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The Willowdene Group of
Schools was beaming with activities on the morning of September 8th,
2008. It was the reopening of the school for the new academic year
08-09. The air was happy and delightful as the school was opening
its doors for the first time in its forty four years of existence
with a student population of over seven hundred students.
Here at the Willowdene Group of Schools we believe in a wholestic
approach to the education of the children entrusted to us by God and
their parents. As a result we utilize a comprehensive curriculum to
impart principles that impact the students’ physical, mental, social
and spiritual faculties thus providing a rounded education and
producing students of sterling character for service to God and man.
On behalf of the Administration and Staff I must express
appreciation and gratitude to our school Board, under the
Chairmanship of Pastor Everett Brown, President of Central Jamaica
Conference, for supporting the growth and development of the School
and for guiding the Administration. I must also thank, the Education
Department of the Conference under the directorship of Doctor Dudley
Mullings, for the close relationship we enjoy and the spirit in
which he works for the cause of providing Christian Education in
this great Conference. I want also to register my profound,
heartfelt thank you to my team of dedicated Christian Educators here
at Willowdene Group Schools.
On the behalf of the divisional heads Mr. Peter Williams, Mrs.
Angella Gyles and Mrs. Jacqueline Bennett I am pleased to share with
you, our stakeholders, some of the School's achievements during the
school year.
This year, is a year that will be long remembered by several private
schools as the most challenging year financially, especially against
the background of a world wide recession. At Willowdene we will
remember it not so much because of the financial challenges we
faced, but for the fact that we had far more to deal with than the
average private school this past year. Let me explain why; towards
the end of academic year 07 – 08 we commenced our plan to renovate
the 4386 square feet auditorium and build a cafeteria/tuck facility.
Towards the end of the Easter Term into the Summer Term we started
the renovations by knocking down sections of our auditorium, digging
up sections of the school yard as we broke ground for the new tuck
shop cafeteria. In the middle of all this came the financial crisis.
We saw our estimates for completion almost doubled in a few weeks
and the funds available depleting rapidly. What we remember most of
all, is not the demolished canteen, broken down sections of the
auditorium or the debris scattered over the campus as we moved into
the summer and closer to the starting of the new school year but how
God provided so that we were ready with our auditorium and canteen
to start school.
The challenges mentioned earlier were just the side winds that
awaited us. Further into the year the collapse of the US economy
brought on the recession that we are still facing. This is why I
personally believe that this educational programme of the Adventist
church is not of man but of God, inspired for our children
especially for these times. We are to stop seeing our lives through
the filter of the present and see them through God’s eyes. He sees
the victories we will have tomorrow. He sees our potential, not as
gatherers of spoiled grains but men and women who will have victory
after victory until the day He returns. Adventist Christian
Education in Willowdene Group of Schools continues to grow even in
these difficult times.
ENROLMENT
We are the largest
Seventh-day Adventist Institution of this kind in Jamaica, and the
second largest in the in Inter-America Division of Seventh-day
Adventist, with three (3) distinct schools in their own building
with divisional heads. The Early Childhood Division, being the last
School to be established, moved into its own building in September
2007 and has quickly grown from 17 students to just under 100
students when we closed this academic year. The Prep Division, for
the first time enrolled over 340 and the High School over 300. Our
current population stands at 738 students having lost some students
during the year due to the financial crisis.
Our schools enjoyed spiritual blessings and peace throughout the
entire year amidst the increase of crime and violence in schools
across the land. During the first term our Chaplain Elder Anthony
Gordon dedicated the first Week of Prayer Session to building the
spiritual armor of the student population by changing the focus of
the session from the usual preaching and teaching of the word and
altar call to focus on prayer in the High School Division. Each
morning there was a different prayer focus: academic success of each
student, student’s commitment to Christ, improved student
citizenship/behaviour, improved student/teacher rapport and the
success and safety of supporting parents/guardians. The Early
Childhood and Preparatory Divisions also participated in the week of
prayer with presenters Mrs. Mary Cole and Pastor Howard Grant
respectively. We believed that it is our dependence on God and Him
being the centre of our school’s programme that kept us during the
year. The Spring Week of Prayer Session, conducted by Pastor Thomas
Bryan, saw five students surrendering their lives to the Lord Jesus
in baptism.
The Touch a Life (TAL) programme launched the previous year by the
PTA continues to assist needy students with lunch, travel, books
and, medical bills to over $60,000.00 this year. The school teachers
and students fed 62 street people, visited the homes of the aged and
children and issued toiletries, toys and clothing.
