The second installation of the LaventilleMorvant Schools Improvement Project Vacation Camp came to a close on August 17, 2018 as 76 participants from primary and secondary schools in the area celebrated the culmination of the month-long camp. Three camps were held simultaneously at the MorvantLaventille, Russell Latapy and Success Laventille Secondary Schools, where participants gained music, sporting or computer literacy skills.
The Honourable Anthony Garcia, Minister of Education, said the camp was part of a holistic approach toward achieving the mandate of the Laventille Morvant Schools’ Improvement Project (LMSIP), which focuses on numeracy and literacy, promoting discipline, parental support and a conducive learning environment. He thanked parents for their support and participation in the LMSIP and charged the students to continue to rise up and be the agents of change in their community.
“For the past two (2) years the Ministry of Education has been working through the LMSIP to give students, teachers, parents and members of the community more opportunitiesand improve the outcomes of our primary and secondary school students.It is our hope at the Ministry and at the level of government that our students will see that they have the ability to exceed any expectation and we have already begun to witness the first fruits beginning with self-pride and commitment among our students,” said Minister Garcia.
During the closing ceremony, participants demonstrated the skills learnt. The highlight of the morning’s event was the pan campers performance of One Moment in Time and Hello by Kes after four short weeks of learning to play the instrument. The computer literacy campers put on a skit to highlight their knowledge of the inner workings of the computer while simultaneously showing their proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite.
For the first time this year, students were joined by parents at the camps. Five of the 15 participants at the computer literacy camp were adults. Parents were encouraged to attend with their children as part of the parenting in education thrust to support parents in supporting their children’s learning.
Campers also received life-skills training facilitated by the Ministry’s Student Support Services Division in such areas as time management, bullying, anger management and conflict resolution. These sessions were held during the morning segment.
The LMSIP, launched in 2016 by the Honourable Dr. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, serves 20 primary schools and 5 secondary schools in the Laventille and Morvant communities.