Grange Hill High past students donate 37 tablets to alma mater

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Grange Hill High School’s graduation class of 1993 recently gave back to their alma mater by providing computer tablets to 37 of the Westmoreland-based institution’s students, to help them pursue their studies online, because of the limitations on physical classes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tablets, valued at US$2,200 (J$317,352), were presented to the students during a handover ceremony held on the school grounds on Thursday, January 14.

Tevin Singh, a 15-year-old grade nine student and one of the tablet recipients, expressed pleasure at having his own device for school, as it had previously been a struggle to use his mother’s phone to do his classes virtually.

“I feel good about getting the tablet, because, before this, I had used the one phone that my mother also used, and it was not convenient. But now I will be able to attend class more often,” said Tevin.

Shamar Forrester, an 18-year-old lower sixth form student, was likewise grateful for his new gadget, as he had been having problems with the device he had previously received from one of his teachers.

“A teacher gave me a tablet before, but it was malfunctioning. Even so, I thank him that he helped me out,” said Shamar. “With this new tablet, it is helping me a lot, and I am very grateful for it and I feel happy.”

TIMELY GIFT

The students’ new gadgets have proven to be a timely gift in a period when online learning has become the norm for many students across Jamaica. This new norm came into place because of the shutdown of schools last March as a result of the pandemic, although the Ministry of Education has since given 129 institutions the green light to resume face-to-face classes.

Michael Stennett, president of the association for Grange Hill High’s class of 1993, told The Gleaner that his organisation had previously intended to give a gesture of appreciation to their former school in 2020, but that effort was stalled by the onset of COVID-19.

“We had planned, from this group, to give back something to our alma mater last year, but, because of COVID-19 constraints, we did not make it last year. We later realised that COVID-19 was still going on and we would not make it this year either. So we decided to have a talk with the vice-principal, Mrs Karleen Coke, and we moved from there and made it a reality this year,” Stennett explained.

“I am in close contact with a person from the school’s graduation class of 1991. When I leave here today, I will be sending photos to that person, and I know they will be jealous and anxious to get their troops on board. So I hope next year will be bigger and better,” Stennett added.

editorial@gleanerjm.com