St. George's Secondary School - BVI

Congratulations Class of 2022! 🎊 🥳

Class of 2022 Graduation Ceremony. 👩🏾‍🎓🧑🏾‍🎓🥳

Choosing a Major

Form 4 & 5 parents/guardians/teachers:

I hope this note finds you well, greetings from the principal's office!

​In an effort to support students in selecting a career path, if that is the family's plan, a virtual presentation has been organized so that outside voices, directly from universities, will contribute to this process.

They will give a brief 30-minute presentation on Friday, March 25th at 11:00 a.m. After the presentation admissions officers will stay online in case students would like to ask any questions. I have advised teachers, so they will allow students who have registered, to participate at that time (Period 3, while is school) Students must be registered to participate.

I've attached a flyer from the group and here is the link to register: https://apply.dukekunshan.edu.cn/register/cedarintl22

Please contact me with any questions and have a blessed day!
Yours in education,
Ms. O. Vázquez
Principal

Choosing a Major  

Today Destinee Cline and Imran Ashton of Form 4, represented our school by taking part in the Student Forum held by the Ministry of Education during Education Week 2022.

All students did an excellent job and the ideas shared are worth listening to. Please take a look. Well done Georgians!!!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-AN_GK0T-GK1C&ref=watch_permalink&v=2155697721264324

I am pleased to announce that St. George’s Secondary School was victorious in yesterday’s preliminary round of the Inter-Secondary Schools’ Debate series, against Ciboney Centre for Excellence.

The school was represented by Pedro Garcia and Destine Cline, of Form 4, along with Trinity Lettsome of Form 2. Their coaches are Mrs. Shari-Ann Audain, Mr. Dante Frett, and Ms. Shakira Bedminister.

In yesterday’s moot, our students were tasked with opposing the motion: “Juveniles charged with violent crimes should not be tried and punished as adults.”

Their stellar performance awarded our team 1st place, with an overall score of 625.5. Additionally, two of our debaters- Pedro and Trinity- tied for second place in the category of ‘Best Speaker’ with points of 241.5. Best speaker was awarded to Ciboney Centre for Excellence who received a score of 252.

Please join me in extending congratulations to our young debaters, and to the teachers involved in their preparation. We wish them God’s blessings for the upcoming semi-final round!

Yours in education,
Ms. O. Vázquez
Principal

Huge congratulations to our beloved Sarah Ramdatt who was one of three winners out of more than 30 entries for this competition on Climate Change. We are proud of you!🏆🏆🏆 Thank you to all students who participated.

Dear parents/ guardians:

Season's greetings to you from all of us at SGSS! I hope you had a nice Christmas with your family and loved ones.

Given the current Covid 19 situation on island and around the world, we will start the Lent Term online, commencing with a day of orientation and preparation for teachers on Tuesday, January 4th. Students will start lessons on Wednesday, January 5th, following the same schedule we used in Term 1. We will monitor the situation closely and a decision regarding a return to face-to-face instruction will be made in due course.

Students should adhere to the following guidelines:

Students should look for conferences on Schoology and join at the stipulated class time.
If unable to attend a lesson, an email should go to the teacher indicating this, and ensuring that the student has all materials to complete assignments.
Teachers may be contacted by email or through Schoology by students and parents.

Please communicate with any questions, big or small, so everyone is comfortable as you children start the academic year.

With wishes of a blessed and prosperous New Year!

Yours in education,
Ms. O. Vázquez
Principal
ST. GEORGE’S SECONDARY SCHOOL
Palestina Estate, West End, Tortola VG1130
_______________________________

TOTAL EDUCATION FOR OUR CHILDREN

Greetings from SGSS Culture and Tourism day!

Today has been a glorious day, filled with BVI culture, music and fun. Students participated in different workshops and guests joined us to share their knowledge and talent. A big thank you to Ms. Shakira Bedminister, our Caribbean History teacher, for her leadership during this event.

As we part to enjoy a long weekend, parents are reminded to ensure students prepare well for exams. Junior students (Forms 1,2 & 3) are expected to come to school every day on time to take exams or regular lessons. Senior students (Form 4 & 5 ) will be allowed to leave campus after their exams (only when signed out by their parent/guardian) or to stay home if they do not have an exam that day.

