Summer Literacy Program - FUN DAY and Award Certificates

Check out this post on our school Facebook page:

Post by Adelphi Primary School - St. James, Jamaica.

‘Every Child Can Learn, Every Child Must Learn’

What is Peace Corps/Jamaica’s Literacy project? And what do we do on a day to day basis?

Adelphi Primary School in St. James parish
 

Adelphi School

Christ Church Marley (adjoining the school)

I work at Adelphi Primary School in St. James parish; we are part of the Jamaican Ministry of Education (MoE) which provides education for 100,000 students.

The Adelphi Primary School was founded by the Anglican Church about 1880 and is associated with Christ Church Marley Anglican Church which adjoins the school. Adelphi is a small rural community; parents do not have much scope for employment in Adelphi - some do shop keeping or farming. Others go out of the community to work. 51 of 98 students are beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement through Health (PATH) free lunch. Larger schools have a ‘canteen’ or school lunch kitchen, but we get lunches delivered from the cook shop down the road.

The Library - one small cabinet



Stairway to Grade 1 and 2

4 teachers and the principal teach 6 grades. The building is sturdy (it has survived over 100 years of hurricanes), but there is a great need for repair and maintenance. There is a ‘play field’ behind the school – but no sports equipment available.

Grade 3

“Only about 50% of Grade 4 students achieve “mastery’ on their first try”

 At the end of Grade 6, students ‘sit for’ the Grade Six Achievement Examination (GSAT) in order to gain admission to high schools. The GSAT is a part of the National Assessment Programme, which includes the Grade Four Literacy Test. If a student cannot pass the Grade 4 test after multiple attempts through Grade 6, he/she will be placed into an alternative high school track.

 

About 25% of our students are 2 to 5 grades below expected reading level

Only about 50% of Grade 4 students achieve “mastery’ on their first try, and another 25% score ‘near mastery’. I have been using a standardized testing instrument to assess reading and comprehension – about 25% of our students are 2 to 5 grades below expected reading level – some do not know the alphabet completely.

Phonics games on the PC

Pull-outs – Peace Corps volunteers do pull-out sessions (tutoring)

Pull-outs – Peace Corps volunteers do pull-out sessions (tutoring) with small groups of students. Depending on their level, we are doing alphabet, phonics, guided reading, comprehension, and some writing exercises. Our school had one working administrative computer – but thanks to a grant from Digicel (cellular phone company) we now have 3 PCs and 1 laptop for student use. I’ve also set up an interactive whiteboard in my new Literacy Centre (actually a space off a hallway which we separated by using 2 very old moveable blackboards.

We now have ‘reading club’

The Reading Centre - blackboard walls

The Computers - almost all doors have bars and locks

Technology is the carrot we’re using to engage young learners who have been frustrated in the past. Instead of resisting, these kids wait lined up for their weekly chance to participate. And, before school, on breaks, and over lunch we now have ‘reading club’ where kids find a book on the table and sit and read silently or in groups.

With a ‘likkle bit’ of hoped-for extra funding, I want to set up WIFI in our 100 year old building so that we can access the internet from all 4 classrooms … not bad for a school where many of the windows panes are broken and desks are badly ‘mashed up’.

The Education System

The MoE says, “The former education system was established in an agrarian society, intended to maintain and reinforce a social structure characterised by a small white elite and a largely black labouring class, however it has now evolved into an Industrial and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Age.” The Education Act of 1965 established four educational levels: Early Childhood (ECE Age 3-5), Primary (Grade 1-6), Secondary (High School) and Tertiary (two public universities and several community, multidisciplinary and teachers’ colleges). 

Grade 6 graduation

My next steps…

On Monday we begin summer school – we’ve selected 24 students for a 4-week intensive literacy ‘boot camp’ to help them enter their next grade with a few more skills. The principal, one teacher and I will work with each student at his/her level. Again, since I’ve been able to set up computers, we will be using some great tools and videos to engage our students in the learning process.

Check out Adelphi Primary’s NEW FACEBOOK page

 Wish us luck! …and, if you want to see more, check our new web presence at www.Facebook.com/AdelphiPrimary. There are some more pictures of graduation, our trip to the zoo, and many more student centred events.
 

 

Trip to Jamaica Zoo in St. Elizabeth Parish

Grade 6 Graduation

Follow this link to see all 26 pictures of the "School Leaving and Prize Giving Ceremony" (Graduation) for Adelphi Primary School. It really was a wonderful experience.

Post by Adelphi Primary School - St. James, Jamaica.