School visits resumed on Friday 13th September, 2024 for academic year 2024/2025 with Their Excellencies Christine Carla Kangaloo O.R.T.T., President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and First Gentleman Kerwyn Garcia SC visiting four schools in Gasparillo.
The first stop was Gasparillo Secondary School where Her Excellency addressed the school’s student assembly and reminded them of the importance of valuing their education, perseverance and learning from their mistakes, emphasising that those three qualities will help secure a positive future.
The second stop on the tour of four schools in Gasparillo was at The Happy Hill Hindu Primary School. Their Excellencies first met with the standard 5 students. The students viewed a film on the roles and functions of the President and Her Excellency’s activities during her first year in office. The students were invited to ask questions on the film and of Their Excellencies with one students asking, “Is it hard being President?” In response Her Excellency shared that she prepares for all her responsibilities. First Gentleman Kerwyn Garcia SC then shared a key message to further reiterate the point of preparation. He shared the 5 Ps: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. Their Excellencies were then hosted to a short cultural programme with performances by the students.
The Gasparillo Government Primary School was the third stop. Their Excellencies first met with the standard five students with whom they discussed the roles and functions of the President after viewing the short film, A Day in the Life of the President. Then to Their Excellencies delight they were treated to a performance of the school song and an exhilarating performance of Andre Tanker’s Sayamanda. As the visit came to a close the entire school erupted in loud cheers as Their Excellencies greeted students. It was a memorable experience for the teachers and children.
The fourth and final school on today’s tour was the Vos Government Primary School. School pride was at its highest as the students and teachers shared their rally call “Vos is the boss and we doh ‘lorse’ and if we ‘lorse’ we still de boss.” This was to the delight of Their Excellencies. The standard five students had the privilege of one on one time with Their Excellencies and wasted no time in asking them some very insightful questions. One of the most interesting questions was, “what kind of problems does the President have in doing the job?” In Her Excellency’s response she shared that it is the lack of willingness to serve when called upon to do so by The President. The students were then reminded of the value of education, perseverance and preparation. ECCE students from the nearby schools were also present for the visit.
