Principal of Holland High School in Trelawny Pauline Reid highlighted the school’s commitment to instilling values through initiatives like naming classes after virtues. Daniel Scarlett found a wallet containing $1,800 in the boys’ bathroom. He immediately turned it in, earning praise from school officials. Principal Pauline Reid celebrated his integrity during a special ceremony 

Published Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Boy honoured for honesty

Claudine Housen/Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

LAST TUESDAY when 12-year-old Daniel Scarlett of Holland High School in Trelawny found a wallet with money amounting to $1,800, there was no question that it had to be returnedm and he did just that.
"I know it was not mine, so I carried it back," he said. "I don't want them to search me and call me a thief."

Daniel was honoured for his honesty during a special ceremony during school devotion yesterday morning. In recognising that he came from humble beginnings, the school's principal, Pauline Reid, lauded Daniel for his honesty and offered him up as an example for other students to emulate.

"He found the wallet in the boys' bathroom and brought it to me immediately," said Mr. Marlon Campbell, vice-principal at the school." He said, 'Sir, I found this in the boys' bathroom,' and presented it to me. I asked if there was money in it, and he said yes.

"When I asked how much he said he did not know. Obviously, he was not interested in the money."
Brought up in a household that looks down on stealing, a notion that is reinforced in his class, which is, coincidentally, named Grade Seven Honesty, young Daniel told The Gleaner that his parents taught him "not to take away anybody's money and not to fight."

PROPER VALUES
One of the new schools built under the Government's North West Jamaica School's Project, Holland High School tries to instil proper values and attitudes through innovative techniques such as naming the classes after desired qualities, for example, Grade Seven Honesty. There are weekly class competitions and 'Student of the Week' awards.

"Every Monday morning, we try to recognise students who have displayed any kind of exemplary behaviour pattern," said Mrs. Reid. "When we thought about Daniel's situation and how he handed in this billfold (wallet) and was not even tempted, we thought that it was something that ought to be acknowledged. We opted to do it this morning so that the other students could see that this is an act that ought to be emulated."

Daniel received a gift package. 
 

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