Two years after establishing itself as a sixth form school, the Alleyne School is setting its sights on winning a Barbados Scholarship, Principal Julia Beckles has declared.
Beckles made the bold prediction before staff, students and alumni in attendance at the 234-year-old school’s Founder’s Day service.
Praising the work done by past leaders of the Belleplaine, St Andrew school, she challenged students and staff to add value to the school’s legacy.
“We expect to make it bigger and better than it was, when it was first given to us and of course we have been doing that over the last 234 years,” she said, while praising the organisers of a new internal scholarship for sixth formers.
“Just one year and seven months later, on the first day of the new term, our PTA president called me and announced the establishment of the sixth form scholarship,” she added.
Students have the opportunity to receive a $2,000 scholarship to help with sixth form studies or in pursuit of a career after they leave sixth form.
The principal reminded students preparing to sit Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), that an extremely high standard was expected of them.
Beckles declared: “You need to work hard because you are supposed to gain grades one to three in CSEC and grades one to five at CAPE. But we are asking that you gain at least three grade ones and we hope that you will be motivated to work hard.
“We expect that in another few years, the Alleyne School would be speaking about having won an exhibition and of course look forward to gaining its first Barbados Scholarship.”
During the service, numerous awards were presented to outstanding students, alumni and former staff members, among them Claire Noel, a former teacher of 37 years, and Ayanda Jordan, who received the Alleyne School Alumni Scholarship.
The school also received the donation of a telescope from alumnus Dr. Errol Byer (Sr), a New York-based ostetrician/gynecologist.
Delivering the feature address, past student and final year medical student at the University of the West Indies, Makeda Edmee, examined the necessary factors for taking the Alleyne School into the 21st century.
While praising improvements to the school’s curriculum and the willingness of teachers to go above and beyond the call of duty, the young med student prescribed a number of “propellants” which students ought to adapt to excel in the 21st century.
She identified simple character traits like hard work and confidence as imperatives as the rural eastern school charts its path for the future. (KS)
