At this mid-morning meeting with Minister Anthony Garcia, executive members of NAPSA also suggested working toward an integrated programme to develop after-school care by members of community (some of whom would wish to leave by 4 pm). Presumably to get home by dark because of social violence.

The obvious conclusion is that there is a progressive transformation of the very idea of childcare.

First of all, the primary caregivers, educators and models have shifted from parents and teachers and have now moved to community.

With the reduced lunch break (to better allow teachers to prepare), primary schoolchildren will spend less time in school and less time at home.

Apparently, it is envisaged that concerned (or should it be committed) community caregivers will take up the slack. Children will be at such facilities at an earlier stage. We are of course talking about primary schoolchildren, that is, children from the age of five to 11 years usually.

At this same meeting and on the heels of many commentaries that I recall on the subject immediately following the last SE A exam, the executive of NAPSA also discussed the Secondary Entrance Assessment Examination.

There seems to have been no suggestion that the distribution of children across districts, social classes or abilities should be changed. Or, indeed, that the whole thing should just be made obsolete. No. Instead private schools will be the model for a proposed change in the matter of how many hours children spend at school, and the status quo will remain the same.

If this suggestion is implemented, and if this “integrated” model of day care does not work, parents and society will simply have to bear the consequences. Since most average wage earners probably cannot afford extra day-care fees, there will no doubt be a rise in the instances of violence, or indiscipline, caused simply by neglect.

Alternatively, the pressure on young parents will grow and the frustration already evident in our society will increase. The matter is simple, since in many homes both parents work fulltime, or indeed there may be only one parent — usually the mother — and the cost of bringing up children and ensuring that they are well looked after is simply already too high.

While teachers are not babysitters, they do share a burden of responsibility for teaching moral, social and cultural values. As society changes, obviously these issues have to evolve. But is the solution a shorter school day? Are there no other mechanisms given the level of research and the committees set up over the years to look into school violence and an increasingly indisciplined and violent society? The fact is that over many years successive governments have discussed and paid for policy assessments and research that might lead to potential change, in fact exactly as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, Jacinta Bailey-Sobers, has suggested in another headline news item. She “challenges” public servants to “take the time to go over the many research studies, which have been produced at great expense by Government and determine what policies could come out of them.” The issue of course is more than policy formulation. It is about implementation. But she is right.

All those many documents collecting dust speak to something deeply sinister and rotten at the core. They speak to a deep-seated desire to resist change and to pretend all the while that things are getting better.

Bailey-Sobers noted the research into disability matters as examples of these failures to formulate policies. Research by institutions such as the UWI should provide considerable fodder to enable change. But we see no change in actual budgets or personnel or even training and certainly not facilities.

But to go back to primary schools, how many commentators have pointed out the relationship between societal violence and a school exam system that creates cartels of and for the elite and that marginalises both those with little incentive to learn and those who face challenges to learning? Instead of taking on board the considered opinions and the research into violence and marginalisation, a union is recommending that the State shorten the time spent in school and place the burden of responsibil – ity on those very communities which are already hard-pressed to nurture and protect their young.

Speaking last week at an interfaith service at the St Michael’s and All Angels Anglican Church, Diamond Vale, Wong said the present crime situation and the gang violence has the put the country on a track where no one feels safe.

“Each one of us has been touched by the present crime situation in our country. Gang violence is an attack, not only on individuals and our communities but on the rights and freedom which is enshrined in our constitution.

It prevents the elderly from taking walks in their neighbourhood, it creates an environment of fear.

Some believe that our nation has reached a point of no return.

While these factors cause despair we are reminded in scripture that with God nothing is impossible,” she said.

Wong said during this period of distress, uncertainty and hardship citizens need to be faithful and fervent in prayer.

“It’s during times like these we are reminded of our responsibility to humble ourselves before Almighty God. We cannot expect healing for our nation if we do not obey God through his holy Word.

They keep trying to scuttle what is going to happen.” Young stressed, “This government does not interfere with the internal affairs of any country, including a democratic state.” He told MPs, “ I can give the assurance here now that the parties are continuing to work on schedule and hope to deliver on time.” Later in the sitting, Energy Minister Franklin Khan indicated that State oil Petrotrin incurred a cost of $3.99 million as a result of cautionary closure of its installations in anticipation of proposed strike action by the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) earlier this year.

