Three students win home and school computers from Digicel

Students of the St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown (SJCK) dominated one category of the Digicel’s Computer in Schools’ competition emerging as the top three winners and walking away with computers for their school, as well as one each for themselves.{{more}}

Other winners in the competition also collected their prize computers during a ceremony on Wednesday, January 19, 2011, at the conference room of the Curriculum Unit in the Ministry of Education..

The competition, which was launched in June 2010, was a back-to-school type competition, where students were requested to submit essays and posters to be judged by officials of the Ministry of Education. The three categories were forms one to two in secondary schools who had to write on “A day in my life as a cell phone.” Forms 3, 4 and 5 had to share their views on the topic “A cell phone is a necessary device for every student in today’s society”, and Primary School students had to submit posters depicting “A life of a cell phone” and “Cell phones made for use, not abuse.”

Three students from the SJCK took the top spots in the Forms 3, 4, and 5 category. Tashna- Lee McPherson, Lucinda De Roche and Sonya Lyttle took the third, second and first spots, respectively. In the form one to two category, second place Cheikh Diop of the St. Vincent Grammar School and first place Cassie-Anne Laidlow of the Girls’ High School were on hand to collect their computers. Third place went to the George Stephens Secondary School. In the primary school category, Kayann Williams of the Brighton Methodist School; Camelia Grant of the Spring Village Methodist School, and Jimal Glasgow of the Spring Village Methodist School took the third, second and first places, respectively.

Addressing the students at the ceremony, Country Manager for Digicel Sonia Polius encouraged them to use the computers as a tool to advance themselves. She also urged the students to work hard and be creative to succeed in life. Polius also thanked the Ministry of Education for its support in the initiative.

Senior Education Officer Aldia Dyer, also speaking to the students, explained to them that a tool can be used for both good and bad. Using the example of a pen, among other things, Dyer explained a pen can be used for good by writing beautiful stories and poems, but it can also be used in a bad way by writing words to condemn or to break down others. She implored the students to use the computers for the advancement of their education.

Jocelyn Blake-Browne of the Curriculum Unit, one of the judges of the competition, encouraged the students and teachers present to take more pride in their work and how it is presented. Blake-Browne added that the quality of the work presented was an issue. “Students, teachers, you need to take more pride in what you produce. It’s good that you took the time and effort, but in the future you have to pay more attention to the quality of the work you produce. Not just to be in the competition, but to be winners of the competition,” she said.

Andrew James, representative of Karib Cable, who partnered with Digicel in the competition, congratulated the students, urging them to always look on the positive side of life. Each student received a computer for themselves and each winning school also received a computer. The students also have an opportunity to receive three months free Internet from Karib Cable.