Hope Academy marks children’s day

VK Krishna Menon proposed the idea of Universal Children’s Day to the United Nations General Assembly and November 20, 1959 was selected as the day of celebrating Rights of the Child.

The preparatory school has planned a day of fun activities, with some surprises, for the pupils, which include an inter-house spelling bee and reading competition followed by lunch and planned outdoor games. Says parent, Natalie Morales: “The day is devoted to having fun with the students, as they are given the opportunity to play and relax before going into their endof- term test period.

“In recognition and celebration of children around the world, the students are asked to come to school on Friday, coming dressed in national wear or national colours of any country around the world. Students must be able to tell their peers which country they are depicting and give some basic facts about that country.” Hope Academy Prep is the first privately-owned and operated full-time Christian elementary school in Sangre Grande. The school was born in direct response to the growing number of complaints that parents have about the public school system, such as, overcrowded classrooms, absent teachers, high incidences of bullying and violence, poor instruction and the high number of young people who are falling through the “cracks” of the public school system.

Says Morales: “At Hope Academy we believe that every child deserves the right to learn in a safe, comfortable, nurturing environment and be provided with positive support systems in order to avoid the pitfalls that could derail their academic performance.

“Hope Academy’s goal is to provide a well-structured learning environment that caters to, and looks after, the all-round development of every child.” Each child is therefore provided with the necessary instruction, learning support systems and pastoral care required to help him or her achieve highest potential (intellectually, physically, emotionally, spiritually and morally). As a Christian institution, strong emphasis is placed on the pupils’ moral character and citizenship, education and development which have all become crucial in today’s society where our nation is threatened by a lack of care, consideration and compassion for our fellow men.