Trinidad and Tobago - Worldwide pan history was created within our 2013 Golden Jubilee, national panorama season at the schools’ panorama competition held at the “Big Yard,” Port of Spain, on February 3rd, when the St Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican School Steel Orchestra Under-13s copped a double hat-trick title, consecutively, playing Destra’s Vibes.
With a late start, the competition was opened with the national anthem played on the digital pan, for the first time, this, by two of its 11 year-old panists while, the school also attained boasting rights of being the first to have performed in two categories within the same competition – Under-13 and Under 21.
Just when many are of the view that responsible men ‘cannot’ be developed through boys raised by females, alone, this concept is proving to be wrong as the school’s 300-odd male student population is privileged to be managed by female principal, Colette Perez, is educated by only female teachers, is protected by female security guards, both steelbands are managed by Standard Five teacher, Rosemarie Abraham; calypso competition coordinator, Standard Five teacher, Elize Hackshaw-Carlow and carnival band lead by, Second-Year teacher, Maria Ramkissoon and Standard Three teacher, Elizabeth Dookie-Carlow.
Noted however, is an overwhelming percentage of students coming from extreme high-risk environments, but being undaunted by the day-to-day ripple effects demonstrated by the students, the fairer-sex teachers’ attention, love, academic and social-development initiatives are bearing fruit, slowly.
Apart from the robust pan, in-house calypso, mas and other programmes…teachers staying back after school dismisses and using part of the lunch period (free of charge) to help students with school work, playing predominantly male sports with students, exposing them to healthy life skills, creating awareness of responsible parental/social behaviour are just some of the initiatives adopted to help steer and keep the potential responsible men on the right track.
Ironically though, learning school work proves an uphill battle, but learning to play the pan proves to be an easy breeze, yet they both utilize the same measure of attention and learning capabilities. In observing this, students are encouraged to harness similar skill-set, and apply to school work. Teachers too, are also being called upon to retool their teaching methods and interaction with students, aimed at generating comparable emotions towards school and school work.
Not only did St. Margaret’s Boys’ School experience success at the Junior Panorama competition, but also at the Red Cross Children’s Carnival held on February 2nd with their 2013 presentation, Metamorphosis.
“Used as part of their science syllabus” says, Dookie-Carlow, Metamorphosis highlights the four “creepy-crawlers” thatmetamorphisize. King of the school band – “Wazka, Lord of the Dragon Fly” – in the 9-11 Individual category and “Renaissance of the Chrysalis (Stages 1 and 3)”, Couple’s category both won third place.
Despite the myriad of challenges, the St. Margaret’s Boys amassed 18 college passes over the 2011 and 2012 SEA examinations, respectively. Indeed, a young culture and upcoming academic force to be reckoned with!
Appreciation is extended to all who, not only contributed to the success of this carnival season, but also, to the all-round development of the students, and infrastructural improvements thus far, with special mention of parents and guardians.
For contact with the school: 868.624.4279
Full results for Trinidad and Tobago’s 2013 Panorama
Sandra L Blood is a Life Skills Consultant / Lecturer - in addition to being a Panist for 39 years
Contact Sandra Blood:
http://whensteeltalks.ning.com/profile/SandraLBlood
Click for WST’s Trinidad and Tobago Panorama 2013 coverage
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