McAuley Primary a beacon of light

Karen Sudu, Gleaner Writer

AMID CHALLENGES such as poor attendance, lateness and absenteeism, the shift system-operated McAuley Primary School on Windsor Road in Spanish Town has been a beacon of light with much cause for optimism. Each year since 2001, with the exception of 2003, McAuley Primary has been copping spots in the top-five of The Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee St Catherine parish finals.

The students, under the tutelage of coach Errol Campbell, have been defying the odds through fortified displays, emerging among the best in the parish.

"Davian Stewart has been the most outstanding representative. He placed second in 2007, won in 2008 and was seventh in the national finals. The following year, Davian again won, improving one spot ahead in the national finals," Campbell disclosed.

Interestingly, 10-year-old Javane Johnson, who represented McAuley in the 2010 parish finals, was runner-up to Stewart, now a first-form student at Jonathan Grant High School, still under the guidance of Campbell. Gifton Wright, Kingston's 2010 parish champion, a first former of Kingston College, is also a past student of McAuley Primary.

But, as principal Claudia Byer told The Gleaner, the institution's remarkable showing in the prestigious Spelling Bee, is as a result of Campbell's unwavering dedication.

"I must commend Mr Campbell. He teaches grade six. That demands a whole lot from him [but] I still expect him to perform well. Amidst all of that, he still finds time to do very well with his spelling group," noted Byer.

Students excelling

Vice-principal Nerissa Johnson also heaps praises on Campbell. However, she points out that the school has also excelled in other areas, despite being impacted sometimes by outbreaks of violence in neighbouring communities.

"We have won gold, silver and bronze medals in the JCDC (Jamaica Cultural Development Commission) speech and drama festivals. In 2007, we entered the clean-school competition organised by the National Solid Waste Management Authority and we placed third," Johnson said.

Moreover, the institution implemented a special initiative last January in a bid to improve the performance of students who sat the Grade Four Literacy Test.

"We started an intervention programme, where the students are grouped according to their ability, and so for one hour and 15 minutes each morning, we have that programme. We also have on board a literacy specialist assigned by the Ministry of Education," explained Byer.

She said that the programme in its short life-span has yielded modest success.

"In 2009, we had 50 per cent in mastery; there was an improvement in 2010, when we got 52 per cent. We were very happy to see the improvement, although we would have wanted a bigger mark, but we are grateful and for the grade four that is on board now. We expect to see better results in 2011," Byer stated.

The school is also anticipating the 2011 Grade Six Achievement Test, as last year a number of students who sat the examination obtained averages ranging from 70 to 90 per cent, which earned some of them places at traditional high schools, such as Calabar High and Kingston College.

However, there is an urgent need to address the nutrition of some McAuley's students. In this regard, Byer indicates that plans are afoot to restart a breakfast programme.

"Hopefully, with the assistance of the business community, because we really need help to do this, this month we will restart our breakfast programme. Many mornings, several children come to school without having breakfast and I know this affects their performance," she said.

In the area of sports, which the school administration believes is key to the total development of youngsters, McAuley Primary has made strides in football and cricket, despite the lack of a playing field.

"It's out there in the grass that we have our training for them for [primary school] champs, for cricket and for football. We have no playing field, and we are seeking help to pave our schoolyard. We really need help where the sports is concerned," the principal noted.

At the same time, Johnson adds that as information technology continues to play an integral role in education, the institution welcomes any assistance in this area.

"We had a computer lab in the past but, unfortunately, the computers are all now malfunctioning. We do not have a working computer in the lab. The current space is quite small too, so any assistance would be grateful, in the form of computer donation or financing to help us set up a functional computer lab," Johnson disclosed.

More than 300 of the 950 students enrolled at McAuley Primary are beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education.