Form 5 parents, please do not forget the registration form and payment for CSEC exams.

Have a blessed long weekend and thank you for sharing your children with us!

Yours in education,
Ms. O. Vázquez
Principal

Warm greetings from the Principal's desk to all families of SGSS!

I hope this correspondence finds you well and excited about the culture and tourism celebrations on island this month. Our students have decorated the school in commemoration of our cultural heritage. Teachers will be integrating the theme of culture and tourism in lessons and on Friday, November 19th, students are asked to come to school in cultural wear.

We plan on having a day of experiential learning with activities, workshops and displays. The canteen will be selling local food only that day. Our music students will be playing Fungi music under the leadership of Mr. Keimar Greene. Additionally, we have invited community guests who will share their cultural knowledge and experience with our school community.

If any member of the parent community would like to contribute to this day by offering a workshop related to BVI Culture, please contact Ms. Shakira Bedminister, our Caribbean History teacher, who is leading the program of that day.([email protected])

Kindly be reminded that Parent-Teacher conferences will take place November 8th, 9th, and 10th, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m. (noon) on those days.

Mr. Junior Jacobs will be offering remedial classes for Form 4 Geography students on Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 and Form 5 Geography students on Mondays at the same time. This will start on Thursday, November 11th.

The registration process for CSEC has begun. Correspondence has gone out to Form 5 parents with all details. If you have any questions regarding the completion of the form, please contact Ms. Odalys Gonzalez, our vice-principal at [email protected] The form must be signed and returned between Thursday, 4th November and Tuesday, 9th November. The deadline for payment of fees is Tuesday, November 30, 2021.

As part of the Form 5 Class of 2022 fundraising activities, the school will allow a dress-up day on Friday, November 12th, 2021. Students are asked to wear the color blue in celebration of World Diabetes Day. Diabetes is a chronic health condition where the concentration of glucose in the blood (blood sugar) cannot be regulated properly. The Class of 2022 will use this opportunity to educate the student body on this disease. The cost will be $5.00 for regular dress. Please see the letter sent attached with guidelines on attire.

As you can see, there is a lot going on at St. Georges Secondary School. Please support our students in all activities, as we continue to move successfully through the current academic year.

Yours in education,
Ms. O. Vázquez
Principal

A warm hello from the Principal's office to all families of SGSS!

I hope you are well and in good health. We continue to celebrate the arrival of our teachers and having our instructional team almost complete.

Mr. Junior Jacobs has finished his quarantine and was on campus with classes this Wednesday. He is excited to be with students and we are delighted to have him with us.

November is Culture and Tourism Month and we will be celebrating it at the school. Additionally, please find attached a calendar of events from The Department of Culture, for your information.

Kindly be reminded that Parent-Teacher conferences will take place November 8th, 9th, and 10th, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Students will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m. (noon) on those days.

The conferences give parents/guardians an opportunity to interact one-on-one with the subject teachers of their child/ward regarding his/her progress, and to receive feedback from the teachers in reference to what parents can do to enhance students' performance. Conferences may be attended virtually (most encouraged) or in person. In both cases, it is imperative that families are punctual to appointments. Details have been sent by email to all families.

Yours in education,
Ms. O. Vázquez
Principal
ST. GEORGE’S SECONDARY SCHOOL

An exciting opportunity for our Form 4 and 5 students!

A professor from TBS University has offered to teach a live online lecture for students interested in pursuing a career in Business or Marketing. This will be a 45-minute interactive session to expose students to the field of Business and Marketing and the rigor of college-level classes! A flyer is attached with information about the lecture.

The lesson will be offered on October 28, Thursday at 10:00am. It's online, so students can join from school or home. It is a Zoom session, so students will need to get free Zoom accounts, if they don't have one yet.

Advance registration is required. Here is the registration link:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=3JgoptjIYEy4BQK1rRDJg0wToOPaV9dJgIYh_hYW7QFUQk9VSERQVFpTTkU5QUtNS1lWNE4yOVZYSS4u

Yours in education,
Ms. O. Vázquez
Principal

Form 4 Literature class is reading the story 'The Boy Who Loved Ice Cream' by Olive Senior. This is how we do it!

