Dr Alverston Bailey Gives Main Address At Mt Zion Primary & Infant
The children going from Mount Zion Primary to secondary school have been told they can achieve whatever they want with the opportunities in Jamaican society.
(Top girl and boy performers at Mt Zion Primary in the PEP 2023 Examinations)
Giving encouragement and using his own life experiences as signposts was Dr Alverston Bailey, General Practitioner, and Public Health and Safety expert, and commentator.
Dr Bailey told the students and reminded their parents of a time, during his childhood, in the 1960s when many children went to school barefooted, often had little to eat, no running water, and didn’t have television sets in their homes. He said there were few secondary schools then little access to scholarships and few libraries. He contrasted that to the scores of secondary schools now, the many libraries, access to the internet, and expanded tertiary education opportunities.
“Whatever you want just invent it in your mind,” he told the students and encouraged them to make reading a habit. He said they should determine their future by predicting it. He urged them to live the school’s motto “Be the star of tomorrow,” and got them to chant “I will become the star of tomorrow.”
Dr Bailey added the Marcus Garvey exhortation getting them to chant “You can become what you will.”
He told the children that they should be bold and brave and go for what they want in life using the opportunities available.
The top male and female students were Denaje Campbell and Jadean Sappleton, placed at York Castle High and St Hilda’s High respectively. They jointly gave the valedictory address.
Principal for the school Jacqueline Brown in her report said the boys did better in the PEP examinations than did girls. From the 21 students who sat the PEP, three boys have been placed at York Castle and four girls at St Hilda’s. The other placements were five students at Ferncourt High, six at Marcus Garvey Technical, one each at Iona High and Green Island High schools, and one at Steer Town Academy.
The children from the Infant department transitioning to the Primary division of the school were addressed by Cheryl Thomas, early childhood educator.
Chairing the ceremony was Tamika Green, PTA President.
(The North Coast Times YouTube channel will carry the video on Thursday)
