By Anastasha Elliott
The Vern Lew Pre-School, located on Pump Road Nevis, is celebrating its 10th year anniversary with a number of activities under the theme “Children – Gems of Promise.” The school, owned by Vernitha Barry Collins, opened its doors on April 29, 1996 to 13 pre-school students and a staff of two.
A Decade later four teachers are preparing more than 50 students for primary school. Collins said she always dreamed of opening her own pre-school.
“From my early years I had a passion for teaching and a love for children. It developed more and more as I matured. I always had that dream and vision of owning a pre-school,” Collins said.
Over the years Vern N. Lew has grown tremendously and has past students in each of the primary and secondary schools on the island.
Collins said one of her driving forces at the school is the level of parental involvement in the operation of the school.
She explained that apart from clothing and shelter, children need special care and attention, they need to have a place in their parents lives where they can find direction and love.
She habitually requests parents to spend time with their children, become involved in their lives — not just at home — but outside of the home, and especially in the school. “We have a lot of parent involvement programs where we teach parents that children develop at certain levels and stages and that no two child is alike. We try to teach them that there are certain skills they must develop, such as social skills, intellectual skills and physical skills,” said Collins. “When it comes to Vern N. Lew there is an abundance of love that surrounds those children.”
To commemorate the milestone the school is hosting several activities from April 29 to May 27.
They include a bake sale on Saturday and an Open Day/Exhibition at the school on Monday. Clean up day is scheduled for May 13, where parents would be involved in exercise as they prepare for school. Parade Day is on May 19 where past and present students are expected to participate. To conclude the celebration a fun day will be held at the school on May 30.
The Vern N. Lew Pre-school, according to Collins, teaches Christian principles in addition to vocational and social skills.
The students are broken into two groups, first the younger ones and then the older ones that are getting ready for the primary setting. Teacher Collins explained that daily routine which the children go through. First there is daily devotions she said, then ‘Planning Time’. Now planning time she said is where the children have a chance to make plans about what they would like to make. “They would take things from the different areas and manipulate them and make something out of it that they would really like to make. Then we go into their areas of work and see that they have followed their plan. Then they come back and recall what they have done. They w ill now tell us, ok, today we made whatever, using whatever. Its sort of a way to build language skills,” explained Teacher Collins. The students also engage in a “Small Group Activity which is decided by the teacher whether teacher Carol Thompson, Teacher Lensie Barry, Teacher Governie Manners or Teacher Collins herself. On Tuesday Teacher Collins said that days’ small group activity looked at red things. Where the children are taught to discern the colour red from other colours. Then they engage in finger play songs where they are taught songs (not on a black board) but by singing out loud, in addition to social graces (such as when to say please and thank you and when to say it). On Fridays the children learn social studies where they are taught about the island on which they live and the name. Additionally the pre-schoolers learn about the Premier of Nevis Vance Amory, where their school is located and the name of the mountain, the flag and the meaning of the colours in the flag, in addition to identification skills. This roster is not the set routine for each day however, Teacher Collins disclosed. Each day the child is exposed to varied topics as the school holds true to its motto “Today’s preparation determines tomorrow’s achievement”. Past teachers of the school include Michelle Parris, Natasha Huggins and Sherryann Walwyn. However several parents also played the role of teachers including Sherry Barry, Sheila Pemberton and Sheryl Tyrell. Teacher Collins as she faces the future thanks the Nevis Island Administration, and the Education system, the supervisors of the various pre-schools, the Education Officials in both St. Kitts and Nevis and the Unit Staff at Victoria Road. She also thanks her Pastor, Pastor James and the congregation, her husband and family, the community at large and past and present dedicated teachers and parents for all the help they have rendered over the years.
