OVER 65 pupils from 13 primary schools across North East Trinidad benefited from July-August vacation workshops hosted through the ongoing partnership between the Arrow Foundation, Woodside Energy TT, and the Ministry of Education.
The Arrow workshops were designed to ensure pupils maintain the momentum they achieved during the school term. From July 8-August 23 pupils were hosted at Toco Regional Complex, San Souci RC Primary School, and Rampanalgas RC Primary School, a media release said.
To expand the impact of their partnership, Woodside Energy and the Arrow Foundation will also host a literacy day outreach event during the upcoming school term, the release said.
Senior advisor of corporate affairs at Woodside Energy TT Sheldon Narine saw the company's input in the project as an investment in educating future leaders.
“At every level of our operations, sustainability is always built in as a key component. This concept extends to our social performance, especially in terms of building enduring and meaningful relationships with our host communities. There is nothing more sustainable than investing in the development of people, especially in terms of educating our future leaders. With the success of every single student, we are building better communities and a better country,” Narine said in the release.
[caption id="attachment_1105319" align="alignnone" width="758"] Zandaya Baptiste of San Souci RC Primary School gets some personal attention from Arrow tutor Marleen Shade. -[/caption]
One pupil who benefited from the Arrow experience, nine-year-old Zandaya Baptiste of San Souci RC Primary School, said she feels better prepared for the new school term.
“The vacation classes have really helped me. I was able to cover a lot of work and still have time to enjoy my vacation with my family and friends. I have improved my reading and writing skills, and I feel that I am much more prepared for when school re-opens in September," Baptiste said in the release.
Launched over three years ago, the remedial literacy training programme has benefited over 350 primary school pupils. It initially enrolled standard one and two pupils –who will now remain in the programme until they sit the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) exam. The literacy outreach initiative also provides support for standard five pupils sitting SEA exams each year.
Aliesha Gopaul of Salybia Government Primary School said she saw improvement in her skills since participating in the programme. She was initially reluctant to take part in the Arrow training. Gopaul, who is in standard four, slowly began to enjoy the multisensory computer-based learning system. Since starting, and based on her last assessments, she has demonstrated over two years’ cumulative improvement in her reading and spelling skills, the release said.
[caption id="attachment_1105318" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Pupils at Rampanalgas RC get some one-on-one support during the literacy training hosted by Woodside Energy and the Arrow Foundation. -[/caption]
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