‘Watch the words you say to your children’ – Val Kieshon Gardner
This was part of the Gardner’s remarks at Bregado Flax Educational Centre graduation held on Sunday June 29, 2014 at the Catholic Community Centre, in Valley Virgin Gorda.
“To all the parents a huge thank you. Although we may not always acknowledge the sacrifices that you have made, thank you for your encouragement and your love,” said Gardner.
He then went on to say, “I do ask you (parents) to be mindful of the words you speak over your children. WORDS HAVE POWER.”
Among the many persons present at the graduation were Minister for Education and Culture Honourable Myron V. Walwyn, Ninth District Representative Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal OBE and Senior Crown Counsel Ms Leslie Ann-Faulkner who was the guest speaker being a graduate of that school.
Kieshon apart from being the Valedictorian for his primary school eagerly awaits the reopening of the academic school year to set foot into secondary as he aspires to do the Virgin Islands proud by later stepping with ease into Harvard University.
The appeal to parents was also loud by the school’s Principal Mr Hilroy George in saying, “Parents stay with them through high school. Know who their friends are. They need your guidance now more than ever. And for goodness sake, teach them little things such as being mannerly at times and throwing their trash in the correct receptacle bins. These may seem trivial but they can go a long way in teaching them discipline.”
Mr George noted that his students managed to pull off a 100% pass rate despite the many challenges they had to put up with. This led him to appeal to the Department of Education to furnish him with a full complement of teachers for the new school year.
“It is my belief that the appointment of our new Liaison Officer, Mrs. Connie George brought a sense of calmness and trust knowing that we had a person who would genuinely listen and help to resolve any concerns that staff might have had. With this said, I hope that the powers that be will give me back my full staff next school year,” said Mr George.
He said that the past school year has been a very unique one as they tried to keep with the minister’s theme of “Creating a Culture of Excellence.” They began the year with an energetic attitude by setting a number of goals for themselves and the institution. “Some were accomplished and some are still being worked on. And yes we had our trials, and some discouraging moments but we were always able to bounce back. The one thing that touched me though, was the camaraderie and teamwork that I saw among the teachers. School pride began to rise again,” he said.
He said that they had a staff that was almost tailored for BFEC primary. “We had teachers leading in several staff development sessions, leading in cultural events, assisting in administrative duties, taking the initiative to resolve issues among children, assisting others with lessons and I can go on and on. Maintenance, custodian, guidance officer, part-time and volunteer teachers and parents all did their part in giving us a successful year,” noted Mr George.
9 Responses to “‘Watch the words you say to your children’ – Val Kieshon Gardner”
also the whole graduating class big up