Back to school and better than ever

Smiles make it all worthwhile

Written by Leslie Wan on behalf of the Step Centre

It has been awhile since we have given a shout out from our lovely little school where the children thrive,love endures and smiles abound. Many wonderful things have been happening at the school, but like most of this island, we have been working under duress, as we all negotiate the dreaded chikungunya virus that has taken turns hop-scotching across our staff. It ran across the island. The dreaded "chik v" carrying mosquitoes have claimed many of us (including this writer) but blessings from above only two at a time in the staff and not all at once. We are saying many thanks that the children have not been overly affected by this and the staff have been champions as they continue to struggle through the after affects of a virus that is wicked and enduring. Mosquitoes are really a menace is our opinion. But, as always we are about the children, and making sure that they will be fine no matter the current trials and tribulations not under our control. After reading, please take a moment to see our Christmas cards to the right and consider ordering them to support our children.  

So let's start with the grateful giving that will also highlight our happy "doings" and where they will hopefully lead.

1. Special thanks to the German Embassy.....

We were blessed and grateful to the German Embassy here in Jamaica for their gracious grant which has allowed us to have our school fully grilled to better protect the building. Windows are all now secured with grills. This will allow us to move forward on future computer acquisitions. These computers will serve both to assist our students in school work, and also help us in our income sustaining revenue, such as our Christmas card sales and our seedling garden. Education is always enhanced by technology these days. It was a mandate for us from the beginning, that securing our environment was exceedingly important and we understand that sometimes all we do is about harnessing synergies to move to the next step in the progression. This grant also gave us the funding for the equipment (containers) we needed to begin the recycling component of our curriculum, as well as the equipment to begin our composting work which will help sustain our seedling garden. (Once again we are trying to teach important lessons as we teach the means to the protection of the environment)

Grilling  complete all over the school

2. Special thanks to the Grace Kennedy Foundation - Thanks to them for sharing resources and lessons with our children AND for their corporate giving.

Grace Kennedy has agreed to provide our school with a new computer and a laptop with the stipulation that we secure the school with grills. Bingo... we got the grilling and soon we will welcome the computers. With these computers we will better be able to do administrative functions, and, the computers will be used for training and for our income sustenance. The computers will help us to develop curriculum support material, give us the links for our future environmental component of the curriculum and help us to develop resource packs for ourselves and other schools of special education and early childhood curriculum. STEP Centre is always aware that while we care about our kids, we also have an obligation to highlight special education needs throughout the broader Jamaican community. Changing perceptions about special education leads to improving lives! 

In addition Grace Kennedy Foundation, in the body of Carolyn Mahfood, came and gave us information and training on basic recycling and the reduce / re-use principles. We got a recycling  box that we will collect plastics as a learning lesson on good environmental citizenship. We will also be recycling paper.  We are grateful to the Grace Kennedy Foundation for the IT equipment they have committed to, the recycling and environmental lessons they presented to the students and staff, and importantly, their vision that no matter the challenges our children face, they are worthy to teach them lessons that ALL children 
should have.  

Our children learning about recycling 

.                       Little of this and a little of that - playing catch up...........
.

Friday Penny Collection......We recently began a continuing campaign called the Friday Penny Collection. The principle of the "FPC" is to reinforce in our children that giving and charity to others is an important part of our lives. At the Step Centre we are endlessly grateful for all that our supporters give us, and the many ways we get supported as we pass on our special education mission. In return we understand that we must instill this same understanding in our children, and we must pass along that which is given to us. We want to teach our students the importance of paying forward in gratitude for what we receive. So, every Friday we will collect coins of any denomination and also money bills. All the money we collect will be going to the "Seven Oaks Wildlife Sanctuary" in St Ann, Jamaica. Wendy Lee, who runs the sanctuary, in turn will help us to develop a teaching resource pack on "Wildlife conservation and Animal Rehabilitation". Check out her Facebook page for where our coins will be going.           https://www.facebook.com/sevenoaks.jamaica

Brandon our proud Garden Manager

The Step Centre garden........Yep, our garden is still going strong. The children love the importance we place on living things, and it serves as a place where we can walk with the children when we need to quiet them, give them a little change of pace or even give them some visual stimulus as they use their walkers and wheelchairs. Teachers connect with them as they allow them to meander along the small walkway. Our seedling garden is ongoing and we sell some seedlings as we lock in the lesson of growing and sowing. Our garden now has a GARDEN MANAGER in the form of our young student Brandon who steadfastly is managing to write the sales receipts and bills for our seedlings, and counts our money sales. He packs out the seedlings from his wheelchair and even listens very intently as our gardener explains how he works with the plants and what helps the garden. It is a mission for Brandon, a sense of dedication to a cause and an acknowledgement that his work is important for the school and all the children. From our garden we have reaped at least 7 pumpkins so far and sold them. Some lessons and undertakings are far more than the financial gains, and more about the lesson of the mission and the sense of accomplishment that comes with the work. 

Our Basil - bright beautiful and full of aroma and nutrients

One of our pumpkins growing strong

Peppers ready to begin 

We Welcome 

Our new Special Education teacher appointed by the ministry. We welcome Mrs. Margaret Headlam who has a bachelors degree in special education and is working towards her masters in same. She has strong experience in methods of communication and behavioral issues.

We celebrated Heroes Day and emphasized important qualities our National Heroes had and how they apply to life today   

Finally ............Christmas is coming and we are beginning to work on the Christmas Concert...... Save the date!!! 
Dec. 17th It is always a highlight of the children's year and something they work hard for as a celebration in teamwork and sheer fun. The public is always invited to celebrate our students and the special Christmas "Vibe"..... Plan on coming.....Dec. 17th- once again .

Our take away thoughts for this blog post............... We are continuing to work smarter and better to connect the dots that lead to the next lessons for the children. We emphasize that no matter what our children ultimately accomplish in life, we will be a leader in getting them to have "life lessons" that are important for all of us, no matter our challenges. We are grateful for our continuing support by folks and organizations like you and we thank you for sharing along with our blog.

                Words by Leslie Wan as we support YOU! 

Life is like a garden. You will find many weeds, and even some thorns, but don't emphasize the negative and overlook the green wonders that abound in God's garden. Support the tender young seedlings that grow in your soul until they burst forth in a plethora of colors and textures and strengths of character. For if the seedlings are nourished, the weeds can not thrive and your soul is enriched and sustained. ......  

                                                           
                                                    Leslie Wan