Walk away

Class 4 Students of the St Mary’s Primary School recently had two enjoyable encounters with senior staff members of Goddard Enterprises Ltd (GEL) as the students prepared to graduate from the school.

After sharing and articulating their fears about entering secondary school, the Class 4 students at St Mary’s Primary received some valuable lessons from Heather Farrell-Clarke and her daughter Maya who visited the school to share their insights and experiences with the students.

Farrell-Clarke, the Operations Manager at HIPAC Ltd, a subsidiary of Goddard Enterprises Ltd (GEL), went to the school as part of the GEL annual talk session with the school leavers where they are given valuable tips on how to transition from the primary to the secondary level of their education.  She took along her 16-year-old daughter who had made the transition five years ago and she was able to identify with and relate to some of the anxieties that the students were experiencing.

The 35 students were given advice on how to cope with bullying, cyberbullying, personal attacks and making new friends, among other topics. Responding to their concerns, Farrell-Clarke suggested the students walk away from bullies and report them to the teachers.  She also shared the fact that she is still close to some of her friends from primary school as is Maya.

She encouraged the students to maintain their friendships from primary school but to be open to new friendships.  She advised them to choose their friends carefully and recommended joining groups, clubs and sports activities to make friends.  She further advised the students to get into the habit of studying.

Farrell-Clarke explained that she did not have the best averages at school and people thought she would fail but she lived her passion and focused on making secondary school a positive experience.

Maya explained that when she started secondary school, she realized there was a huge culture change.  Teachers no longer hovered, telling you what to do – you were expected to know what to do.  She told the students they would now have up to 13 subjects to study, each with a different teacher, and homework for each subject.  She advised the students to do their homework in a timely fashion and organize and manage their time well, citing a simple example of packing their books the night before.   

Farrell-Clarke presented the students with lunch bags, water bottles and pencils compliments Goddard Enterprises Ltd.

The second meeting with GEL came at the graduation recently, when Glenda Gilkes, Group People Manager at Goddard Enterprises Ltd., awarded two students with the annual Goddard Enterprises Scholarships for Hard Work and Dedication. Rashonna Greene, the Head Girl, and Shameer Hoyte-Stoute were presented with their scholarships by Gilkes in front of their fellow students and teachers. The scholarship money is to assist the students in purchasing uniforms and school supplies as they move onto the secondary level.

GEL has been awarding two outstanding students of the school for over five years and Rashonna and Shameer will join past students, who now have their names engraved on the GEL shield at the school.

The graduating class was addressed by Mac Fingall. (PR)