All public schools held a year-end meeting & social gathering to celebrate the end of the school year and at the Sonesta Great Bay Hotel & Casino in Philipsburg.
At the event, public school teachers, administrators, and principals were present, along with some students who performed moving pieces of ballet/dance; there were some singing, and a band that played popular Caribbean and international songs for entertainment.
Glendorline Holiday-Davis Head of Public Education gave a speech at the end of the period to culminate the event.
"On behalf of public education management, I want to comment each staff member for their commitment, hard work, dedication and perseverance. I know that the job is tough, and we have to deal with all range/degrees of students, but we have to make the adjustments to do what we love, which is to teach.
Though there are a lot of talks out there, only those who are in the kitchen know the heat, and there is a lot of heat.
I am proud to say that any teacher, once they have decided that this [teaching] is the profession for them, must decide to put all stumbling blocks, hang-ups and personal issues aside in order to teach.
Yes, there are things that we don’t have, or the salary might not be what we want, but we are paid well. We just have to live within our means, and we have to concentrate on the things that matter most in life. Once we have a roof over our heads, the bed is not wet, family we love, and life is good. Like what I tell my children, Mommy and Daddy could buy what you need, not what you want. So we all have to live accordingly," Davis-Holiday said.
"We have to plan our futures well, especially those teachers who will retire in 15 and 20 years. We are not getting younger, but older. We have to change some things, and we have to start now. Don’t waste money, don’t spend on things that we can’t afford.
In addition, we have to start recruiting more male teachers. Female teachers have to be both male and female, father and mother, whether in school or at home. It is rough on us as women in Education. We have to be an example to your students. Let’s move public education forward. We have invested in much, materials, books, and training, don’t let that go to waste. One of the most rewarding things in the teaching profession is when we see our students at the workplace. The interaction is priceless. We are glad to see these former students, under whatever circumstance and we are glad when they have achieved something in life. In the end, it is all about the students.