Beach Allen Primary team up with overseas educational institutions

Teachers

ZIZ News…March 19, 2013 — The Beach Allen Primary School held its annual Teachers’ Professional Day on Friday 15th March 2013, under the theme “Enhancing the teaching product through the use of manipulatives and technology”.

The staff of twenty-five (25) along with eighteen (18) other teachers from the primary schools around the island gathered at the CDU conference room for the inaugural international mathematics workshop conducted by the staff of Old Dominion University in the United States of America. Teachers from the primary schools on Nevis also shared in this activity.

This workshop was the brainchild of Mrs. Emileta Warner-Paul, Principal of the Beach Allen in collaboration with Mrs Brenda Scanelli. Mrs Brenda Scanelli and her husband John Scanelli have been faithful donors to St. Kitts and Nevis for over five years donating thousands of dollars in books, furniture, electronic equipment, mathematical manipulatives and other school supplies.

Using Cuisenaire rods to teach the number concept

Given the CSEC results in mathematics over the past years, this workshop is indeed a welcomed intervention. Changes to the mind-set in any problematic area must start at the infancy stage thus the way to improve mathematics should start in the primary setting.

In related news, Old Dominion University has used this inaugural conference as the stepping stone to build a partnership with the Ministry of Education here in the Federation.

On the 25th and 26th March Dr. Devitis, Dean of the Darden College of Education will be visiting with Mr. John and Brenda Scanelli, our gracious donors, and would like to meet with officials of the ministry to cement that partnership that begun out of the workshop.