Old Harbour High gives care packages to needy students

With a growing number of students at home facing food shortages, principal of the Old Harbour High School in St Catherine, Lynton Weir, has devised a care programme aimed at assisting them.

The students are forced to do homeschooling because of the suspension of physical classes due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Weir said the pandemic has heaped immeasurable stress on the students who have been confined to their homes.

According to him, of the 2,446 students on roll, a total of 790 are on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education programme, and they are the ones most affected.

“These students would normally receive cooked meals when they attend school, so in order to assist them, I initiated a care package scheme to ensure that they get the foodstuffs which they can prepare at home,” Weir told The Gleaner.

“We had food items such as pumpkin, yam, goat meat, chicken, cooking oil and fish in the canteen when we were asked to suspend classes, so instead of making all these perishable food go to waste, the staff and I made over 300 care packages for the first round of distribution to the needy students last week.”

Weir disclosed that students were summoned on specific days to pick up their care packages in order that they could adhere to social distancing and other suggested safety protocols, such as the wearing of masks.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT

“In addition, the guidance counsellor has been providing psychosocial support for these students, many of whom are stressed, some don’t even have the money to buy the credit to put the data on the phone to foster online learning, so whatever support we can provide as a school, we are happy to do so,” the principal added.

Weir, the current LASCO Principal of the Year, said, LASCO board chairman, Icolyn Golding; Bedding Old Harbour; OJ Coolers; retired police officer Samuel Richards, and Island Folk Concessionaire have all partnered with the school to provide the second round of care packages, which were given to some 250 students on Tuesday.

“After the issuing of the first set of care packages, I was told by one of my teachers that some of our students were out in the community begging for food, so I was moved with compassion and decided to expand the care package initiative,” he revealed.

Weir said he hopes that others can come on board and make their contribution to assist these needy students who are facing difficult times as they prepare for upcoming examinations.