Students showcase regional neighbours in their classrooms

By Brittany Brewster 

Students of the Daryll Jordan School in St Lucy got the opportunity to learn more about their CARICOM neighbours as the school commemorated CARICOM Day on Tuesday with a cultural extravaganza. 

To mark the 50th anniversary of CARICOM on July 4, the school underwent a major transformation. Each classroom was dedicated to a CARICOM nation, showcasing the uniqueness of countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, and Jamaica. 

Students decorated each room with colourful flags, captivating artwork and informative posters, providing insights into the history and culture of each nation.

Lisa Proverbs-Ballantine and Kimberly Skeete, the teachers behind the event, expressed joy at witnessing their year-long planning come to fruition. 

“This idea really came about after speaking to Ms. Ballantine and other teachers and realising that since COVID we had a lot of regional students joining our school. We also have teachers from Trinidad and Guyana so we thought it would be a good idea to showcase the different cultural aspects of the other CARICOM countries,” Skeete told Barbados TODAY. 

To ensure an authentic representation of each CARICOM country, students and parents actively participated in the event as they crafted display boards paying homage to their respective nations. Some displays even turned to poems to showcase the favourite aspects of the countries, including beaches, festivals and cherished cultural traditions. [caption id="attachment_393021" align="alignnone" width="650"] Jamaican 4th year student Mar-Trianna Grierson (left) and Jamaican English teacher Shaunette Small talking to students about Jamaica.[/caption]

The one-day event went beyond visual displays and invited students and teachers to savour the flavours of the Caribbean. 

In the St. Vincent and the Grenadines section, students gathered around a table adorned with traditional dishes and beverages. Home Economics teacher Annella Peters, provided a taste of St. Vincent’s culinary delights. 

Peters also brought a costume display for students. The country celebrates carnival during July and she was joined by a student from St.Vincent as they sang the national anthem for those present.  [caption id="attachment_393019" align="alignnone" width="650"] St Vincent Home Economics teacher Annella Peters.[/caption]

The celebration was not only an opportunity for students to learn about their CARICOM neighbours but also to deepen their understanding of their own countries. 

In the Jamaica classroom, English teacher Shaunette Small shared captivating stories of Jamaican life, while student Mar-Trianna Grierson shared personal connections to Jamaica in patois.

Traditional Jamaican artefacts were also on display and Small took the time to highlight the differences between Barbados and Jamaica from healthcare to geography and education. [caption id="attachment_393018" align="alignnone" width="650"] Laurel Armstrong (left) Home Economics teacher and Akeiba Inniss Science teacher serving students Trinidadian dishes.[/caption]

She told students: “In Jamaica, unlike Barbados where you have free education, we have to pay school fees to go to school. There are children who want to go to school but cannot because their parents can’t afford it.” 

Reflecting on the event, Small emphasised its educational value. “We organised this event so our students could develop a deeper appreciation for the diversity within our Caribbean region,” she said.  [caption id="attachment_393017" align="alignnone" width="650"] Guyana food area on display.[/caption]

For the Barbadian display, local teachers and parents spared no effort as posters of national heroes, food, clothing, flags and music were on full display. 

As the day came to a close, there were friendly sporting competitions between students and teachers in netball, football, cricket and road tennis. 

Looking ahead, Skeete expressed her desire to integrate the cultural extravaganza into the school’s youth entrepreneurship programme, providing students with opportunities to showcase their countries on a broader platform.

“We started with entrepreneurship last year, and seeing how the students were able to come up with their ideas to display their countries, we’re hoping that we can marry the two so that they can be introduced to a market outside of their country,” Skeete explained. 

brittanybrewster@barbadostoday.bb ]]>