Santa Elena Primary School working hand in hand with the Teaching Services Commission

Santa Elena RC School is a primary school located in Santa Elena Town, Cayo District. It houses a population of over a thousand students and boasts of a staff of 38 diligent teachers. The teachers at Santa Elena Primary School have been participating in a Teachers Leadership Program since August of 2010. The program focuses on improving teacher efficacy with a concentration on creating a brain-friendly environment for all students. The co-coordinators of the program are Mrs. Abigail Wade from The Ministry of Education ,District Education Center-Cayo and Dr. Jennifer Morrow from Independent Day School in Tampa Florida, in collaboration with the Belize Natural Energy Trust.
Since its inception the teachers have had to attend several workshops on weekends, holidays and after school hours; taking into consideration the need to maintain contact hours with our students and the importance of keeping children engaged at all times. We are honing our skills on our time and not the children’s time.
This past Monday May 2, 2011, we had the wonderful opportunity of attending a workshop on Mentoring and Teacher Leadership. It was facilitated by Mrs. Judy Diego, the chairperson for the Teaching Services Commission. The staff at Santa Elena Primary school prides themselves in developing an Olympic mentality where the best keep getting better. They remained engaged through all the sessions, intent on learning more so that they can deliver better.
Mrs. Diego’s presentations focused on how all teachers are leaders and schools will get better if they see themselves in that light. We learnt that teachers need to embrace ownership and take responsibility for the running of the school. The function and operation of the school is not only left up to the administrators but everyone must work together towards the common goals of the school. It is also key for all partners to find their role in the progress and development of all school programs, especially parents. Mrs. Diego reinforced the importance of us seeing ourselves as leaders by conducting several activities which were thought provoking and stimulating.
Mrs. Diego knows the importance of respecting and honoring our invaluable teachers. She concluded the session by presenting each teacher with a certificate that stated three words that best described the individual teacher. It reflected what they personally thought of themselves if they were to be awarded as ‘Teacher of the year’. This activity added the icing on the cake; the teachers felt appreciated and honored by this deed.
At Santa Elena Primary School we are trying to develop a culture that really believes that ‘It’s All About Kids’, because we see the children as priority and their individual needs and learning styles as important. Then we recognize the need to ensure that we are equipping ourselves with current trends of learning and strategies for quality instruction. The principal and staff of Santa Elena Primary School are truly grateful for Mrs. Diego for spending her holiday with us, it shows her level of commitment in guaranteeing that we have Quality Education for Quality Schools.
In February of this year three of our teachers and the principal, Mr. Manuel Medina, travelled to Tampa Florida where they took part in workshops conducted by Kagan Institute. The teachers came back rejuvenated and eager to share what they learned. Ten other teachers from SEPS are raising funds to attend the Summer Academy in Orlando, Florida. If you would like to assist us in making this venture possible, please contact us at: DEC-Cayo, 824-2271 (Mrs. Abigail Wade) or SEPS, 824-2919 (Mrs. Deborah Reneau, Vice-Principal).