Sun | May 24, 2026

Express Canteen lends support to Alpha development

Published:Tuesday | December 12, 2023 | 12:05 AM
Convent of Mercy Academy (Alpha) head girl Keanna Raphael (third left) reacts as she holds the sponsorship commitment from Express Canteen Services Limited during a presentation at the school’s auditorium recently. Looking on are (from left) David Steele
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Convent of Mercy Academy (Alpha) head girl Keanna Raphael (third left) reacts as she holds the sponsorship commitment from Express Canteen Services Limited during a presentation at the school’s auditorium recently. Looking on are (from left) David Steele, director of Express Canteen, Shemille Lewis, Peter-Gaye Gray, Nasya Fletcher, deputy head girl, Nickandra Nicholas, Sahen Grizzelle, student’s council president, Marsha Guiness, president of the Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) and Richard Lawrence, the PTA’s vice-president.

The Convent of Mercy Academy (Alpha) has received help towards construction and renovations to its bathroom facilities through a contribution from Express Canteen that will supplement costs.

The all-girls institution – through efforts from its Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) – has been undergoing construction to its infrastructure and a number of buildings on its South Camp Road campus in recent times, with its remodelled gateway the most obvious sign to the public of that costly fix.

Kali McMorris, the high school’s principal, noted Express Canteen’s support in partnering with the PTA to improve the facility and student experience.

“Express Canteen, the concessionaire that services our school’s population, has found it in their heart to make a contribution towards the school’s ongoing development and particularly the partnership of the PTA in making sure that our bathrooms, which many are over 100 years old, are functional and really in a suitable state for our young ladies to use,” McMorris shared. “We have a lot of ongoing infrastructural work that needs to take place and we’re really grateful to Express for this contribution as part of our family that they have seen it fit to ensure that our ladies continue and develop and grow in a way that will help them to be better citizens of Jamaica.”

Highlighting the importance of comfort in the learning environment, Alpha’s head girl, Keanna Raphael, and Sahen Grizzelle, the students’ council president, welcomed the contribution.

GRATEFUL FOR FUNDS

Raphael said, “Alpha is truly grateful … and the funds will go towards some school development that is really needed.”

Grizzelle noted, “This (construction) will facilitate a better learning environment and will also let the ladies feel pretty comfortable at school as they are at home.”

Prior to this donation, Express Canteen Services contributed to school-related expenses at Alpha, in particular its track and field team, and David Steele, the company’s director, said it speaks to their commitment and spirit of reciprocating.

“This donation that we’ve stepped up to provide for Alpha Girls is an expression of our continued commitment to the school and the spirit in which we live through in all of our institutions in terms of giving back,” Steele said. “It’s not just regarding the sports programme, it’s for a whole upgrade and betterment for the girls.

“The infrastructure work required that this contribution will go toward will have long-standing effects on the school, the girls, teachers and staff who need facilities as critical as the bathroom to be functioning properly.”

Marsha Guiness, Alpha’s PTA president, said their goal in coming on board was to assist with the growth and development of the institution by supporting areas of need shared by the “management of the school”.

“So the PTA had started raising funds towards the bathroom project and a portion of that project has been executed. But we’re very, very grateful for this contribution of $300,000 from Express Canteen that will go towards renovation and purchasing resources for the bathrooms so that the girls can have more comfortable bathroom facilities, sanitary facilities for their health and safety,” said Guiness.

“We are very, very grateful for this as we continue to put our hearts and hands together so that CMA, Alpha is the school of choice and our daughters are comfortable in all respects.”