Students told to stay on right path

Although there were no results nor announcements of where they would be heading in the new academic year, the Class 4 students of the Good Shepherd Primary were still afforded their traditional send-off as the school hosted its graduation ceremony earlier this week.

With the proceedings being held at the Black Rock Seventh Day Adventist Church, 12 boys and 14 girls were given the opportunity to say their goodbyes to the St. James institution.

The school fought its way through a challenging academic year under the theme ‘Success is a journey, not a destination’, and was able to reap success on several fronts including winning the Andrea Blackett Zone of the National Primary Schools’ Athletic Championships, led by solid performances from two of the graduands in Kiami-Rae Orford and Jayden Cummins. With the COVID-19 pandemic rearing its ugly head in the third term, the major challenge became the transition of delivery of classes from the physical plant to online, and faculty and staff at the school hopes to have given the graduates what they need to continue to do well in life.

Speaking during the ceremony, Principal Wilma McClean gave her students some pearls of wisdom as she urged them to continue on the right path to their futures.

“You will become the new students at your secondary school, the ‘newbies’ or the ‘freshets’. After spending your final year at the Good Shepherd Primary as prefects and leaders in the school, you will now meet new persons and make new friends. You will need to prove yourself constantly and to set a good reputation for yourself at your new school. Please remember to stay away from all forms of drugs and bad company and work hard and uplift yourself and your new school,” she said.

She then went on to remind the students to be proud of where they come from.

“It is time for you to leave this noble institution. I hope your time here was a rewarding one. Take all the positive experiences you have gained here into your new school. Try to make and be the difference from those who may want to lead you astray. Remember your school’s pledge, ‘Perseverance seldom fails’, and the fact that you are champions from the Good Shepherd Primary School.”

Pastor Dayle Haynes delivered the feature address and told the parents that he was proud of the work they had done to bring their children to this point in their lives. In his speech, he built his message around four points which are engineered to bring the richest quality of life.

“Gatorade asks ‘Is it in you?’ I am telling you today Good Shepherd that it is in you. And what is in you – success, ability, capability, excellence, brilliance, smarts. Boom! You have all of that inside of you. And these things are not outside, they are inside. But I’m saying to you also, as you fly, as you go, as you soar on your journey, have values, have morals, have principles. You know? Have scruples,” he said.

Going on to tell the youngsters that life requires more than talent, Pastor Haynes spoke to the other tenets in which he guided the graduates to choose their friends wisely and to always make the best decisions and never be caught offside.

“I want to tell everyone that is here that success is for everybody. So my graduands, take a screenshot with yourself, and take a screenshot because you are successful. In life it is not just your ability or your capability, it is your bounce-back-ability – how well you can bounce back. So what’s inside, who are the persons beside and please stay onside and by God’s grace, you will reach your upside.”

(MP)