International donors, through the Amanyara Resort, located on Providenciales, presented all students and members of staff of the Maranatha Academy with laptops in time for their final year examinations.
Overall, the school was the beneficiary of 228 Chromebooks that were divided among the staff and students.
“God has indeed proven himself faithful through the kind gesture of our corporate neighbour, as this gift comes at a time when many parents were struggling to provide devices for their children to attend online classes,” said Jodian Scott-Bandon, a senior teacher at that Blue Hills private learning institution.
In response to the immediate closure of schools in March 2020 in the Turks and Caicos Islands, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, all schools were forced to resort to online learning.
“Teachers, administrators, and parents had no time to adequately prepare for such an unprecedented crisis within the 21st century. The ‘new normal’ required that everyone within education be equipped with a technological device. This was no easy feat for many as we were left reeling from the effects of the covid–19 pandemic. Lives had been lost, which brought with it additional expense and grief; several parents’ jobs were made redundant, or work hours reduced.
For many, their main concern was figuring out how to put food on the table while keeping their families safe,” she added.
She said even after the resumption of face-to-face school in April 2021, devices were still needed due to the ‘Blended Learning’, which requires 50 percent of each class to remain home on alternate days while still being engaged in class online.
Acting Principal, Mrs Michelle Arthur was quick to point out that, "The dismal and uncertain period of COVID-19 has been transformed into hopeful, beautiful moments, as each student can work from a Chromebook.”
She also expressed thanks to Ms Laiela Bassam Abdi, Training & Quality Assurance Manager of the Amanyara Resort, who worked directly with the school during the distribution stages.
The school administrators pointed out that with the acquisition of laptop computers, many parents are now breathing a sigh of relief, as they no longer have to worry about their child being at a disadvantage because of malfunctioning or non-existent devices.
“Thank you, Amanyara Resort, for investing in the children of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Thank you, for helping to “level the playfield” for those who would have otherwise been disenfranchised. Thank you for your continued partnership with the Maranatha Academy,” Scott-Banton said.
Contributor: Jodian Scott-Banton