by B. Roach
Dr. Sheron Burns
One of the highlights of the celebrations of Early Childhood month is the honouring of Early Childhood Practitioners to include the Kindergarten teachers, through the cooperation and collaboration of parents, guardians, and the community.
This year, the awards event was number two on the month-long schedule of events, following a church service held this year New Ebenezer Seventh Day Adventist church in St. John’s.
The activities are taking place under the theme “Never too Young to Learn: Start Right”. Dr. Burns explains: Early Childhood Practitioners know that Young Children are never too young to learn: start right through engaging in developmentally appropriate activities such as field trips, drama, song, dance, art and sports.
On Monday evening scheduled as Practitioners Day the 2013 Early Childhood Practitioners awards ceremony held at the Cultural Centre in Little Bay where, apart from bragging rights, the Brades Nursery School was presented with the Dr. Sheron Burns Developmentally Appropriate Award.
With Brades receiving the top Burns award, Dr. Burns noted that the choice was not a simple one, since there was an overall improvement at all the institutions in the way in which they collaborate with the parents, guardians and community partners.
Receiving awards for being the top practitioners for this year were Mrs. Josette Greenaway, St Johns Daycare; Miss Meredith Thompson, Lookout Daycare; Mrs. Cherille Fergus, Salem Daycare; Miss Orlette Brown, Lookout Nursery; Miss Cassandra Bramble, Brades Nursery; and Mrs. Ursula Irish, Salem Nursery.
Parents receiving awards were as follows: St. John,s Daycare, Mr Curtis Boatswain; Lookout Daycare, Miss Amelda Buffonge; Salem Daycare, Mrs. Tassia Queeley; Lookout Nursery, Miss Cassandra Skerritt; Brades Nursery; Miss Stephanie O’Garro; Salem Nursery, Mr. & Mrs. Ivor Greenaway; and Aunt Madge Childcare, Miss Veda Duberry / Mr. Joseph O’Garro.
The various nurseries and daycare centres all had their favourite honouree from among the community and awards were presented accordingly. Brades Nursery, Mr. Basil Morgan; Lookout Nursery, Mr. Vincent Cassell; Lookout Daycare, Miss Amelda Buffonge, St Johns Daycare, Mr. Michael Greenaway; Aunt Madge Childcare, Mrs. Margaret Corbett; Lookout Daycare, Mrs. Rachael Cassell; and Salem Nursery, Mrs. Emily Rose Regan.
There was a special individual award as the Ministry of Education specially recognises the parent of a child attending Nursery School for invaluable contribution and support to an institution. Dr. Burns described the person as, “…past two years her child has been with us, you can see her on all the field trips, …all the sport she is just not there fundraising she is participates in the sport and she is able to get the other half, the child’s father involved as well.
This young woman of whom Dr. Burns referenced, “I’m so sorry that children get old and she has to leave,” was Miss Yolanda Yearwood. Her child attends the Brades Nursery school.
Parliamentary Secretary Jermaine Wade while praising Dr. Burns for the role she has played in her profession, gave a brief address in which he expressed his opinion that, “The course of an individual’s life is set form a very young age.”
“The first part of your existence is what determines where you go as an individual, the way you’ve been trained, the direction that you have been sent on…” he told his audience.
Thanks were meted out to those referred to as Community partners for their contributions in cash and kind. Thanks were also showered on the media, GIU, Radio Montserrat and The Montserrat Reporter.
There are three public early childhood centres located in Lookout, Brades and Salem and one private Nursery and Day Care in Woodlands.
Activities marking early childhood month continue today Friday with family day. During the rest of the month there will be exhibitions, visits to the various centres and culminate with a Fun Day for the children at Little Bay.
See more photos on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151501145990852.1073741848.203080105851&type=1&l=f1e96826e7
