Poor performance in mathematics in most of St. Thomas’ schools, is a threat to graduation rates, college admissions, employment, and economic development. One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals of “Quality Education” is a mandate of the Foundation. Improved performance in mathematics is indispensable to this goal.
The Mathematics Honours College is an initiative in all the high schools in St. Thomas and Happy Grove High School in Portland, to help bridge the achievement gap and to increase passes in the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) mathematics examination, and to serve as a catalyst for other STEM related courses.
With a gift of approximately J$27 million received from Google, the Foundation was able to acquire over 1,100 Chromebooks to support the initiative. The handing over of the Chromebooks took place on Friday, May 06, 2022, at the campus of St. Thomas Technical High School, with the keynote address given by the Minister of Education and Youth, Hon. Mrs. Fayval Williams. She noted among other things, that the goal of an 80% pass rate in 5 years, could be achieved much sooner. She also noted that improvements in educational outcomes could translate in technology-related companies tapping into the talent pool in country by relocating parts of their operations.
Each of the seven high school received 100 Chromebooks (700 total).
Minister waits to be presented with plaque donated by the Foundation in memory of Mr. Aston W. Forde (former principal of Stokes Hall Secondary/St. Thomas Technical High School) and Mrs. Hermine Forde (former principal of Duckenfield Primary School).
Plaque being presented to the Minister of Education, the Honorable Fayval Williams, by Acting Principal and Past Student of St. Thomas Technical High School, Mr. Ricardo Morgan.
I would love to learn more about the initiative of the Mathematics Honors College to see how we can replicate that across other schools in Jamaica, and we can take that from St. Thomas as St. Thomas's gift to the rest of Jamaica.
Students representing each of the seven high schools.
From Left to Right:
Russell Stanley (Paul Bogle High School) Princess-Priya Diedrick (Yallahs High School) Shakayra Eastwood (Robert Lightbourne High School) Petra-Kay McQueen (St. Thomas Technical High School) Sasheika Henry (Seaforth High School) Danae Edwards (Morant Bay High School) Malique Knowles (Happy Grove High School)
The schools received a total of 700 Chromebooks (100 per school)
Assisting with the presentation
From Left to Right:
Ms. Christine Watson, Director (Foundation)
Mrs. Beverley Hyatt, Math Honours College
Malique Knowles (below), Student of Happy Grove High School
Honorable Fayval Williams, Minister of Education
Malton D. Edwards, President (Foundation)
Janet Harrison-Cousins (Foundation)
National Anthem: Jamaica, Land We Love
Educators from St. Thomas Technical High School Ms. Hannah Kelly (History / Social Studies) and Ms. Kadian Francis (Home Economics) ready themselves to sing the National Anthem
Reverend Derrick Saddler
Stokes
Hall District of Baptist Churches
Member of Parliament for Eastern St. Thomas
Dr. Michelle Charles, MP, delivered greetings to the students and other members of the audience. She echoed the term, "Math Counts" to underscore the importance of the initiative.
School Boards Chair
St. Thomas Technical High School and Yallahs High School
She implored the students to silence the voices that say they cannot. She quoted Van Gogh who said, "If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, by all means paint and that voice will be silenced."
Lebert Drysdale (partly hidden) Acting Senior Education Officer, Region 2
Daryl Whyte-Wong (center) TPDCo Destination Manager for St. Thomas and Portland
Second Row – Left to Right
Ms. Yashieka Blackwood-Grant, Acting Regional Director, Region 2
Dr. Fenton Ferguson, Former MP for Eastern St. Thomas
Front Row – Left to Right
Dr. Michelle Charles, MP for Eastern St. Thomas
Honorable Fayval Williams, Minister of Education and Youth
“I like the goal that you have set to get greater than eighty percent of the students passing in mathematics over the next five years. I would say even shorter than that, they can do it they have it within them it.”
Mathematics Honours College
Teachers from Left to Right:
Mr. Ralston Lewis
Ms. Rajivea Soman
Ms. Rickesha Wilson
Teachers from Left to Right:
Ms. Sasha-Gaye Peart
Ms. Sherine Williams
Ms. Kerene McDowell
Teachers from Left to Right:
Mrs. Maxine Foster (MBHSAA Atlanta Chapter)
Mr. Dahmean Davis
Ms. Shemara Oakley
Ms. Alecia King (Vice Principal)
Teachers from Left to Right:
Ms. Christall Hewitt-Nelson
Mr. Dwayne Grant
Mr. Paul Clare (Principal)
Mr. Andre Hunt
Teachers from Left to Right:
Mr. Gary Fuller
Mr. Andrew James
Mr. Andre Sappleton
Teachers from Left to Right:
Ms. Delecia Stephenson
Ms. Calbert Thomas - Principal
Mrs. Donna Gobern-Bodden
Mrs. Michelle Reid-Josephs
Teacher (Right):
Ms. Georgia Barrett – Head of Mathematics Department
Performing at the Handing Over Ceremony
Performing at the Handing Over Ceremony
Performing at the Handing Over Ceremony
Performing at the Handing Over Ceremony
Ms. Kerry-Ann Coombs
Institutional Monitoring Officer at the Ministry of Education and Youth; The St. Thomas Renaissance Foundation; Principal of St. Thomas Technical High School (on secondment)
Mr. Mark Malabver
Principal of Yallahs High School
