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Garvey Maceo High School students in their new computer lab.

Published:Tuesday | July 16, 2019 | 12:12 AM
Olivia Brown/Gleaner Writer

Erica Ewbanks, principal of Garvey Maceo High School in Vernamfield, Clarendon, says the opening of the fifth computer lab is a blessing to the institution.

The school was gifted with 21 new computers by the RCM Community Development Foundation, an America-based charity founded by nationals of Jamaica. The computer lab is also equipped with its own server and a printer. The principal said that RCM Foundation’s donation is “perfect timing”, noting that the issue of limited computer access negatively impacted the school in the recently concluded Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations, as there were not enough computers available to students sitting computer-based examinations.

Ruel Reid, president of the RCM (not the same person as the embattled former minister), said the foundation started four years ago with a focus on sports. He said the decision was later made to venture more into educational activities. “You have to have the knowledge and the brains to play [sports], so I came up with the idea of a computer lab.”

Reid said the foundation’s computer lab initiative spans across all 14 parishes, with Clarendon being the fifth recipient. He added that the foundation is cognisant of the impact technology has on the world and as such, RCM is proud to support the concept of information technology in schools.

Ewbanks added that the infrastructure of the computer lab could attract more students in pursuing information technology. She said the limited number of computers has resulted in the school using a selective approach in registering students to pursue information technology in external examinations. Among the guests at the ceremony held on July 1 were Barrington Richardson, regional director for Region 6 in the Ministry of Education, and Noel Arscott, member of parliament for South Western Clarendon.

US charity RCM gives computer lab to Fair Prospect High

The Jamaica Constabulary Force Bandwas cheered on consistently by guestsand students (Photos: Everard Owen)
NEWS, NORTH & EAST, REGIONAL
BY HG HELPS Editor-at-large helpsh@jamaicaobserver.com

October 21, 2017
US charity RCM gives computer lab to Fair Prospect High

It took an investment of US$120,000 (about J$15.3 million) to make the dream of Fair Prospect High School having its own computer laboratory come true.

Now, the co-educational institution of 761 students who commute to the school from Portland and St Thomas, can boast about the acquisition of the Martha Duncan Reid Computer Laboratory — a gift from New York, United States-based charity RCM Development & Community Services Inc — which officially turned its lights on and swung its doors open last Thursday at the institution’s eastern Portland site.

It was the third school to have benefited from the generosity of RCM — an acronym that bears the Christian initials of the three principals behind the initiative — Roy Reid, the president, Claudette Phipps, the secretary and Merton Owens, who serves as treasurer of the not-for-profit organisation. In the last two years, Islington High School, later renamed Horace Clarke High School, and Petersfield High School have been the beneficiaries.

The computer laboratory parades 20 computers, desks and chairs, along with a central server in a refurbished, air-conditioned room and which was officially opened with the cutting of a ribbon by Louise Duncan Peart, sister of the now deceased Martha Duncan Reid, originally of Fair Prospect, who is the mother of Roy Reid.

Reid expressed joy at the fact that the group was able to support the school and pledged that one needy high school school in every parish would be sponsored. Next in line are two schools in Clarendon and Manchester, Reid said.

He also stated that another support programme for students at Fair Prospect High would be implemented soon, whereby those who are facing challenges with their vision will be assisted with medical examinations and fitted with glasses if necessary, at no cost to them. Reid, a former policeman in the Jamaica Constabulary Force who runs his own business, headquartered in Manhattan, USA, has been associated with several Jamaican charity initiatives that the former Police and Clarendon Senior Cup and Junior Cup cricketer spearheaded or collaborated with others of like mind domiciled in the North American country.

Owens said that the group would continue to support Jamaica’s education system as long as it was possible to do so, emphasising that communities that were “underserved” would be given priority attention.

Guest speaker, Rev Michael Aiken, who is also a motivational speaker, charged the students to always strive for the best and to position themselves to grab opportunities whenever they arise. He warned that although technology was useful, there were also dangers associated with it that if not dealt with adequately, could have devastating consequences.

“Technology can be a beauty or a beast in your life,” he told students gathered under a tent, and others spread across the acreage of the property.

Member of Parliament for Portland Eastern, medical practitioner Dr Lynvale Bloomfield urged unity among stakeholders in the Fair Prospect fraternity in order to achieve goals that he suggested were achievable.

He hailed the contribution made by RCM, suggesting that such donations could only redound to the benefit of the nation.

“This is a wonderful day in the life of the school,” Dr Bloomfield said. “We must continue to work together as a family.”

Custos of Portland and former principal of Titchfield High School in the parish Capt Lincoln Thaxter brought greetings, while the welcome was extended by student Peta-Gaye Clarke, scripture reading by Shana Parkes, and the introduction of the function’s chairman Shavar Bailey by Daviena Stewart.

Members of the Fair Prospect High School Drum Corps get into high gear.

