Great fanfare at Glendevon SDA Basic School graduation

Karrie Williams, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

There was excitement at the Glendevon Seventh-day Adventist Basic School last Thursday when the graduating class of 2014 performed its farewell ceremony, with support from teachers, parents, and fellow students.

The group of 12 six-year-olds were clad in their uniforms, complete with matching corsages for their last hurrah at the school.

Aunchelle Johnson, who was one of the proud mothers at the ceremony, arrived from early to witness her daughter, Michalia Walker, achieve her first academic milestone.

"I feel great that she has achieved a good introductory level of education at Glendevon, and now that she is moving on to primary school, I am satisfied that she is ready to take on all that lies ahead," Walker said.

"I would like to thank the teachers for their patience and the time that they have invested in my daughter. They have helped me to be a better parent as I, too, have learnt from all the positive traits that I noticed in her," she added.

Throughout the ceremony, the graduates were serenaded with song and poetry from their three- and four-year-old schoolmates. They each received a graduating certificate along with a gift item.

Desrine Smith, the school's principal, said while running a school is not an easy task, the challenge is perhaps greater at the early childhood level when the cognitive and other vital life skills are at an important developmental stage.

She expressed gratitude to her staff and other members of the school community for their support throughout the school year. She also had a special charge for her graduates, in whom she expressed confidence, to succeed in life.

"Go and make us all proud," she said. "As you journey on through life, do so with love and care for one another. Remember to work hard and pray hard so that you will become successful adults who can, in turn, make a positive difference to the lives of others."