Blessed good day to all families of St. George's Secondary School:

I hope this email finds you well and in good health. Just a brief note to provide some updates and reminders to families for the upcoming week.

We will be welcoming all students in Form 3 (3BG1 and 3BG2) starting Tuesday, October 19th.
Anti-Bullying Week October 17th to 23rd, 2021: “One kind of world” Teachers will embed this theme in their lessons for the week.
All students ages 12 to 17 are invited and encouraged to participate in the contest "A day with the Governor". An announcement will go out to students from Ms. Vazquez on Schoology and teachers will follow up to assist students in their participation and submission. Please see the image attached and support your children in their participation.
Our Community and Service Program will be updated, and correspondence will go out to families within the next 2 weeks. The requirement for the last academic year (2020-2021) has been waived. The requirement for this school year (2021-22) is 20 hours and must be fulfilled. Students should start engaging in community service activities now. Please keep an eye for the update
*October 18th is Heroes’ and Forefathers Day a Public Holiday.

We thank you for the collaboration and wish you a blessed and pleasant weekend!

Yours in education,
Ms. O. Vázquez
Principal
ST. GEORGE’S SECONDARY SCHOOL

Update and reminders for the upcoming week of October 11th to the 14th

Blessed good day to all families of St. George's Secondary School!

World Mental Health Day 2021 celebrations at St. George's Secondary School took place today with a “Silly Hat” day. Thank you to all families who participated!

We will be welcoming all students in Form 2 (2BG1 and 2BG2) starting Monday, October 11th. They will continue to be on an alternate schedule, where one group will have face to face classes with the teachers, while the other group will be online, but this will take place at school. We hope to be able to transition all groups to in school, face-to-face instruction as soon as possible. We intent to do this in a safe and responsible manner, complying with all Covid 19 safety protocols.

Last Wednesday Form 4&5 students were invited to: SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) will be coming to the BVI next week and the team will offer sessions for high school students on various topics. SCAD has moved away from being a traditional Arts school (they no longer require a portfolio to apply) to focusing on degrees in Innovation and Design. Their newly added programs include Social Strategy & Management and UX Design, so they are becoming increasingly relevant to our students' future aspirations. The flyer with session topics and registration was given to students. Please note that advanced registration is required to make sure we don't exceed maximum capacity per COVID protocols. Sessions are capped so if you are interested in attending you MUST register by Friday. The cost for transportation from SGSS school to Cedar and back will be $6.00, AK SERVICES, TAXI our East End Bus driver will be providing the transportation. Students will leave our campus at 8:30 a.m. sharp. Parents of students who have registered will need to complete the permission slip that was sent home in order for students to be able to attend. Ms. Vazquez will accompany students and we will be back in school for lunch. Please have students bring a snack with them, if they are attending.

Form 5 parents are invited to a meeting on Wednesday, October 13th in the school's auditorium at 5:00 p.m. On Thursday, October 14th, there will be professional development for all teachers and students will be dismissed at 12:00 noon. Friday, October 15th is our Mid-Term break and there will be no school for students or teachers. October 18th is Heroes’ and Forefathers Day a Public Holiday

We thank you for the collaboration and support given thus far and ask that you continue to champion the school's goals for your children.

Yours in education,
Ms. O. Vázquez
Principal
ST. GEORGE’S SECONDARY SCHOOL

The Department of Youth Affairs and Sports hosted a Health and Wellness Fair themed: "Preserving Youth peace, Take Action Now!" to celebrate Caribbean Youth Day 2021 on September 30th.

Two Form 5 students were invited to participate in this event at Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park from 12:00p.m. to 6:00p.m. Eriel Stewart and Caroline Chichester volunteered to represent St. George's Secondary School.

The theme was "Building Resilience: Covid -19, mental Health and Caribbean Development"

Getting involved in our community matters, thank you ladies for your attendance!!!

We are getting ready to receive you students!!! Welcome back Georgians.