This was evidenced last month when the Rotary Club of Maraval formally handed over musical instruments to the school, solidifying its music education ambitions. Acting principal Ben Niles proudly received the items on behalf of the students and faculty.

At a simple, but eventful ceremony held at the school, Rotarians cemented their 18-month courtship with the school, which began with the executive’s decision to pay the salary of a music teacher. It continued with the formalising of the music programme which achieved many positives to date – the formation of the school’s choir and music band.

It came as no surprise that the budding entertainers were eager to show their gratitude, which took the form of an enlivening performance. The song All That I Am was delivered by the junior music band, while the senior outfit rendered the selection Love One Another.

The two-song repertoire was performed under the direction of music teacher Jeanine Ruiz and music co-ordinator Ayanna Joseph.

The Rotary Club of Maraval found a willing partner in the People Bridge Charitable Foundation of Toronto, Canada when it set out to acquire music supplies for La Seiva RC Primary School. Two digital keyboards, six music stands, one cuatro, microphone board stand, keyboard amplifier, six guitar hangers and education music charts to cultivate future music maestros were among the furnishings that now occupied the music room.

When Mary Charles, the Rotary’s project chairman undertook the project, she was keen to communicate that music was to be a way of life at the school, rather than a past time. So when officials at the educational institution advanced a request for a designated music room and air-conditioned, the club raised and invested $60,000 to ensure this was realised.

Rabindra Outar, assistant district governor, north clubs lauded the initiative by the Rotary Club of Maraval, citing that it covered two of the six of pillars of Rotary International: economic and community development and basic education and literacy “Musical training helps develop language and reasoning, also teamwork, a sense of achievement, better self-confidence and musical instruments can teach discipline and of course, can be relaxing. Who knows what the future brings? Your school may produce another Machel Montano, Calypso Rose or even Harry Belafonte, all of whom took our local calypso to the international stage,” he said.

Outar continued, “This year, out theme is Rotary Serving Humanity.

Our Rotary International president John Germ says, the most worthwhile thing a person can do is serving humanity.

Everyone should also look for an opportunity to change the world for the better, whether it is by providing clean water to underprivileged communities, promoting peace in conflict areas or strengthening communities through basic education and literacy.”

He added that paying the sum of TT$17,000 annually in property tax to the US government has sensitised him to the difficulties that many in the country will face when the property tax goes into effect.

In a telephone interview from overseas, on Saturday, Ramadhar reiterated the property tax will bring hardship to many homes. “I do have a problem with the property tax, it is a burden I have to carry.

I know now the difficulties that many of our citizens will face if they don’t pay. If I don’t pay it here ( in the US) I will lose my property and for the Minister of Finance to personalise it, to suggest that this battle is about Prakash Ramadhar shows how superficial he is.

“It has always been about the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

Prakash Ramadhar can pay his property tax because of hard work, and a long legacy of hard work in his family, but there are many in the society who cannot do so. As a member of the Parliament, I speak for the oppressed and that’s what it is about, ” he said.

Continuing to criticise the property tax, Ramadhar insisted it will bring no immediate benefit to citizens who are already facing severe hardships because of the high cost of living. He said the monies collected will not go to local government but into the Consolidated Fund where Government can use it for what he called, “some hairbrained project such as a highway to Toco which will not bring any real benefit to the citizenry.” Ramadhar revealed he is in the process of putting together a team of lawyers to mount a legal challenge against the property tax and is also mobilising people all across the country to write their MPs, including PNM MPs, telling them they do not want the property tax.

He plans to host a property tax forum at the St Augustine community centre on Tuesday at 6 pm where persons can share their concerns and have questions regarding the property tax answered.

The organisation’s mission is a dedication to “supporting our brothers and sisters in the most impoverished regions in Trinidad and Tobago to help needy children in their area.” It has targeted Toco/Matelot as the first area to benefit from its intended purpose.

Some of those authors have a book that is so successful, they can never write another book in their lives.

Other writers fumble around trying to write that second great novel, but never achieve the goal.

Below is a list of my favourite books by authors who have written one great book.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen – One of my all-time favourite books – as well as one of the favourite books among my YTC students, Water for Elephants is the touching story of ninety-year-old Jacob Jankowski as he looks back on his life in the circus. Faced with the unexpected death of his parents, a penniless Jacob joins the circus only to find cruelty beyond his imagination.

