Aivor Adams and Mr. Corvel Fleming
On July 12th 2023, a team of building technology students from the Albena Lake- Hodge Comprehensive School (ALHCS) handed over to the Ministry of Infrastructure a set of six concrete benches which they had constructed for their School-Based Assessment (SBA) project for the year 2022/2023. The seats will be placed along the newly constructed Valley Main Road.
Some of the students involved in the SBA project were present to make the handover. Those present included: Jaheim Christie, Shaelon Hughes-Hodge, Shakailia Richardson, Jo’Ardie Richardson, Elvin Hodge, and Aivor Adams. They were aided by their teachers Mr. Franklyn Brandon and Mr. Corvel Fleming.
Mr. Brandon spoke on behalf of his colleague: “On behalf of Mr. Fleming, I stand here as a proud teacher. To give an overview, these benches were made by the Building Technology students as part of their SBAs,” he said. “The project entailed a lot of hard work in that they had to plan the project, draw the project, build the molds, cut the steel, tie the steel, mix mortar, and pour the mortar. The benches were constructed under our instructions with their design.”
According to Mr. Brandon, the students did not know initially that their benches would be donated. He said that each year Building Tech students must construct park benches as their SBA project. He explained that since the new Valley Main Road had just been constructed he had discussed the idea of donating the benches with his colleague Mr. Fleming. He then contacted the Honourable Minister of Minister of Infrastructure Communications Utilities Housing and Tourism, Haydn Hughes and made the proposal for handing over the seats as public property to be placed along the road.
Minister Hughes was on hand to receive the benches on behalf of the Anguillian community.
He reflected upon his own tenure at the school, which was once named the Valley Secondary School.
“This space where I stand is an area that I fondly remember. I have great memories of spending seven years at the Valley Secondary School which was later changed to the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School while I was a student here,” he said. “Yes, I spent seven years in this establishment, and I did not go to Sixth Form. That is unheard of, but it is because I entered high school at ten, I spent two years in Third Form and stayed back to repeat Fifth Form. But wherever you are there is always time for redemption, and you can make changes to your life for the better.”
Minister Hughes also commended the students for utilizing the skills they learned under Mr. Brandon and Mr. Fleming: “The Building Technology class has done a great thing in that it has provided the students with the skills to construct these benches that will probably last beyond our times. I am very proud of Mr. Brandon, and I am very proud of these students,” he said.
According to the Minister the benches will certainly serve to enhance the Valley Main Road.
“In every country,” he noted, “the centre of the city needs to have a different feel and look different to the rest of the country…“I would like you students to be encouraged and to do all (you) can to continue building Anguilla. We have often heard it said that the young people are the future of the country. But I dare say that you young people are not the future, but you are the now. Your ideas and your vision will take Anguilla to the next level.”
ALHCS Principal, Mrs. Rita Celestine-Carty, also applauded the work of the students.
“On behalf of the Technical Studies Department, I would like to express the delight that we all feel today in having this opportunity to contribute these beautiful benches to build [the] environment of The Valley,” she said. “We at the ALHCS are well aware of the fine work that is done by our Technical Studies students. We are happy that now, the public on a daily basis will be able to witness these students’ products and they would be convinced that this is an awesome school.”
“The teachers, Mr. Brandon and Mr. Fleming, and I are all proud of this accomplishment. The students have done a great job in producing these benches through collaborative work,” the Principal said. “The CXC syllabi notes and emphasizes that learning to live and work together is an important outcome of education in the 21st century. So, we would like the public and ourselves to see these benches as ‘bench marks’ (pun intended) in our attainment of the goal of collaborative effort”.
While Mr. Brandon thanked all the students and applauded their diligent efforts in the construction of the benches, he particularly made mention of the achievements of Jaheim Christie and Shaelon Hughes-Hodge who both attained top-ten status in CXC exams in the region.
