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BAHAMAS: Over 200 New Public School Teachers Officially Welcomed at Orientation

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#Nassau, August 23, 2018 – Bahamas – Some two hundred-plus teachers have joined the public school system and were officially welcomed to the Department of Education during an Orientation Exercise at Uriah McPhee Primary School, Kemp Road.

From Wednesday, August 22 thru Thursday, August 23, the newly-appointed teachers will participate in workshop sessions and panel discussions on topics such as, A Mindset Reset – Profile of a Novice Teacher, From Policy to Pedagogy… Best Practices in your Professional Profile, The Voice of the Novice Teacher, Curriculum Development and Instruction, Important Management & Protocol Practices, Human Resource Matters, and Health, Wellness and Financial Matters.

Director of Education, Marcellus Taylor, told the new teachers that their impact on the nation’s youth is “significant” particularly since there is a “major” positive correlation between an effective teacher and high student achievement.  He applauded them for taking up the mantle to prepare the children for the future.

Mr. Taylor said the Ministry of Education (MOE) is adamant about obtaining its Wildly Important Goal (WIG), to increase the high school graduation rate from 50 percent to 85 percent.

“The future of our country hinges on the development of our young people. They are looking to us as models for their own lives. For many, the teacher’s influence is key to shaping the course of their lives. With that factor in mind, we must be mindful to maintain a disposition that is generally good, regardless of our human imperfections,” said the Director.

He encouraged them to continue to seek out opportunities to increase their knowledge base.

“We must have teachers who recognize the importance of and participate in lifelong learning.  Please also be mindful that there is much to benefit from seeking wise counsel from those who have gone on before you.  Senior teachers and administrators have amassed a wealth of knowledge and a new teacher would benefit much from tapping into this reservoir, while at the same time assisting the MOE in fulfilling its vision of creating “nation builders who are globally competitive.”  Teachers, we are counting on you to help us accomplish this vision.”

Lorraine Armbrister, Permanent Secretary, who presented on behalf of the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd, Minister of Education, referred to several initiatives that the MOE is embarking on to assist in accomplishing WIG.

Among them is the increase in the Ministry’s scholarship funds for teachers to obtain Master’s and Ph.D. degrees.

“You are entering this field at an exciting time. You will have more chances to take advantage of a variety of lifelong learning opportunities, and I encourage you to avail yourselves of these opportunities,” said Mrs. Armbrister.

Providing a solid foundation to ensure academic success at the pre-primary level is another strategy the Ministry is incorporating to increase the graduation rate of students.

“Many of you today will be joining us as pre-primary teachers.  Please be aware that pre-primary education is a priority area of the MOE.

“By 2022, the Ministry hopes to increase the percentage of three and four-year-old pre-school attendance from the current 30 percent to 75 percent.  To this end, there will be an expansion of the 22 government pre-schools in New Providence with the addition of a pre-school at Thelma Gibson Primary, and a planned expansion onto Buttonwood Pre-school.  The goal is to expand the growth of government pre-schools while working with private-public partnerships. Meantime, the Ministry plans to increase the number of pre-school spaces by 1000 annually.”

Furthermore, the MOE has also embarked on a programme to improve literacy and numeracy skills at the primary level, and is offering additional remediation classes that will allow students who fail to satisfy the BJC graduation requirements in grade 9 to sit the subjects in grades 10 through 12.

Mrs. Armbrister told the educators that the MOE is counting on all of them to play their part in creating a learning environment that will enable students to reach their full potential. She encouraged them to remain dedicated to their calling to inspire the next generation to succeed.

The theme for the Orientation is “Understanding the Whole Picture, Imagining the Finished Product”.

 

By Kathryn Campbell

Release: BIS

 

Photo Captions:

BIS Photos/Patrick Hanna 

 

Header: Belinda Wilson, President, Bahamas Union of Teachers, is pictured at the Orientation Exercise for new teachers.

 

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Marcellus Taylor, Director, MOE, welcomes newly-appointed teachers at the Orientation ceremony.

 

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Permanent Secretary, Lorraine Armbrister, gives remarks on behalf of the Hon. Jeffrey Lloyd, Minister of Education.

 

 

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Twist To Win Ends in a Grand Style with Four $5,000 Mall at Marathon Shopping Sprees  

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Twist To Win grand finale winners (l-r) Brian Bethel, Taraceta Neely, Ashia Demeritte and Merlin Adams posing along with their winnings from the shopping spree.

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.

The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.

With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.

Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.

Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.

Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!

After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.

The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.

At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.

Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.

Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.

The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.

Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.

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 The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival  

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NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival.                                                                                                                                                                              Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.

As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.

Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole, with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.

Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.

Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the listening booth.

Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.

For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!

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CWS Brings a Galore of Bubbles at Annual Jollification Festival  

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Caribbean Wines & Spirits team members smiling behind one of the company’s two bars at Jollification

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.

Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.

The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members.  Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.

Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine.  To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.

On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking in the comfort of the chic lounge.  In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.

The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.

Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.

To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.

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