An extra-curricular tale told by trophies

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer

There is a gleaming double row of trophies in the principal's office at Meadowbrook Prep School, telling a glowing tale of student achievement outside of the strict academic setting - which the school is very strong on. However, principal Gloria Francis says "the extra-curricular activities are given special focus here because we believe in the holistic development of our children".

The Sunday Gleaner is given a sheet with an impressive list of extra-curricular activities, among them dance, Brownies, School Challenge and debate, sign language, speech and drama, sewing and karate. The trophies show that the programmes have had an impact outside the school; among them are a World Zen-Do Kai Kan Karate Organisation trophy from 2003, the JCDC National Speech Finals Award 2008 Class Three Experimental Dub Poetry Ensemble Males and the Mona Prep/Sports Gear Track and Field 2005 Class 1 Champion Girl.

Winners all round

Meadowbrook Prep won the Port Authority Cricket Competition in 2004 and the quiz contest that year as well.

Apart from the extra-curricular activities, though, Meadowbrook Prep students interact with the wider community in other ways. Francis says that there is a special post-GSAT programme for the students who are on the verge of secondary level education. "We have a special programme where they visit homes, they do community service, visit places of interest in the community," she said. The programme runs from April to May and Francis points out that "it does not cut down academic work. It ties in with the academic programme".

There is also the Friday Pledge, where students contribute money. That money, combined with the offering at the Christmas programme, is donated to charity.

Meadowbrook Prep students are organised into houses, Gartshore, Saunders, Sullivan and Davidson, named after persons who have made significant contributions to the school. School begins at 7:50 a.m. and there is a staggered dismissal, the three- to five-year-olds ending their school day at 1 p.m., the six- to eight-year-olds at 1:45 p.m. and the remaining students at 2 p.m.

Francis says that "we have a resource room where we cater to children with reading difficulties. If a child has difficulty keeping up, we pull them out and send them to the resource room". She also notes the guidance programme, which has a conflict resolution aspect as "we try to be proactive in what we do". And there is the computer lab, which has benefited from a recent donation by Scotiabank, the teachers having wireless Internet access in the classrooms.

Students are trained to be public speakers and table etiquette is a part of the school's personal deve-lopment programme.

Francis tells The Sunday Gleaner that not only are the teachers highly trained, with diplomas and degrees, but they are also expected to participate in ongoing staff development seminars.