KINGSTON, September 14 (JIS): Milk River Primary and Infant School in Clarendon has reopened after it underwent repairs with funds provided by the Ministry of Education and Youth, to correct damage done by Hurricane Beryl on July 3.

On Monday (September 2), the institution began receiving students for the new school year.

Principal, Gloria Grant, said the damage done by the hurricane was “severe”, with the roof  of the main building compromised and damage done to the grade-one block.

“I am happy; we are still in recovery mode but the school is in session,” she told journalists at an orientation session with students and parents, on Tuesday (September 3).

The Principal lauded the National Education Trust (NET), and the Education Minister, Hon. Faval Williams, for the  timely response after the storm, as well as Jamalco, for providing cash grants to the institution, and  manufacturing company Sherwin Williams, for providing paint to the school.

She also praised community members for helping to clean debris from the compound.

Meanwhile, Ms. Grant noted that the institution performed “fairly well” in this year’s sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examination.

“We are going forward, the momentum is upward, and we will be moving to higher ground,” she said.

Student, Kevia Boothe, said she is excited to be back at school, because “I get to see my teachers, and learn more in grade six”.

“I am glad that the school is fixed, so that we can be more focused,” she said.

Another student, Jordane Brown, said he felt “wonderful that the school get fixed”.

Parent, Joan Francis Henry, said “the school looks nice; now the children can sit comfortably in class”.

Another parent, Ava-Kay Simpson, said “I am really excited that the school got some help; the kids are more comfortable”.

For his part, Regional Director of the Education Ministry, Barrington Richards, said approximately $200 million was dedicated to repair schools in the region, and all the 22 schools that were damaged during the storm have been reopened.

“I invite our stakeholders, teachers, students and our parents to be patient with us. We are working assiduously to restore normalcy to all our schools. It will take some time, and we are pleased that we have committed contractors on board, working day and night, to complete the recovery of our schools,” Mr. Richards said.

CONTACT: GARFIELD L. ANGUS

Grenadian hotelier delivers headline address at SOTIC in the Cayman Islands

GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands (September 14, 2024) – Grenadian luxury boutique hotel owner, Janelle Hopkin, shared her vision for elevating Caribbean hospitality to deliver unforgettable guest experiences. Her blueprint outlines strategies to create immersive and personalized journeys for the guests of the future.

Her comments were part of her headline address at CTO’s State of the Tourism Industry Conference (SOTIC), which took place September 2-6 at the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands. Hopkin, who serves as President & Managing Director of Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada, was invited to speak from an operator’s perspective on navigating the evolving tourism landscape.

Drawing from the conference theme, “Caribbean Tourism: Fueling our Lifeblood”, Hopkin metaphorically compared the guest experience to the blood that carries vital elements for a healthy body. Just as blood transports oxygen, nutrients and waste to and from cells, the guest experience delivers all the essential components of a perfect stay to sustain the life of the Caribbean tourism industry.

Similarly, she likened the role of the heart as the “pump or engine” that facilitates the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to staff. In this instance she posited that “people are the heart of hospitality,” denoting that the human resource is the first pillar of her framework.

“Hospitality and tourism are fast-paced, and if we intend to remain competitive, we must invest more in our people. Staff training and skills development are crucial for long-term success. By equipping team members with the necessary knowledge, tools, and techniques – and keeping them updated with industry trends and best practices – they can boost productivity and consistently deliver high-quality, superior service that can enhance customer experience, improve customer satisfaction, and drive business growth,” she explained.

Referencing her own experiences as a hotelier, she outlined the four-part model (authenticity, individualization, innovation, and excellence) that has worked successfully to establish her resort as one of the premier Caribbean all-inclusive properties. This model has enabled her to deliver stays that are effortlessly bespoke – unique, memorable, highly distinctive, and shaped by local culture.

In her speech, once again referencing this year’s theme, Hopkin made the case for technology as the ‘fuel’. She opined that operators must invest in technology, calling on them to evolve their strategies and take advantage of the impact technological advances can make on their businesses.

Hopkin stated, “The flexibility of new technologies and architectures is enabling operators to rethink how they can harness technology to make it easier for their organizations to innovate and position themselves to provide new offerings and meet the needs of guests. Technology will also be key to better managing operations and maximizing overall performance, enhancing sales and marketing approaches, increasing efficiency and reducing costs.”

She further explained that “to meet the demands of future travelers, and to truly engage and convert what I like to call the ‘now consumer’ – a highly mobile, always-connected individualist – operators would need to embrace the technology these consumers use.” Accordingly, Caribbean hoteliers will need to address mobility holistically to determine ways to effectively integrate both guest and employee demands into their enterprise and property IT architectures and manage them across the guest life cycle.

As a third generation hotelier, and daughter of the late iconic Caribbean hotelier Sir Royston Hopkin, Janelle Hopkin brought a youthful energy to the conference and spoke with optimism about the future for the sector. She closed by stating that if tourism is indeed seen as the ‘lifeblood of the Caribbean’, then it is imperative that more young hoteliers like herself understand that hospitality is now “part art, part science”, to ensure the region remains poised to meet the needs of the ever-evolving, “choice spoilt” voyagers of the future.

MONTEGO BAY, September 14 (JIS): Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Fayval Williams, says Jamaica will take  one step closer to removing every single remaining school from the shift system during this school year.

The Minister, who was speaking to students, teachers, administrators and other stakeholders on opening day at the Ocho Rios Primary School in St. Ann, on September 2, said that while the shift system served a necessary purpose in the past,  the time has come to bring all schools back to their traditional all-day operation.

“This year, Ocho Rios Primary School will be joined by Naggo Head Primary, Bridgeport High, and Papine High in the transition from the shift system. Achieving these four schools will mean that by the end of this year, we will have only 27 schools left to de-shift. We are coming from 38 when I sat in the chair at the Ministry of Education and Youth in September 2020,” Mrs. Williams pointed out.

“All I can say is, we need to listen to our stakeholders all the time, not just assume that we know what’s good for them. Look at the pain that our students suffered under the shift system. This we wouldn’t know until we listen to them articulate it. I am, indeed, happy that I am part of this process of transforming the education system in Jamaica,” she added.

The Minister said that the transition to a single shift system should be seen as “more than just a change in the schedule,” but also as a promise fulfilled by the Government… “a promise to create a better, more balanced learning environment for our children for years”.

She said that while very few people would argue that the shift system has been a necessary part of the educational landscape, it also brought its own set of challenges, such as limiting the time students could spend learning, exploring and growing.

“Today, we are breaking free from those limits by moving to a single all-day shift system. We are giving our students more time, more opportunities and a school day that supports both their academic success and their overall health,” the Minister added.

“Today is a day of celebration. We are gathered here to mark an important milestone for Ocho Rios Primary School, which has been on the shift system since 1998, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share it with all of you as we stand at the beginning of a new school year,” the Minister said.

In the meantime, Mrs. Williams said the Government is also focused on improving the infrastructure of  schools, making sure every student learns in a safe, modern and inspiring environment.

She reminded that the school system took a big hit from Hurricane Beryl on July 3, when more than 300 schools suffered different degrees of damage, noting that “we looked at that number and of the over 300, some 107 of them were so damaged that if we did not fix them, school would not begin today”.

CONTACT: GARWIN DAVIS

JIS REGIONAL OFFICE