacArthur Rey Auditorium as Government Officials, Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School (ALHCS) personnel, parents, students, and community members assembled for the Annual Speech Night which highlighted the school’s report of the previous academic year 2015-2016.
Principal Joyce Webster Stuart presented her first Speech Night Report. In her opening remarks, Mrs. Stuart expressed feelings of joy and pride in presenting the school’s report. She said: “It is with great pride and heartfelt joy and gratitude that I stand before you this evening to present what I call my first ‘State of the School Address’ for Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School 2015-2016 academic year.”
She indicated that the school’s programme of study continued to prepare students for certification through the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examination board. Students from Year 2 through Year 6 participated in examinations such as Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), as well as American Hotel and Lodging Management Institute and Local Examinations. She presented some of the highlights from the 2015-2016 student performance data for those examinations.
In 2015-2016, there were 976 sittings of the CCSLC examinations. Thirty-two (32%) achieved Mastery compared with thirty-four (34%) for the three previous years a
nd thirty-two (32%) in 2012. Seventy-nine percent (79%) overall were deemed to be competent. Student performance on the CSEC examinations showed that eighty percent (80%) of the subject entries presented for General Proficiency achieved Grades I to III. This was slightly up on the seventy-six percent (76 %) in 2015 and on the seventy-eight (78%) for the previous three years. The last time 80% passes were attained was in 2010. Forty-nine (49) students passed 5 or more subjects including Mathematics and English compared with sixty (60) in 2015. One hundred or fifty-nine percent (59%) achieved passes in four or more subjects compared with forty-six (46%) in 2015, fifty-nine (59%) in 2014, sixty-three (63%) in 2013 and fifty-seven (57%) in 2012. Eighty-four percent (84%) of the subject entries presented achieved grades I-V in the CAPE examinations. Over the past five years the comparative figures were 80% in 2015, 85 % in 2014, 80% in 2013, 82% in 2012 and 84% in 2011. Thirty-seven percent (37%) achieved grades I-III compared to 20% in 2015, 36% in both 2013 and 2014, 42% in 2012, 39% in 2011 and 31 % in 2010. The groupings of subjects for CAPE Associate Degrees also changed in 2015-2016. Fifty (50) students qualified for CAPE Associate Degrees.
Mrs. Stuart commented on the overall favourable academic performance of students at the ALHCS for the 2015-2016 year in comparison to the performance of students of other countries taking CXC exams. She said that, “although the number of students in our school is a 
very small percentage of the overall candidate population taking CXC exams, some of our students ranked very high among students in the other countries. Some of our students were among the top performing candidates at the regional level.” At CAPE Level: Jesel Hodge ranked 5th in Law Unit 1; Arielle Gaskin ranked 5th in Law Unit 2; and Artiya Bruno ranked 5th in Tourism Unit 2. At the CSEC Level: Azariah Carty ranked 1st in Music and Shaèquan Hanley ranked 6th in Music.
The Speech Night address included a Pastoral Report which sought the help of parents in addressing some of the disciplinary and behavioural challenges presented by students on the campuses and neighbouring sports field. These included issues of students engaging in self-harming practices like “cutting” or “scratching” and use of marijuana as coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and challenges or in some instances, just casual experimentation. Other student behavioural challenges for school staff included student indiscipline, student disrespect for persons in authority, student use of profane language, defacing of school property, inappropriate use and destruction of school property, as well as student class attendance and punctuality.
The school’s report also included highlights and initiatives within the various departments and clubs at the ALHCS. Some of the departments and centres highlighted in this review year were: Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, Counselling & Pastoral, Music, W.I.S.E., PRU, Business, English, SEN, and Hospitality. Some of the clubs and extra-curricular 
activities highlighted were: Inter-House Competitions (Yellow House emerged as House of the Year), New Young Progressive Debaters (NYPD), Travel 360, Literary and Debating Club, and Cadet Corps. The report also referenced training and professional development programs and activities that teachers and staff were exposed to and participated in during the academic year in review.
Principal Stuart thanked Mrs. Rhonda Connor, Chief Education Officer for partnering with the Eastern Caribbean Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to sponsor the Effective Schools Framework initiative at the end of the 2015-2016 school year with plans for implementation at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Mrs. Stuart, principal of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, ended the public address with an acknowledgement of support to those persons (parents, business persons, community members, persons who keep us ever lifted up in prayer) who are committed partners in the education of our youth and your children. “I thank you sincerely, and on behalf of the Senior Management Team and our teachers I seek your continued support and input as we move forward, not just for the remainder of this school year, but for the duration of the existence of the ALHCS,” she said. Mrs. Stuart also left 
her teachers and students with a few words, “I want to publicly acknowledge the dedication of teachers and staff of the ALHCS to your teaching field. A special word of encouragement to those of you who are here just to do the job of teaching…do it well and in time you will come to love everythin g about it; and the greatest thank you to those of you who are driven to love, nurture, mold, and educate youth for greatness beyond ‘subjects’, you already love it.
“And to the students of Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, my prayer is that each of you will commit to being respectful and courteous to yourselves and others, choosing to do what is right so that you can benefit bountifully from your secondary school experience”.
Year Teams assisted by Mrs. Stacey Hodge presented two hundred fifty (250) students from Year 1 through Year 6 with book voucher awards worth $100.00 each. Awards were distributed under different categories: Outstanding Academic Performance (188 awards); Outstanding Athletic Performance (26 awards); Music Awards (27 awards); 2016 Leeward Islands Debating Competition (6 awards); Environmental Club (3 awards). The awards can be redeemed for school books at the local book stores. Sincerest thanks is extended to those businesses who have partnered with the ALHCS in rewarding its students for their great achievement and affirming their efforts to maintain the highest levels of student performance.
Mr. Vanburn Brooks, Chairperson for the Speech Night event, presented stirring words of admonition and encouragement to all persons in attendance. In a musical play on words, Mr. Brooks challenged every one to think like musicians, to “practice your craft, praise instead of criticise, and play your tune”.
The ALHCS Annual Speech Night ended with fitting performances by some talented students. The ALHCS School Choir, the ALHCS Steel Orchestra, the ALHCS Concert Band, the ALHCS Recorder Ensemble, and the ALHCS Combined Choir graced the audience with performances of Christmas music under the tutelage and directorship of teachers from the music department of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School.
