Broughton Primary starts year with health, wellness focus

When Broughton Primary School in Westmoreland kicked off the new school year on Monday, amid the excitement as students walked along the red carpet into a warm welcome and gifts, they were also greeted with a clear message about the importance of healthy living.

Representatives from the Sandals Foundation, alongside officials from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, visited the school to present back-to-school tokens and highlight their ongoing Jamaica Moves in Schools programme.

The school’s principal, Marva Davis-Clarke, said the gesture has already made a meaningful impact on the children.

“I like this. I just like this. It motivates the children,” she told The Gleaner. “They feel good to come to school and we want them to feel good so that they really want to come back. So, for the first day, this red carpet, the gifts that they get, it’s a big motivation.

“It’s good for the start of the school year and we have a lot of plans in place. So, with this kind of excitement to start off, it just sets the mood in motion for what we have planned. So we are really grateful for it,” she said.

Gerald Miller, health education and promotion officer for Westmoreland, explained that Broughton Primary has been one of the more active schools in the national Jamaica Moves initiative, which promotes healthier lifestyles among students.

“The programme has three pillars – increase physical activity, proper nutrition, and appropriate health checks,” he said, noting that they have also worked with Sheffield, Little London, and Negril and Mount Airy primary schools.

Miller noted that primary schools are generally more eager to engage with the programme than high schools.

“The response from the primary schools is far more impressive than the high schools. And it’s nationally. So you’ll find that the primary schools are more interested in the programme.” Miller said.

“Mrs Clarke has been very supportive of the initiative. We have had them involved in a fitness challenge that we had in February of this year at Wavz Beach. And her students had done very well … . So, we have been working with her since they are very enthusiastic about the programme.”

The programme has gone beyond the classroom, with tennis lessons being introduced to the Broughton students and community activities supported.

“In fact, we have someone, a tennis professional from Couples Negril, he is working with the school and helping the children learn to play lawn tennis, since they have a multipurpose court down there,” noted Miller. “So, we were here last week, he was here trying to do the marking, to look at the court and to put in the necessary infrastructure for it to start.

UNSTRUCTURED PLAYTIME

Miller says that unstructured play time is a must, especially to reduce the likelihood of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which does not go for Jamaica alone, but also regionally and nationally.

“Globally, obesity and NCDs are wreaking havoc,” he declared. “Because, remember, at the end of the day, the State will have to find resources to take care of them in the hospital. They have conditions that could have been prevented if they were leading more healthy lives.”

Miller added that Sandals’ decision to support the school came after seeing Broughton Primary’s commitment to health and wellness.

Alison Beamar, a Sandals Foundation volunteer who distributed the tokens, said she was personally motivated to be part of the effort.

“What motivates me was when I was coming to Broughton Primary. A lot of kids didn’t have this, what is happening now, the giveaway from the Sandals Foundation. Probably it had happened at other schools but it’s my first time doing it here,” she said. “And I’m glad they get the chance to experience it. They have an idea how to feel about receiving small gifts, small tokens, even if they didn’t get it from someone else.”

Beamer believes that this is the exact initiative that meets Sandals’ mission guidelines.

“Sandals Foundation is for the people; it’s a promise to everyone to help them out in whatever way they can. Whether schooling, refurbishing, whatever they can help you,” she said.

With the academic year just beginning, both the Ministry of Health and Sandals representatives expressed hope that the enthusiasm shown on the first day will set the tone for another healthy, happy and motivated learning throughout the school year.

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com