MIRAMAR – The principal of a once-troubled Jamaican highschool, credit its breakfast program for a turnaround in fortunes. That program is sponsored by previous college students of Godfrey Stewart Excessive College, who’re primarily based in South Florida and The Bahamas.
Since 2013, the college’s Florida/Bahamas (FLOBAH) Chapter has funded this system which at present supplies breakfast to 450 of the 1,600 college students.
It has labored wonders, in accordance with Emily Lawrence Ricketts, principal at Godfrey Stewart Excessive College which is positioned in rural Westmoreland parish, western Jamaica.
“FLOBAH’s outreach has change into a supply of hope and a beacon of sunshine for the establishment. As a faculty, we had been grappling with attendance and punctuality for a very long time and the breakfast program has made vital strides in stemming these issues,” she mentioned in an interview with South Florida Caribbean Information. “We even have numerous college students who come to high school many days they usually don’t have any meal for your entire day. The breakfast program additionally serves to offer these college students a minimum of one scorching meal for the day.”
Lawrence Ricketts disclosed that breakfast is served from 7:00-7:55 a.m, by volunteers. Whereas college students await their meals, they’re required to look over their notes and assignments.
The breakfast programme has helped enhance punctuality and attendance of scholars by greater than 40 %, and extra graduates qualify for faculty.
The principle supply of funding for the breakfast program comes from FLOBAH’s annual dinner and dance which befell this yr on November 4 at Miramar Civic Heart.
Devon Dobson, the group’s president, mentioned the initiative prices $1,200 to take care of. He believes it’s a think about Godfrey Stewart Excessive College shedding its repute for indiscipline.
“It has helped put the college on the map, in a fashion that folks are actually selecting Godfrey Stewart as their first selection, so it reveals we’re on target.”
Godfrey Stewart High School, which opened in 1963, is celebrating its sixtieth anniversary.