SInging praise for teachers

The Effortville Basic School in central Clarendon has served the community of the same name and surrounding areas for over 50 years. Its founder, Deloris Campbell, who is also the principal, has nurtured her school from its inception and has produced students equipped with the necessary skills to make them shine both in academics and talent-wise. The teachers are excellent team players who also work very hard, along with the principal, to produce brilliant young minds.

Currently, all seven teachers working at the institution have served the school for over 10 years, which speaks to their dedication to shaping young minds for the future.

As a result, the Sing Praise Outreach Ministry, in its quest to award educators who are making a difference in the lives of young individuals, presented each of them with a small but meaningful trophy as a token of their dedicated service to teaching at the infant level for over a decade and to the principal for over 50 years of selfless and dedicated service to teaching.

Campbell, as well as teachers Altheia Esberry-Grey, Shelly Ann Watkis-Reid, Pauline Thomas, Ann-Marie Golding-Levein, Juanita Griffiths, and Jacqueline Garrick were the recipients.

All expressed gratitude but a special 'thank you' and a huge hug were given to the founder of the Sing Praise Outreach Ministry, Teemars Spencer Aitken, who did the presentation.

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

Aitken, who is a teacher herself, said she knows how hard it is to teach and instill good values in young students. "Most times at the early childhood level, the teachers do so much with little or no reward, but we, the teachers, understand that especially in a rural area, where there is a low socio-economic background. Teachers go the extra mile in training young children to be positive role models and world changers. Therefore, I am very passionate about the gesture and wish to reward more educators through my ministry," she said.

Campbell said that she and the teachers were surprised and elated to have received the wonderful gifts. "She knows exactly what it feels like to work so hard without even a word of gratitude or appreciation from those whom we serve. It is a wonderful feeling to be appreciated, and so we the teachers at the Effortville Basic School want to express our sincere gratitude to Mrs Aitken and the Sing Praise Ministry for making us feel appreciated. Thank you for not forgetting us."

Esberry Grey, who teaches four-year-olds, said that in all her years of teaching, she had never felt so appreciated. "This is really an emotional moment for me. I'm so grateful."

Pauline Thomas teaches the three-year-olds. She said that she was happy to be a recipient of the award as it showed that her hard work was paying off and her time and efforts were not in vain.