Sandals gifts vacation to educator on their 40th anniversary

Sandals Resorts International, as a part of their 40th anniversary, is honouring veteran teacher Maxine Jarrett, who has spent the last four decades educating the nation’s future generation.

In May, Sandals Resorts hosted over 100 teachers in observance of Teachers’ Day and, during the festivities, awarded veteran educators, including Jarrett with an additional special all-inclusive vacation for two at any local Sandals Resort of their choice, for their stellar years of service to the Jamaican education system.

Jarrett is currently the vice-principal of Flankers Primary and Junior High School, having joined the school’s teaching staff in 1988, and was promoted to vice-principal in 2015.

“I started teaching in 1981 at Sudbury All-Age School located in Orange District, East Central St James, about 28 kilometres from Montego Bay, close to where Sandals Resorts International started its operations,” she shares.

While being candid, Jarrett reflected that she had no intention of becoming a teacher but, after completing an internship at the Sudbury All-Age School, she fell in love with the profession.

“I was practically forced to go to college. I had no plans of teaching, my first love was performing arts. When I graduated from Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, I didn’t even apply for a teaching job. However, I was offered an internship at the school. I accepted, thinking that my time in the classroom would have been short-lived. But, as fate would have it, I’m still in the teaching business and loving every moment of it, regardless of the challenges educators face,” she explained.

PERFORMING ARTS

Despite choosing a career in education, she still enjoys the performing arts and has integrated it into the learning environment.

“Over the years, I’ve been involved in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Performing Arts Competition and I’ve entered students in the various competitions for which they have won numerous awards. I’ve also been recognised by JCDC for my contribution to the performing arts,” the veteran educator added.

“My favourite thing about teaching is taking students from the unknown to the known. Seeing them acquire knowledge and new skill sets gives me immense joy as I watch them develop and boost their self-confidence,” she explained.

Jarrett recalls that one of her most memorable moments in teaching was hearing one of her Grade 8 students proudly saying, “Miss, I can write my name now.”

“This happened early in my teaching career when I was assigned to a Grade 8 class and this student was reading way below the grade level, unable to identify letters of the alphabet. Hearing the pride and seeing the confidence literacy brought left an indelible impression on me which, even on the toughest days on the job, reminds me why I love what I do,” Jarrett shared.

When asked to describe her career over the last four decades, Jarrett says, similar to Sandals Resorts International’s journey, it has been rewarding and she is grateful to have impacted so many lives while contributing to Jamaica’s growth and development through education.

MEASURED BY IMPACT

“True success is not measured by the years of service but by the impact your service has made. Sandals Resorts International is one of the corporate entities in Jamaica which has given back to the country as the company grows. Flankers Primary and Junior High has benefited from their years of successful operations shared with the people of Jamaica and the Caribbean, through its corporate efforts as well as through its philanthropic arm, the Sandals Foundation,” Jarrett remarked.

Scholarships, work experience support, sponsorships for extra-curricular programmes, and Teachers’ Day support are just a few of the ways she highlighted that the resort company helps teachers like her to continue making a difference by inspiring and educating future minds.

Sharing words of encouragement with fellow teachers, Jarrett added, “Teachers, your job is a noble one. Be proud of what you do. You are indispensable members of the Jamaican fabric. You help to mould the future of the Jamaican society. Though teaching like any other profession may bring about challenges, we can rise above them because the education of an entire nation rests in our hands.”

Sandals Resorts International proudly celebrates our nation’s teachers and takes pride in working with educational institutions and teachers to create holistic learning environments and advancement opportunities for teachers and students.