Vaz Prep aims to preserve J’can heritage
Published:Tuesday | October 22, 2019 | 12:00 AMKeisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer
Celebrating heritage keeps communities together; allows for the passing on of values, traditions, and meanings over generations. Celebrating Jamaican heritage, is, therefore, to the Vaz Preparatory School in St Andrew to ensure that Jamaican culture and heritage are kept alive.
According to Principal, Karlene Bisnott, celebrating heritage helps Jamaicans to remember who they are and where their families journeyed from.
“It is important to keep our culture, language, and traditions,” Bisnott said.
“We need to keep our culture alive because it is a part of our history. It is important to celebrate our heritage because we need it to guide our communities and understand where our roots are from and help us connect with each other,” she added.
Held under the national theme, ‘Our Heritage Our Legacy’, the students of Vaz participated in cultural activities during heritage celebrations at the school that included musical, dance, and literary performances, all exploring the past and underscoring the importance of heritage is for the present.
“We want our students to become proud Jamaicans, and hence, we are giving them valuable information about their heritage and how it has transformed our country into what it is today,” Bisnott added.
As she enjoyed the performances by her schoolmates, 10-year-old Grace-Ann Bailey, a grade six student at the institution, said that the Jamaican culture helps to define the characteristics of the nation.
“Without our culture we would not be different from other nations. We need to learn about our past so that it can help to influence to our future,” Grace-Ann said.
The audience was thoroughly entertained by renditions from the school’s award-winning speech and drama, and dance groups while persons reflected on the achievements of Jamaica.
“Our ancestors went through a dreadful time,” said 10-year-old grade five student Aedan Scott.
“It is amazing how they survived the Middle Passage and lived through the conditions of slavery. As a nation, their bravery should motivate us to be strong and to persevere through our challenges,” Aedean said.
MINISTRY’s ACTIVITY
Heritage Day is one of the activities spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport during National Heritage Week, observed from October 13 to 21.
National Heritage Week is designed to honour Jamaica’s National Heroes and other persons who have served the nation with distinction or distinguished themselves through heroic deeds.
The main activity for National Heritage Week takes place on National Heroes’ Day, which is celebrated on the third Monday of October annually when Jamaicans are recognised by the governor general for their service at the National Honours and Awards Ceremony at King’s House.
Celebratory activities are also held in all parish capitals.