By Shamar Blunt
Screams of joy and laughter filled the air at the Weymouth Playing Field as scores of children from the Sunshine Early Stimulation Centre and The John Payne School for Exceptional Children took part in the tradition of kite flying on Friday.
During the morning, just over 50 children along with parents and staff went to the St Michael playing field with kites in hand, ready to take full advantage of the windy day.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY, the centre’s vice principal Alison Pierre said the aim was to give students an enjoyable day as the school slowly reintroduced extracurricular activities that were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We really wanted the children to have a really fulfilling experience, hence we reached out to Weymouth to use their playing field. We used to have the kite flying activity but since COVID, everything was at a halt. So this year, we decided to gradually bring back all of our activities so that the children can have an enriching experience as part of the programme we offer here at the centre,” she explained.
Pierre added that the support of parents had been overwhelming.
“We had a very positive response from the parents. [They] took time off from work and came out and supported the children with the kite flying. Some parents even said that it was quite therapeutic for them as well,” she said.
“We are seeking to really build that positive collaboration between the school and our families because the school can’t do it alone, and we understand that the parents can’t do it alone. [The kite flying] was also part of the bonding process, especially for our new parents to the centre.”
Principal Natasha Lowe said the day would also not have been possible without the support of staff and stakeholders.
“One of our primary objectives is to include all levels of participation, from teaching staff to parent input, and through the support of our funders we are able to provide wholesome and rich learning experiences for all our school stakeholders,” she said.
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