Students commend teachers at Blanchisseuse High School

Forty-eight students graduated in a ceremony that lasted just over three hours at Blanchisseuse High on Thursday July 6. In only the second graudation function of its kind to take place at the Blanchisseuse High School, commonly known as BHS, class Valedictorian, Leston Hernandez openly admitted that he did not want to come to the school after having been placed there. Leston alluded to the reputation of the school in the public as ‘Gouti High.’

However he stated that after having come there and experienced the quiet and clean ambiance, and dedicated staff that others will want to attend this school. He commended his teachers, who he said sacrificed their lunch times to help students, in addition to giving lessons free of charge after school.

It was the guest speaker, Gerard Granado, General Secretary of the Caribbean Conference of Churches CCC, who gave the students key questions to reflect on. “What is your mission?” “Where are you going?”, and “What do you hope to achieve?”

Granado was invited to speak by school principal, Phillip Kalloo, both having previously taught at the St Anthony’s College. Granado sought to use an example he felt the school community would be familiar with. He spoke about a conversation he once heard among some fishermen, where one fisherman announced to the other, “A nous allez Gasparee and if d tide against we, we go go Carenage;” the english translation of the patois: “Let us go to Gasparee.” Using this as his point of departure, Granado pointed out the many lessons that could be learnt from the fisherman. One such was that from the statement, it showed that the fisherman was mission oriented; that he had a plan and destination. The other point he drew on was that the fisherman had a back-up, or contingency plan, if the tide wasn’t favourable to him. Granado told the students that they too will come up against many tides that will not be favourable to them, but that they should always have a contingency plan.

Granado also stressed the point that the fisherman was inclusive in his goal, and warned against the popular train of thought which links success with individualism. Granado noted that success is a ‘we’ thing. He also urged them to be proactive in creating opportunities, or spaces to fulfil their potential and to have a real say in what goes on around them, particularly as it related to planned development that was taking place in the community of Blanchisseuse. He then urged them not to be afraid of their imagination which would be key to realising the potential inside of them, this as he cited the recent successes of the Soca Warriors as an example of realised potential.

As part of the ceremony the students displayed their talents with several cultural pieces, including musical performances on the steelband and with recorders, as well as dance and talkcalypso performances.

Greetings were brought from the parliamentary representative for the area, Penelope Beckles, through a representative Mariana Self-Joyeau, who also spoke on behalf of the parents.

Anthony Dalrymple, School Supervisor III, brought greetings on behalf of the Ministry of Education, and Andrew Hernandez spoke on behalf of the school board. Teachers of the graduating class received special mention and awards for their contribution to the graduating class of 2006.

The students then received their graduation certificates which they proudly displayed to the gathering before departing.