PLANT DEVELOPMENT
This year we were able
to complete the 4386 square feet multipurpose facility which
includes the complete renovation and modernizing of the schools’
auditorium and the building of a cafeteria/tuck-shop facility which
is now shutter opened into the auditorium and a music room. This
facility can seat up to seven hundred persons and is available for
rent for weddings, banquets, concerts, conferences, seminars
workshops etc.
The Preparatory Division play area is now functional after it had
been out for some time due to the construction of the cafeteria. The
secure area hosts a monkey bar, swings, seesaw and a slide. The
upgrading continues into the new school year.
ACADEMICS
Of the thirty three (33)
students who sat this years' Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) four
(4) were placed into newly upgraded high schools while twenty nine
(29) received placement in two technical and 9 traditional schools
including St. Jago, St. Catherine, Jamaica College, Camperdown,
Calabar, Wolmers Boys, Meadowbrook and Ardenne. It must be noted
that this set of results is a 9% increase over last years’,
increasing from 81% - 90% of the candidates gaining places in
traditional schools. I am proud to report that 26 of the 36 students
last year remained in our High School programme including the top
boy Glenric Morgan who was placed at Ardenne High School. This year
before 20 of the 27 students remained.
The preparatory division continues to do well, performing
consistently above THE NATIONAL AVERAGE in GSAT. The average score
in the school this year is 74.6% across all subject areas. The
average score for Communication Task score is 10/12 and no child got
below 9/12. Most students scored 10 & 11 and our top boy scored
12/12. Our top girl Gavaskia Smith scores were; Language Arts 89%,
Science 93%, Social Studies 96%, Mathematics 88% and Communication
Task 11/12. Our top boy Javed Grant scores were; Language Arts 96%,
Science 93%, Social Studies 93%, Mathematics 99%, and Communication
Task 12/12. Both received their first choice school Ardenne High.
Last year for the first time students of the High School Division
sat a total of 23 subjects at the CSEC level (CXC Examinations).
Included in this number were two new subjects: Electronics and
Economics. A 50% pass was achieved in both areas. Of the 21 typical
subjects, students received 60% - 97% pass in 14 of these and a 100%
pass in the other 7 areas. We had 100% pass in Straight Biology,
Integrated Science and Physics and 80% pass in Mathematics. We
continue to perform consistently at the CSEC Examinations to the
extent that the CXC examining body has asked some of our teacher’s
to be markers. This year, the head of the Modern Language
Department, Mrs. Michelle Fowler; the head of the History, Social
Studies and Geography Department, Miss Sophia Mitchell; and Miss
Nadine Manning for Mathematics participated in the marking of CSEC
Examinations. The head of the Art department Mrs. Vashti Brown has
been marking for CXC for a number of years.
Next September, Music and Physical Education will be taught to the
CXC level and by the next examination year students will be able to
write these subjects at CSEC moving our tally up to 25 subjects.
ACCREDITATION
The Adventist
Accreditation Association of Inter-America Division visited our
school in May this year and conducted a comprehensive investigation
into the operation of the High School programme based on Adventist
standards. The team of educators and financiers spent two full days
to complete the empanelling and at the end recommended the maximum
accreditation with an interim visit in 2012 to the Division. The
committee also commended the school for the high spiritual tone, the
quality of the language spoken by our students and the significant
improvement in our performance at the CSEC examinations,
particularly in Mathematics, the sciences and Information
Technology.
COMPETITIONS
The School participates
yearly in several national and regional school competitions. This
year however, our involvement was scaled down drastically to cut
cost and ease the burden on our parents due to the financial crisis
that prevails. However, we entered the following competitions:
1. The National Spelling Bee Competition,
2. Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Festival of the
Performing Arts,
3. Jamaica National Spanish Teachers Association Spanish Festival,
4. Jamaica Science Teachers Association of Jamaica
5. National Science Quiz Competitions,
6. Jamaica Public Service Company/Scientific Research Council of
Jamaica,
7. Jamaica Science Teachers Association Science Exhibition.
In my opening statements, I made mention of our determination and
commitment to our students. This School is not in business for a
financial profit. It is a church on a mission for God in education.
Nothing short of our best effort is given to our students. We
acknowledge that Seventh-day Adventist education is a choice that
parents make. Should they be encouraged to continue making this
choice in times like these? Yes! Even more now than before, not only
do our leaders need to see the need for our schools’ existence but
our stake holders also. When all is said and done, there still needs
to be that choice available for quality assurance and opportunity
for students to excel here and be prepared for eternity.
-Article by Elder Basil Tabannor,
Principal of the Willowdene Group of Schools
-Photo by Kemar T. J. Douglas
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