Water for Elephants is a memorable love story and a moving story of facing adversity and protecting those you love. Sara Gruen has written other novels such as Riding Lessons, At the Water’s Edge and Ape House, but none of her novels ever measured up to Water for Elephants.

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – The sweeping saga of Katie Scarlett O’Hara and the vanishing South during the US Civil War, is still one of the best love stories ever written. After the novel’s publication, Mitchell spent the rest of her life trying to manage the tremendous success of her Pulitzer-prize-winning novel. Fans clamoured for a sequel, but Mitchell wouldn’t comply with their wishes.

Except for Lost Laysen, a novel Mitchell wrote when she was a teenager, Mitchell never wrote any other book. She was killed by a drunk driver while walking along the street with her husband.

Tsotsi by Athol Fugard – South African writer Athol Fugard is known for his television scripts and screenplays including Tsotsi, Gandhi and The Killing Fields.

Early television in the 1950s featured many of Fugard’s scripts, but Fugard wrote only one novel, Tsotsi, the story of a rough, gang member whose life changes when he finds an abandoned baby. Tsotsi, the man with no name, who is only referred to by the Afrikaans name for gang leader, is a remarkable story of compassion. A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole – Few characters in literature can match Ignatius J Reilly described as a “huge, obese fractious, fastidious, latter day Gargantua, (and) Don Quixote of the French Quarter.” This rip-roaring tale of Ignatitus’s adventures is one of the funniest American novels. Tool’s mother published this brilliant piece of humour and satire after Tool committed suicide.

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy – When Arundhati Roy won the Booker Prize for fiction in 1997 for her moving story of of twins living in south India and dealing with their mother’s choices in life, I couldn’t wait to read what she would write next.

Her novel, beautifully written, broke many rules about form and structure. Arundhati Roy certainly was an iconoclast.

It never crossed my mind that what appeared to be a semi-autobiographical novel featuring a twin who stops speaking, would turn out to be the only novel Roy would write.

Over the years, Arundhati Roy has written many essays, but no more fiction.

The Humming-Bird Tree by Ian McDonald – This coming of age story by Trinidadian author Ian McDonald is a Caribbean classic. Set in colonial times, The Humming-Bird Tree tells the story of Allen, a British boy and his relationship to two Indian children in the village.

This is the only novel written by McDonald, who is known for his poetry.

Sometimes it takes only one great novel to make an author’s career.

Sylvester observed this year’s competition has been “really stiff”, admiring the work of new and older poets.

“The competition is stiffer and the poets better.

It is just a testament of how spoken word is growing in Trinidad and Tobago.” Sylvester, in an interview on Friday, said the poets were more professional in terms of their topics and approach.

“You can see local poets really growing and improving their craft all around.” He predicted the show will be impactful as the issues to be addressed are one which many people can relate to.

“You do not want to miss this show.” The Grand Slam, part of the 2017 NGC Bocas Lit Fest, is being held at Lord Kitchener Auditorium, National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port-of- Spain.

Jean-Claude Cournand, managing director/ founder of the 2 Cents Movement which organises the event, explained the competition evolved out of the Verses Poetry Slam at the University of the Southern Caribbean in 2012.

The following year, they teamed with Bocas Lit Fest and the competition became Verses Bocas. It remained Verses Bocas up to 2015, and when in 2016 First Citizens came on board as lead sponsor the competition was renamed the First Citizens National Poetry Slam. The finalists include 2014 Verses Bocas Slam winner Idrees Saleem and 2016 Courts Bocas Secondary Schools Spoken Word Intercol champion Shineque Saunders.

Cournand said this year, the sixth edition of the original slam, “looks exciting”. He reported the poets have been practising and working together, discussing ideas and concepts for poems.

However, he believes the art of spoken word still has a long way to go to establish itself.

“The competition is young and still vulnerable.

Every year is a fight and we cannot take for granted that it will carry itself.” Cournand said there are some people who do not like the idea of a competition or a poetry slam, or feel poets are just competing for the money. But in every artist in the finals, “you can see the level of work, focus and dedication they put into their craft”.

Thirty-four poems were produced for the semifinals which were narrowed down to tonight’s 13. Cournand said these pieces become part of artists’ repertoire and what they perform regularly.