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

A warm welcome to all families this 2021-22 Academic Year from everyone at St. George's Secondary School! We welcome all new parents and students to our school community, and we thank our returning parents for continuing to entrust their children into our care. Please go into your email and look for a letter sent today with school opening details and documents.

We thank you for the support and collaboration and look forward to a positive and prosperous 2021-22 school year!

Welcome Ms. Vázquez!

Happy Graduation Day to our Class of 2021!
You all have made it, through a pandemic no less.
Take the time to congratulate yourselves for the adversities you overcame all while maintaining your composure.
As your class theme says "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves"... continue to live by those words.
Congratulations! 🥳🎉🥳🎉

A huge thank you to for joining us in celebrating Earth Day. Today the students assisted in planting a Cedar Tree.

SCHOOL CLOSURE: November 11th, 2020

A pleasant good morning parents and guardians. Please see attached Weather update in regards to the flood watch. In light of the inclement weather conditions , we have taken the decision to conduct all classes online today. The school campus will be closed .

DDM Weather update:

FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 5PM

11TH NOVEMBER 2020 - A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR FLASH-FLOOD PRONE AREAS OF ANTIGUA, BARBUDA, MONTSERRAT, ST. KITTS, NEVIS, ANGUILLA AND THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS. THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT LEVEL IS MODERATE AND THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS IN THE WATCH AREA. TO BE SAFE, IMPLEMENT YOUR FLOOD PLAN.

TIMING: UNTIL 5 PM TODAY.

SYNOPSIS: THE PROXIMITY OF TROPICAL DISTURBANCE AL98 WILL KEEP THE WEATHER UNSETTLED. THIS WILL RESULT IN PERIODS OF RAIN OR SHOWERS, WITH SOME LIKELY HEAVY AND POSSIBLY THUNDERY. RAINFALL RATES OF 50 MM (2 IN) PER HOUR OR MORE WILL PRODUCE MINOR FLOODING AND MAY PRODUCE MODERATE OR WORSE FLASH FLOODING. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING IS POSSIBLE BUT NOT IMMINENT IN THE WATCH AREA.

POTENTIAL IMPACTS: LOCALISED DISRUPTION TO TRANSPORTATION; INTERRUPTION OF SCHOOL HOURS; LOCALISED POPULATION DISPLACEMENT; EROSION; ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION; LOCALISED DAMAGE TO EMBANKMENTS, LOCALISED DISRUPTION TO COMMUNICATION; LOCALISED CONTAMINATION OF POTABLE WATER; LOCALISED LOSS OF LIVESTOCK; FINANCIAL LOSSES; INJURIES; TEMPORARY STOPPAGE OF HEALTH SERVICES AND DAMAGE TO INFRASTRUCTURE.

CAUTION: RESIDENTS IN FLASH-FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD MAKE PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE, PROPERTY AND LIVELIHOOD AGAINST FLOODING AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND, IF HEAVY RAINS DEVELOP.

FORECASTER
DALE DESTIN

Dear Parents and Guardians

We would have used last week as a time to assess the protocols and make the necessary changes that were needed to it. Accordingly, we will now proceed with the full roll out of our phased approach to face-to-face instruction.

The students that will be permitted on the Palestina Campus for this week will be Forms 1bg1, 2bg1, 3bg1 and Form 5. This therefore means that Forms 1bg2, 2bg2, 3bg2 and Form 4 will remain online for the entire week. This schedule will then alternate for the following week, commencing 2 November 2020, and so at that time, Forms 1bg2, 2bg2, 3bg2 and Form 4 will be at school and Forms 1bg1, 2bg1, 3bg1 and Form 5 will be at home, online.

Please be advised that the Canteen will still not be available during this week, so students must walk with a packed lunch. The buses will continue to operate from East End, leaving at 7.20 am daily and returning in the afternoon, and from the Bus shed at 8.00 am and the Waterfront Drive from 8.30 am, and returning in the afternoon.

Finally, we are allowing all students to walk with their laptops this week, as they will still be utilizing these devices in the classroom. Kindly note that mobile phones are still not to be used during school hours. Only laptops or tablets are permitted for use.

Virtual Assembly will continue for those students online, and so throughout the week assembly will be held on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. House Prayers will occur on Wednesday as scheduled.

