The Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School took a plausible decision when Monday this week, September 8, was set aside as Motivational Day for Third Form students under the theme I am a Promise. It is one of the largest forms at Campus A with the youngest students, fresh from Campus B, with special needs for settling in, getting off to a well-rounded start and building a foundation for higher learning and spiritual and social development.

The students filed across from Campus A and filled a large portion of the Campus B Auditorium where the newly-appointed Year Head, Michelle Queeley-Roberts, welcomed them, held a brief but rousing session of devotional singing. This was followed by several sessions conducted by a number of other persons involved in community life.

In addition to being Year Head for Form 3, Ms Queeley-Roberts teaches English Language, English Literature and Caribbean Studies in Forms 3 to 6. She holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Educational Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literatures in English and a Diploma in Youth Development Studies.

Asked by The Anguillian to comment on the Motivational Day programme, she explained: “It is designed to modify the behaviour of the students. Third Form is a difficult year group. They are going through a transitional and middle adolescent phase and, usually when they come over to us at Campus A, we have most of the problems with them and so we organised a number of motivational sessions for them.”
In addressing the students, Ms Queeley-Roberts said in part: “You, Third Forms and the other students, not only at our school but the primary and pre-schools, represent our hope. Anguilla is counting on you and I am sure that you have heard about the gang fighting and other forms of violence ...You are Anguilla’s bundles of promise and so the activities you are going to be engaged in today are embraced by the theme ‘I am a Promise.’

The first session of the programme was conducted by Pastor Macille Roberts, whose topic was “Who You are in the Eyes of God.” The second session “Drugs Oh No!” was facilitated byMonique Rey and Eian Bibby; the third, “Healthy Lifestyles and Success”, by Vernice Battick and Louis Price; session four “Your role in the Community” was conducted by Pastor Phillip Gumbs and Rev. Lindsay Richardson.

Perhaps the most intriguing session was one in which four prisoners were brought in to

One of the sections of Campus B students at Motivational Day

speak to the students about the consequences of being in jail as punishment for various acts of wrong-doing. This was thought to have been a good idea for two reasons: It gave the prisoners a sense of feeling that, notwithstanding their incarceration, they were regarded as having some useful advice to pass on to the students which may help them to live wholesome and productive lives. The students in turn were put on notice that if they were to follow a path of violence and crime, the arm of the law was there to punish them and therefore it behooved them to be well-disciplined youth upon whom, as responsible achievers, the future of Anguilla can be built.

Aside from the seriousness of all the lectures, the students were entertained by Calypso Monarch, The Mighty Springer and a presentation by Miss CCB Talented Teen, Aprile Gumbs.

On a whole the Motivational Day programme was of much benefit to the students who actively participated in the sessions.

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