Because of the competition, the poets push themselves in ways they did not even know they could and are “rewarded justly.” Some poets have been able to earn enough money to continue their art and work.

He pointed out that after Sylvester won last year, he was able to perform at a number of places.

Cournand gave the analogy of the Soca Monarch competition pointing out that many soca artistes would not have achieved prominence without that structure in place. He explained the slam is a strategic and important developmental tool, though not the only one.

He said there are other tools such as open mike sessions, performing in schools and paid gigs.

Cournand stressed that competition is not the “highest mode of existence” but it allows artists to ask themselves how can they better their craft and how do people perceive their work.

The $50,000 prize, more than double of last year’s $20,000, is the largest in the Caribbean and Latin America, and one of the largest in the world. He reported he has not found a slam with a larger prize; he found a poetry slam in Australia with a cash prize of US$5000 or more than TT $30,000.

The prize was appropriate for what spoken word means in this country especially with a rich oral tradition and heritage. TT , he noted, has a high number of spoken word artists per capita while in the United States it is still an underground, niche art.

“In Trinidad and Tobago it is beginning to carry a certain respect,” he added.

Cournand said the competition should be a premiere international event. On the growth of the competition, he said the show was of a high standard which attracted First Citizens to invest in it.

“People who come are impressed. We carving out a market out of almost nothing.” He said people could be “part of the bandwagon” later on or be a part now when spoken word is budding and emerging.

Cournand predicted spoken word would become mainstream, but it was fun to be part of the early stages, similar to being a part of calypso when it was still growing.

“Part of a moment of history in art,” he added.

The show starts at 5.15 pm and will include a tassa band, riddim section, DJ, a tribute to late Nobel Laureate Sir Derek Walcott and guest artistes.

In 2013, she started her own online business based on Facebook – an accessories store that showcased statement pieces that caught the eyes of many. Gradually, the Facebook page’s fan base kept expanding – and never stopped.

Kaysha’s first tangible store set-up was a pop-up shop type event, which she organised in her hometown, called “Missy Kay’s Trunk Show”. “I invited other small business owners in the community to showcase their products as well and to gain exposure,” she explains the driving force behind organising and hosting the trunk show, “and it turned out to be a success.”

After hosting her successful pop-up event, Kaysha’s sights were set on achieving the dream of her girlhood: owning and running her own boutique.

“After some time of sacrifices and the help of a great support system behind me – my husband, mother, and brother – my dream turned into a reality,” she reveals. In late July 2016, Kaysha hosted the grand opening of her very own store, Missy Kay’s Accessories (facebook.com/missy. kay.accessories), in her hometown of La Brea.

While she has been in business for 4 years, this is the mother’s first storefront boutique, and with a knack for style and statement fashion accessories, she has already tapped into a thriving market on our island’s south side.

Today, Kaysha speaks with WMN about her passion for her career, her pride in starting her first business in her hometown, and her reasons for opening a boutique focused on unique accessories.

Q What inspires your passion for what you do?

I am in love with what I do; I’ve always said that women ought to look their best for all occasions – whether they are mothers, career women, or rocket scientists. So, I enjoy giving advice as to what accessory will suit a particular outfit and a particular person. My number one goal is ensuring that my customers leave satisfied and with a smile on their faces.

Q Tell us more about your business Missy Kay’s Accessories – what services and products do you provide?

Missy Kay’s Accessories provides all customers with stunning statement jewelry. We carry accessories and knick-knacks that can fit any personality, occasion, and style. Our products include necklace and earring sets, bracelets, rings, clutches, handbags, and women’s clothing, all with a unique flair that is sure to make you stand out and feel good.

Q Why did you decide to focus on an accessories store?

I always had a thing for fashion and statement pieces – accessories are one of my “go-to” style items because they can complete and pull together a look seamlessly. You can be wearing the simplest dress but by adding a statement necklace to your outfit, the beauty of the woman is highlighted even more.

Accessories are like armor; they can help you feel protected and more confident. One of my mottos, as a woman, is you can never have enough accessories. The products are always in demand. The trends in accessories also change frequently and I have always been at the head of the game when it comes to keeping up with the new and popular styles.

Q Who is your target market, and can you tell us about the trends you’ve witnessed among your own customers?

