Charlestown, Nevis (May 11, 2007)
The Gingerland Primary School (GPS) can now enjoy the benefit of enhanced visibility, thanks to two pointer signs which were erected and unveiled by Mrs. Joycelyn Liburd on the grounds of the Gingerland Police Station.
The event was witnessed by a number of top Education officials on Nevis and a contingent of students from the school on Friday May 11, 2007. The signs form part of a practicum which would lead to a Bachelor of Education Degree for Mrs Ilena Mills, the schools Deputy Principal.
While she gave an overview of the project, Mrs Mills explained that the project was a partial fulfilment of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Distance Education Programme which required students to complete a Practicum with specific focus on a school or community related need.
Mrs. Mills explained that she had selected the sign project because it was both community and school based and also because the GPS had been in existence for over 28 years, the school’s name which had been painted on a retaining wall was not visible from any other location beyond its immediate environs.“I realise people who wish to visit the school had difficulty in locating it so this heightened my interest in the project. One of the goals of the project is to erect a sign to provide direction for persons trying to locate the Gingerland Primary School”¦
“It is my hope that visitors and residents would be made aware that there is a school in the area should any of them have a special interest in bonding with the school,” she said and thanked all the persons who assisted her with the successful execution and completion of the project.
Meantime, Mr. Pearlivan Wilkin a tutor with the UWI Distance Education Programme, though not associated with the Practicum, in brief remarks regarded the project as an excellent one which linked the community to the school.
“I think this is an excellent project. This project is going to provide the environmental print which I think our children need. You drive around Nevis and too often you don’t see too many professional signs. You see the crossing for the children to cross in order to get to school is just a white line but you would never see pedestrian crossing. So they are not linking the writing to the signs they see on the ground.
“These signs will provide a very valuable reading link for our children. As a matter of fact, I think in the reading process they have exercises where they do environmental reading, so that is very important. As you said it also provided a link between the school and the community which was missing for so long,” he said.
During the unveiling ceremony, the students rendered a number of songs and a poem, a profile of Mrs. Liburd was presented by Ms. Michelle Hendrickson, the invocation and dedicatory prayer was made by Pastor Cecele Browne and the Vote of Thanks was given by Principal Mrs. Marion Lescott. Mr. Winston Morrison chaired the event.