St. Cecilia Urban Renewal Centre handed out school supplies to at least a hundred students Wednesday and encouraged parents to get more involved with students to complete their homework.
“We really don’t have a challenge as such, but we need the parents to get involved. I think that’s the biggest challenge,” said Rev. Robertha Rolle-Walker, manager of the Centre.
“We would call meetings and maybe six or seven parents would show up. We have a band in this community and if your children are coming to band practice, every week, twice a week, the least you could do is come out and hear what is going on with them.”
Inspector Hartman Nixon from the Grove Police Station spoke to the children about personal safety techniques, designed to protect them from becoming victims or participants in crime. He also gave them guidelines on the proper behaviour that adults expect to see from children.
“Inspector Nixon told the children how they should act in school and how they can avoid violence by not taking shortcuts when walking home from school,” said Mrs. Rolle.
“He also warned them about watching the friends they have and the company they keep.”
Pastor Arlington Rolle from Peniel Kingdom Ministries on Market Street and Palmetto Avenue prayed with the children before they received their school bags. He advised them to make a habit of attending church and participating in Sunday school.
“He told them they would live better lives and their schoolwork would be easier for them if they get involved with the activities of the church,” said Mrs. Rolle.
St. Cecilia Urban Renewal Centre works closely with the schoolteachers in the community at both Mable Walker and Yellow Elder Primary Schools. They observed that children get more attention from their teachers because teachers spend more time with the kids than the parents.
“I feel that if the parent would appreciate the teachers more, the people who are teaching their children eight hours a day, and take time to think about it, they would participate in what their children are doing,” said Mrs. Rolle.
“Some feel that the government pays the teachers so it’s a must, but they don’t know that teaching is a gift from God. Even though you have the academics, you don’t just stand up and teach. The wisdom and knowledge you need to teach children comes from God.”
St. Cecilia is primarily a small business community, with entrepreneurial and working class people. The urban renewal centre has many undisclosed corporate and individual sponsors that work along with the government programmes and donate their time and supplies to keep the centre in operation.
They provide law and health clinics to educate the community about what is happening around them socially.
“St. Cecilia is a great community and people here cooperate with us. We have community walkabouts with the Grove police station at least twice a month. The community is close knitted and we don’t have a crime problem per se. Everyone in the area knows one another so they try to stick together and do what they have to do,” said Mrs. Rolle.
By: Gena Gibbs
BIS Photo/Gena Gibbs
By Gena Gibbs
