New Science Lab for West St George Secondary

Describing the opening of the West St George Secondary School Science Lab on Monday, May 16, as the “beginning of something that can change the lives of every student”, Principal Asfo Stephens encouraged his students to maximize the usage of the new facility.{{more}}

Stephens, who assisted teacher Kristina Noel in the cutting of the ribbon of the new science lab, expressed a desire to see future doctors, scientists, nurses and chemists emerging from using the Lab. Noting that the motto of the West St George Secondary School was “Excellence through Education”, Stephens said every improvement made at the school was in an effort to give students a well rounded education so that they could attain higher heights. Stephens also mentioned the need for more medical practitioners as he described the plight of his own wife who recently became ill and had to be flown out to another country.

He expressed his wish to see more medical specialists so that lives could be saved and described the new Lab as a nurturing ground for future professionals.

Math and Office Administration teacher Kristina Noel who initiated the project as part of her practical course work towards gaining a Bachelor’s degree in Education at University of the West Indies also described the lab as a nurturing ground for future medical workers and thanked the various persons who assisted in the Lab’s development, notably, the Mustique Charitable Trust for their contribution.

An appreciative Head of Mathematics and Science department, Bernadette Slater, also pointed out that the Lab would give the students a more hands on approach to the sciences which would not only enhance the students learning but also the teachers’ methodology. Slater, however, stressed that the five year stint without a science lab taught the students how to “work with what they had, until they got what they wanted” and was ecstatic about her students being able to write the CXC CSEC Integrated Science exam next year.

Featured speaker at the event, Headmaster of the St Vincent Grammar School, Frank Jones, congratulated everyone for their contribution towards establishing the science lab and gave an exciting demonstration of how chemical compounds were used to create new ones. Jones said that the new lab will help students become active participants so that learning will be enjoyable and called on the students to adopt the right attitude towards utilizing the new facility. He wrapped up by encouraging the students to think big and become the future inventors of cures for various ailments.