Partner in the charity group RCMDevelopment & CommunityServices Inc Merton Owensrelates why Fair Prospect HighSchool was chosen.

Computers in thenew Martha DuncanReid laboratory at FairProspect High Schoolin East Portland

NATIONAL EDUCATION INSPECTORATE

US-based RCM gives Petersfield a Lift

Posted on 7/13/2016

Principal of the Petersfield High School in Westmoreland, Clyde Evans has been left overwhelmed following the fulfillment of a dream of his staff and his, to have the school’s main computer lab refurbished.

“I am totally happy about today’s [Friday] activity, because we had previously requested from the ministry permission to transfer money from one account [subvention account used to pay staff] to the school’s general account to be able to refurbish the computer room. And while we were waiting patiently and not getting any progress there (red tape and Government bureaucracy), this fell in my lap,” expressed an elated Evans.

Evans was speaking of the recent refurbishing of the school’s main computer lab by an overseas community development group with Jamaican roots called RCM Development and Community Services Inc. The acronym RCM represents the first letter in the Christian names of the principals — Roy Reid [president], Claudette Phipps [secretary] and Merton Owens [treasurer] who all were present for the reopening ceremony at the school on Friday.

Owens is from the Roaring River and Shrewsbury communities, which are near to Petersfield.

The overhauled and upgraded room saw the sealing lowered, floor tiled and and fixtures installed. In addition, the lab received 21 computers, 21 desks, 21 chairs, two printers, one network server, two uninterruptible power supply [UPS] units, one video projector, and a screen. All items are new and the project lasted a little over two weeks.

Petersfield is the second school in the island to receive such a lab. The first school to benefit was Islington High School in St Mary in June of last year. That school has since been renamed the Horace Clarke High School, in honour of the former Member of Parliament and Cabinet minister.

Owens, in his presentation, stated that following the Islington project, the next one would be in his parish. He said that Petersfield High was selected following suggestions made.

The principal said that at first he was sceptical when the school was first approached in May, due to failed promises in the past from other groups.

“We have had people come by and promise us the world and nothing was delivered, so I was a bit sceptical, because when he (Owens) outlined what they were prepared to do — and it is not that we contacted them, he literally came and offered — it seemed too good to be true. But after I had dialogue with the principal of Islington, he told me that ‘no man, we have benefited; they are real’. I became much more open to the idea and readily jumped at it,” stated Evans.

Head of the Information Technology Department for almost 15 years, Daniel Wisdom said that the school’s original lab and computers were put in operation almost 20 years ago by the school’s former principal, Dr Basil Chambers.

He said that parts were difficult to obtain for the old machines, which were reduced from 25 to five partially working computers.

“When we have 50-odd students come into a classroom with basically no machines... in fact, for nearly four years I stayed away from the room. I refused to go in there because there were no machines to use,” pointed out Wisdom, who added that the school had to change its syllabus.

He further explained, “the machines didn’t work. It would take 10, 15 minutes for some of these machines to get up [boot up]. You go into Microsoft Word, these machines wouldn’t move at all.”

The school has an e-learning lab also which students had to depend on, even though there are issues with those computers as well.

In the years 2000 and 2001, the school had two top-performing male students who received the best CXC grades in the Caribbean in information technology.

Wisdom said that despite the challenges, the students continue to perform well in their examinations. However, he added that due to the challenges, less students are now sitting that CXC exam.

Wisdom said that the new “top of the line” computers will allow the school to provide other computer-related training, such as designing, photo and video editing.

Petersfield High is a shift school with approximately 1,800 students in total enrolled, and with a total of 76 teachers including the principal and two vice-principals on staff. The shifts are placed in the categories, lower [first to third formers] and upper school [fourth and fifth formers to include two top streams of grade nine]. The lower shift has almost 1,000 students.

The multi-talented Wisdom was the first teacher in Jamaica to create a platform for the school, using his personally designed programme and Google Apps for Education. Wisdom said that these programmes allow teachers, parents and other stakeholders to go online with a prerequisite password to be able to partake in the school’s discipline, academics, reports, grades, performance, level of progress and timetable. However, the principal pointed out that despite these advances in technology, there is a challenge as the school is located in a rural community where internet access is not widely accessible and therefore traditional methods are still being utilised.

Meanwhile Reid, who was once a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force Band before emigrating, disclosed that RCM has committed to installing an air conditioning unit in the band’s practising room.

“You and your band will have an environment that is conducive to practising, because when I was there we never had no air condition. So I want you all to have air condition in your band room,” stated Reid to the band and it’s leader who were present and played at the function.

The team’s next project will take place in Portland next year and Clarendon in the following year.

Custos rotulorum for Westmoreland, Rev Canon Hartley Perrin and Ministry of Education representative Jacqueline Brown all expressed thanks to RCM and emphasised the importance of showing appreciation for the gesture of kindness.