“Everywhere we go! The people want to know! Who we are! Who we are! So we tell them! So we tell them! We are the Scatliffe! The mighty, mighty Scatliffe!”
Who would have thought that a simple catchy phrase like this, which our children at Althea Scatliffe Primary School love, would create such a stir in 2012? A sign, a stupid sign!
Education and Culture Minister Myron Walwyn, with all the other papers, problems and issues that I imagine are sitting on your desk, you chose this simple thing to focus on to begin 2012? Unbelievable!
I am not going to waste too much time since the matter has already been dealt with — in a not-so-professional manner, I might add! Correct me if I am wrong, but I have not seen any pictures or heard where Mr. Walwyn has had a meeting with this particular school yet! There are so many issues plaguing this school.
Mr. Walwyn, if you check in your files, I am sure you will find a letter or two that I have personally written to the Department of Education speaking of some of those same issues. They are yet to be addressed!
School ‘picked on’
For some reason or another, which I can’t quite put my finger on and don’t really care to know about, this school is always picked on! Is it because of its size? While there may be some in positions of authority who do not like the staff or whatever, we must always bear in mind that whatever is done affects our children!
This is the biggest primary school in the Virgin Islands, and its student body is diverse. Whatever the ulterior motive is, I pray that decisions made by this new government are carefully considered, with officials discussing them with parents and teachers alike before taking action. There is a right and a wrong way of doing things. After all, this is what we teach our children.
The principal reportedly was informed of the decision by e-mail on New Year’s Day. This timing is so disrespectful and totally out of order. Why the rush to do this before school re-opened? Why couldn’t there have been a discussion about this with the parents, teachers and the Education Department? I don’t think that the fact that this was done is what hurts so much, but the manner in which it was done! This is disrespectful to the school principals, to us as parents and to the children! Another set of wasted taxpayer money!
This suggests that the promises made leading up to the election were a load of garbage. What happened to the candidates’ promises that they would discuss with the public before making decisions? What happened to all that? Same ball game, different players, which is sad!
I don’t quite understand how the previous minister could have gone ahead and okayed the sign when he knew that legislation stated it should not have happened anyway! But I digress!
To the staff of the Mighty Scatliffe, the decision has been made, whether we like it or not! That’s life! Don’t let this itsy bitsy thing stop you from attaining your goals, especially for this 2012! These goals include producing students who will top their classes in every aspect of the education system.
Work hard on those students who are exhibiting the potential for extreme excellence! We must not only be number one in athletics, but we must be number one in mathematics, language arts and the sciences. I heard that we were very close, if not number one, in music as well in this territory!
I cannot end this, of course, without giving words of encouragement and wisdom from the greatest book ever written: the Bible.
Ephesians 4:31-32 urges, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgives.”
We don’t have time to dwell on this minor problem. Let us move on now! There is much work to be done for our young people!
Proverbs 15:1 advises, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” This article is the softest answer that I came up with, and I deem it fair!
You can be angry, but choose to sin not! Time once lost cannot be recovered!
There is a proverb that says a still tongue keeps a wise head. Do what you have to do with your mouths shut! Prove to the VI that our children at the Mighty, Mighty Scatliffe are number one academically! When this is proven, mark my words: Humble pie will be the toughest piece of food that the naysayers will have to swallow!
There is much work to be done between January and May 2012! Parents, do your part with the children and I trust that the staff will do theirs.
So, what’s in a slogan or a name? It’s a way of identifying and simply standing out among others!