Dear Editor,
At a time when society is in a state of depression and disintegration; a time when everyone is so stressed by the realities of this life and are prone to violence as a means of solving their problems, I took what can only be described as a breath of fresh air when I attended a Healthy Relationship Seminar at the Cascade Primary School in St Ann.
This seminar is the initiative of Dr Marcia Thomas-Powell, principal of the Cascade Primary School. The seminar is an annual event; this being the seventh year since its inception.
It generally takes the form of a dinner during the week of February 14 (Valentine's Day), where members of staff, parents, past students, members of the community, and other stakeholders attend this dinner/seminar with their spouses. At this seminar the attendees participate in recreational activities that demonstrate the importance of having healthy relationships and how productive this can be.
Couples in attendance who have been married for a long time are given little tokens of commendation. They also share experiences of the good times and the not so good times. Finally, they are addressed by a motivational speaker. This year Dr Vincent Peterkin charged the gathering that, despite the fact that 'teeth and tongue may meet', relationships can be very healthy and happy. The activities of the seminar encourage and strengthen everyone present to mentain a healthy relationship within the family, the community and with the school community.
My research tells me that many couples were initially encouraged to be married and are happily married because of the lessons learnt at this annual event.
It is my view that the germination of a healthy home life of both parents and school staff ensures that the students do better at their studies. This also sees to the growth of the school, the community and society on a whole.
I believe that this initiative is a great tool to assist in accomplishing that culture change that we so badly need at this time to improve our society. It is my view also that other schools and communities can and should copy this activity and use it to improve the relationship between the many stakeholders of their institutions.
Gary Rowe Manchester magnett0072004@yahoo.com
At a time when society is in a state of depression and disintegration; a time when everyone is so stressed by the realities of this life and are prone to violence as a means of solving their problems, I took what can only be described as a breath of fresh air when I attended a Healthy Relationship Seminar at the Cascade Primary School in St Ann.
This seminar is the initiative of Dr Marcia Thomas-Powell, principal of the Cascade Primary School. The seminar is an annual event; this being the seventh year since its inception.
It generally takes the form of a dinner during the week of February 14 (Valentine's Day), where members of staff, parents, past students, members of the community, and other stakeholders attend this dinner/seminar with their spouses. At this seminar the attendees participate in recreational activities that demonstrate the importance of having healthy relationships and how productive this can be.
Couples in attendance who have been married for a long time are given little tokens of commendation. They also share experiences of the good times and the not so good times. Finally, they are addressed by a motivational speaker. This year Dr Vincent Peterkin charged the gathering that, despite the fact that 'teeth and tongue may meet', relationships can be very healthy and happy. The activities of the seminar encourage and strengthen everyone present to mentain a healthy relationship within the family, the community and with the school community.
My research tells me that many couples were initially encouraged to be married and are happily married because of the lessons learnt at this annual event.
It is my view that the germination of a healthy home life of both parents and school staff ensures that the students do better at their studies. This also sees to the growth of the school, the community and society on a whole.
I believe that this initiative is a great tool to assist in accomplishing that culture change that we so badly need at this time to improve our society. It is my view also that other schools and communities can and should copy this activity and use it to improve the relationship between the many stakeholders of their institutions.
Gary Rowe Manchester magnett0072004@yahoo.com