Do have a safe and productive week! Please continue to be safe and well.

Don’t Be Afraid To Tackle Serious Internal Issues – Penn Tells Youth Parliamentarians

Congratulations to Alumna Angelique Lettsome, Youth Parliament Speaker of the House. We continue to be proud of you, as you spread your wings! "I think the Ayes have it - yes, the Ayes have it".

Don’t Be Afraid To Tackle Serious Internal Issues – Penn Tells Youth Parliamentarians Opposition Leader and member of the Youth Parliament Management Committee, Hon. Marlon Penn has admonished the new cohort of the Youth...

Hon. de Castro's Essay Winners Announced

Congratulations to Alumna Olivia Freeman for capturing the top prize in the Tertiary category. A job well done!

Hon. de Castro's Essay Winners Announced Hon. Sharie B. de Castro has announced the winners of the 2020 Territorial Back to School Essay Competition on Monday October 19, 2020.

Reopening Protocols- St. George’s Secondary School

Re-opening protocols.

https://youtu.be/g0jOr-NKPuY

Reopening Protocols- St. George’s Secondary School Welcome Back Georgians!!!

Timeline photos

PRESS RELEASE:
Chairman of the Caribbean Examinations Council® (CXC®), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles has convened a team that will review the modified approach for the administration of the July/August 2020 CSEC® and CAPE® Examinations; the moderation process applied to the School-Based Assessment (SBA) for the July/August 2020 CSEC® and CAPE® Examinations, and the grading process for the July/August 2020 CSEC® and CAPE® examinations, among other related matters.

Chair of the review team is Professor Hazel Simmons-McDonald, Professor Emerita and retired Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Open Campus, The University of the West Indies. Other members of the team are Professor Andrew Downes, retired Pro Vice-Chancellor, Planning and Development, The University of the West Indies; Professor Francis De Lanoy, President of the University of Curacao; Mr. Harrilal Seecharan, retired Chief Education Officer, Ministry of Education, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; and the Hon. Michael S. Browne, Minister of Education in Antigua and Barbuda and Chair of the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD).

The team will meet with the Chairman of CXC® on Friday, 2 October 2020. They will commence work immediately and report to the Chairman, CXC by Friday, 16 October 2020. http://bit.ly/cxc-review

Statement By Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley: 2020 CXC CSEC And CAPE Results

Today, I am pleased to present to you a synopsis of the Territory’s performance in the 2020 CXC Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and CXC Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE). Given the fluid nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications, our students persevered through many psychological, social and emotional challenges. This pandemic forced our students to deal with great uncertainty, adapt to new learning conditions and adopt new studying practices.
To read more click here https://bit.ly/36fRhUi

Timeline photos

PRESS RELEASE:

Statement by Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Chairman, Caribbean Examinations Council® (CXC®) on the July 2020 Regional Examinations

Concerns raised in the public domain with respect to the efficacy of procedures and systems used by the Caribbean Examinations Council® (CXC®) in its computation and declaration of student performance data are of great importance to the organisation.

The Registrar, Dr Wayne Wesley, and his team have met with distinguished regional Ministers of Education in order to discuss these concerns and identify the underlying causes with a view to moving forward and providing clarity to our stakeholders and enhanced support.

CXC® is satisfied that Ministers have received explanations for its positions in light of the public discourse. It is understood that while there might be policy and technical issues to be addressed immediately, the maintenance of public trust going forward is paramount.

There will be ongoing dialogue with regional Ministries of Education based upon the official gathering of data relevant to all ventilated concerns. Each and every formally reported case will be reviewed and where remedies are required they will be applied.

Management at CXC® has been impressive in the delivery of the July 2020 regional examinations within the context of the COVID-19 logistics nightmare, and crippling global doubt about revised examinations systems and procedures. I commend the team at CXC® for their effort to serve the best they can – the people of our region.

Nonetheless, it was anticipated that given these specific challenges a period of review and possible revisions would follow, consistent with the regulations of the Council. It has been agreed, therefore, that an Independent Review Team will shortly begin this work and present a report for discussion with relevant stakeholders.

-End-