Shopping for school supplies can be expensive, but some parents in District One just got a boost.
The event is designed in part to help provide for less fortunate families in the district, said Gregory Romney, the committee’s vice president.
“The West End Community Centre started out doing a Christmas party, and we said to ourselves we wanted to do something more tangible for the children and something they would appreciate,” Mr. Romney said. “Everything is free: We would not be able to do this without sponsors. We have sponsors from the community as well as outside our community.”
Saturday’s attendance was the highest that organisers have seen since the event began four years ago, Mr. Romney said.
Around 11 a.m. participants began registering to receive supplies, and throughout the day they took part in various activities, including face painting, a bouncy castle, and martial arts demonstrations.
Attendees also heard a motivational speech from Cassi Davis, an actor from the American sitcom House of Payne, who encouraged the children to take their education seriously. Later, she posed for photographs with them.
Giving advice
Also during the event, Dr. Nikki Rubaine-Connel, a dentist at the BVI Health Services Authority, demonstrated proper oral hygiene practices.
“Guess what I saw over there under the tent?” she asked one group. “Cotton candy! Oh, my God! How many people had cotton candy this afternoon? … I’m going to tell you what to do to your teeth tonight so that you can make sure they don’t have cavities tomorrow.”
Dr. Rubaine-Connell also listed other foods that should be avoided, including cookies, ice cream and other sweets.
“Because there is sugar in these foods, when it gets into your mouth it turns into acid,” she said. “Acid is really bad: If you put it on anything, it causes it to rot away.”
Community
Options for extracurricular activities were also on display.
The BVI Tennis Association offered brief demonstrations, and president Carol Mitchell said the organisation will commence formal lessons in Long Bay, West End at the beginning of the school year.
“It was a way of introducing tennis to kids, and with our after-school programme coming in September this was a way of bringing awareness to our sport,” she said.
Tennis, she added, makes for a good after-school activity.
“Tennis exercises the brain,” she said. “It helps you to stay focused. Sports and education go hand in hand.”
Martial arts does the same, said Jovan Cline, an instructor at Purple Dragon who led demonstrations that afternoon.
“I’m very proud of the students. They came out and they did their best,” he said. I’m proud of their confidence and how they carried themselves throughout the whole thing.”
Martial arts, he added, provides an outlet for children to develop outside the classroom.
“It encourages discipline, wisdom and understanding,” he said. “I think extracurricular activities on a whole are important to keep students grounded outside of the school walls and outside teacher-parent supervision.”
Apart from the gifts and demonstrations, the fair was also a good opportunity for the district’s children to interact with each other, said Mia Forbes, who brought her daughter to the event for the first time.
“They get to see friends that go to the same school, and they may not have known that friend lives right in their community,” Ms. Forbes said. “It’s something to bring the community together — and also an opportunity to encourage the children to do good in school.”
{fcomment}