My target market is based on all women, young and old. At Missy Kay’s, we carry pieces that all women can connect with and feel proud to wear. And just as my pieces are all handpicked and unique, my customers are all unique in their own way. I see them as the trendsetters. They love to mix and match to create their own style.

Q You are located in La Brea – how does your location influence and inspire your business?

Being located in my hometown – especially having a storefront – brightens up the community. It adds something new, offers ease and access to residents, and can inspire community members to open other small businesses.

There are a lot of small business owners in the community and visitors are sometimes shocked to see how much the area has developed in recent years and I am proud to be a part of this development in my community. Having a fashion accessories store in the area makes it more convenient for customers who are residents of the community. We also help save them the trouble of going through “Trinidad Traffic” to the mall!

Q What are some of the best-selling accessories and items at Missy Kay’s and what are some of your favourite items?

Some of the best-selling accessories are our statement necklaces. Personally, I’m in love with unusual and chunky pieces.

Q What’s Missy Kay’s Accessories’ best selling points? Why should customers check you out?

Our best selling points are the statement pieces and unusal women’s clothing – believe me when I say, there is something for everyone. We live up to our tagline, “Elegant. Impressive. Affordable.” You’re guaranteed to walk away satisfied.

Q Last words or thoughts?

I am beyond blessed and grateful for where I am today as a young entrepeneur. The road is not easy, I had a lot of obstacles to cross to reach to where I am at now, but by the grace of God and the support of my loved ones, I have accomplished a lot. I always try to encourage others who are interested in starting their own businesses and being their own boss to not to give up on their dream. Put it into reality. We must all start small at first but the sky is the limit.

Meditation is the most fundamental forms of mindfulness that can take place in many various forms – from prayer being a form of meditation to more Eastern traditions such as chanting. Luckily, the mysticism associated with meditation in itself has largely subsided and numerous research points to the benefits of mindfulness. We explore a few scientific benefits from the act of meditation.

Stress Reduction Anxiety is on the rise – we are now hard-wired to our phones and devices – to the rings, pings and dings, alerts, likes, follows and all that comes along with our connected culture.

But the downside to that is an unsettled mind – and disease is just that – dis-ease. You need a calm and settled mind in order to go about your day but your body also needs it to do its daily work. With anti-anxiety medication uptake on the rise, do you think you can find just 10 minutes a day to change your life? Meditation increases your ability to regulate emotions in the brain – and what is life if not a series of emotions.

Better Concentration Last week at yoga class, the instructor asked if we could just find ten seconds to keep our thoughts at bay and our mind clear. TEN SECONDS. Back in the late 1990’s when I just discovered the usefulness of meditation, the tapes and books would ask for minutes. In 2015, a study by Microsoft noted that people generally lose concentration after eight seconds.

Prior to the mobile revolution, it was 12 seconds. So congrats, you know have an attention span lower than a goldfish – which clocks in at nine seconds. Meditation can extend that – helping you get more done in less time.

Self-awareness, happiness and acceptance Sounds a little loopy doesn’t it? Do we need more acceptance and self-awareness? Look at our increasing rates of crime, incidents of violent road rage and even obesity. We do and meditation can get you there simply by the way it changes the focus, vibration and intention of your day. Suffering in a situation doesn’t mean you actually have to suffer – meditation can change your perspective on it, to _ nd ways around, under or through. Or perhaps you just need a powerful jolt to not feel down this morning, to not turn to that addiction, to not be sad.. meditation can powerfully rewire your thought processes. And as for happiness … try it and see for yourself.

Slower aging and better health Sara Lazar, a researcher at Harvard University reveals that meditators have more gray matter which literally equates to more brain cells. Her colleague, Elizabeth Hoge, also revealed in a study that meditators also have longer telomeres, which are the caps on chromosomes indicative of biological age (instead of age in terms of numbers of years) While it may not be that meditation lengthens life, it is highly possibly that it does improve overall quality of life by slowing the effects of stress (and thus aging) Making better informed choices first thing in the morning can also lead to better choices in your breakfast, lunch and dinner options – maybe even in your choice of friends, your career and more.

Need a life change? You just need to start with ten minutes a day.

More next week.

This advice is culled from dozens of books, medical studies, discussions with professionals and experience.

Always consult your doctor, your nutritionist or preferred health advisor before starting any health changes. Most of all, listen to your body and honour yourself.