Connells equip 300 students at Sheffield Primary ahead of new school year
Published:Tuesday | August 29, 2023 | 12:11 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Administrators, instructors, and parents at the Sheffield Primary School in Westmoreland are ecstatic about the Connell family’s generous donations, which have provided approximately 300 students with backpacks filled with school supplies ahead of the next week’s start of the new school year.
Dr Vinnette Malcolm, the school’s principal, said the Dr Norval Connell-led family’s contribution has strengthened her school’s vision of caring for members of the community and will undoubtedly assist in boosting those persons’ educational status.
“In respect of this contribution, the community would have benefited tremendously. The parents demonstrated gratefulness for it, and it also helps in promoting the school’s vision in respect of care for the community,” Malcolm said following Friday’s presentation of backpacks and educational accessories to all registered students of the Sheffield Primary School by the Connell family.
Ava-Lee Ferguson and Morrel Holness, who were among the parents whose children benefited from the donation, were overwhelmed by the help they received, saying it was timely and would boost the morale of their children and the community as a whole.
“I am overjoyed because it is very unusual for people to give you something that is beneficial to your growth or the growth of your children,” said Ferguson, whose son took the Primary Exit Profile and will start at Little London High School in September.
“The quality of these bags is superb, these people put a lot of thought into their selection so that my son and his friends can step out in comfort and style when school starts September morning,” she told The Gleaner.
Holness believes that greater collaboration and networking for good development, such as education, will make his Sheffield community and its surroundings a much better place to live and rear children.
“Things would be much better if the majority of those who can did what the Connell family is doing,” Holness asserted. “I respect them for what they have done for the children at this school and the wider community.
“This is what Jamaica needs, where everyone helps each other reach their full potential.”
He continued, “The bags and school supplies have arrived at an opportune time, because not many of us can cover all of the financial costs required to prepare our children for school in September.”
Lilleth Connell-Lindo, the Connell’s family spokesperson, stated that her brother, Dr Norval Connell, a former student of the school, started the family’s commitment to the institution some time ago, beginning with them funding one of its inter-house Sports Day Houses, dedicated in their honour.
Wanted to help community
She mentioned that, although the family was supporting the children in their Connell House at school, they chose to broaden their reach to the larger community, which resulted in their outfitting the entire school population of more than 200 students.
“Rather than just doing something for the house, we want to help our community by providing them with the tools they need to succeed,” Connell-Lindon said of her family’s contribution.
“We decided that as a family, we are going to work together and do everything we can to make the school community the best it can be to compete here and abroad,” she said.
Among the nearly 300 students who received educational materials from the Connell family were 46 who had recently graduated and will be attending several prominent high schools throughout the parish and western Jamaica.
In response to their patron’s generosity, Jamie Patterson, a grade-six teacher and member of Connell House, said the initiative marks a watershed moment because every youngster walks away with a brand-new backpack overflowing with critical school materials.
“As we begin a new school year, these resources become more than just tools; they represent the stepping stones to new opportunities, discoveries, and growth that the journey of learning holds,” Patterson said.
“Your dedication and generosity have ignited positive change within our school community,” she remarked of the Connells.