​In a bid to strengthen its links with the school and provide much-needed inspiration to the current student population, the St James High School Past Students' Association (StJHSPA) staged a motivational concert at the institution last Tuesday to mark Peace Day 2016.
Down Sound Records' hottest commodity, recording artiste Nature, whose given name is AndrÈ Ellis, led the impressive list of past students entertainers, who included Mackie Conscious, Sonny Ranking, King Chavez, Ignite and Satta Ranks, Ranking Bagga, and Myco Wave (formerly Mickey Ranks), who dazzled with solid performances.
"When it came to Peace Day, we figured that we should have got the artistes who passed through the school and are doing well in the business to come back and perform at this concert," said Mackie Conscious, who serves on the StJHSPA executive.
Mackie Conscious explained that the StJHSPA had been playing an active role in the school over the years. He said that the organisation was assisting the school through cash donations and other gifts as part of its mandate to boost student development, raise self-esteem, and change the stigma that once tarnished the school.
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In a bid to strengthen its links with the school and provide much-needed inspiration to the current student population, the St James High School Past Students' Association (StJHSPA) staged a motivational concert at the institution last Tuesday to mark Peace Day 2016.
Down Sound Records' hottest commodity, recording artiste Nature, whose given name is AndrÈ Ellis, led the impressive list of past students entertainers, who included Mackie Conscious, Sonny Ranking, King Chavez, Ignite and Satta Ranks, Ranking Bagga, and Myco Wave (formerly Mickey Ranks), who dazzled with solid performances.
"When it came to Peace Day, we figured that we should have got the artistes who passed through the school and are doing well in the business to come back and perform at this concert," said Mackie Conscious, who serves on the StJHSPA executive.
Mackie Conscious explained that the StJHSPA had been playing an active role in the school over the years. He said that the organisation was assisting the school through cash donations and other gifts as part of its mandate to boost student development, raise self-esteem, and change the stigma that once tarnished the school.
Read More 

Growing up in Waterhouse, St Andrew, Olympics and World Championships in Athletics gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser said her first answer to everything was "whatever".

The 23-year-old was animated, her eyes as wide as saucers yesterday, as she got to the climax of a childhood story.

"A girl stabbed me with a pen. All of us ganged up on (her)," she said.

"Oh Lord," she added with a sigh.

Fraser is well known to Jamaicans, and the rest of the world, as the Olympics and world champion at the 100 metres. She is also the only female sprinter to hold both titles at the same time.

However, as of Monday evening, she has also become UNICEF Jamaica's first national Goodwill Ambassador. Yesterday, she was named Grace's Goodwill Ambassador of Peace in conjunction with the Peace and Love in Society (PALS).

This is an excerpt from an article published in the Jamaica Gleaner on Wednesday February 24, 2010. The entire article is available at the Jamaica Gleaner website.

In the calm after the furious storm of Shanique Thomas dramatising an incensed parent invading Donald Quarrie (DQ) High School in search of 'Miss Brown', there were smiles all around in vice-principal Zena Williams' office on Monday morning.


Not only because of Thomas' outstanding performance, the woman from ASHE open DQ's orange metal gates and slamming her handbag to the concrete inside the schoolyard, but more so the sterling performance (in another sense) of the school's critical-management team.

Members of the team, organised by Peace and Love in Society (PALS) trainer Sybil James, had handled the situation excellently, from the sound of the bullhorn alerting all to a crisis to the 'parent' being calmed down enough to be escorted to Williams' office, then the all-clear signal.

After Thomas' huffing and puffing and Thomas' final hoarse, emotional, demanding "Miss Brown, why you so wicked!?" had been replaced by satisfied smiles. Williams told THE WEEKEND STAR, "Everything went as planned. The parent forced her way in and we were able to calm her down. The children stayed inside, with the help of the teachers. We did not have any disruptions at all."

The school did not have a trained response team before PALS put one in place. Donald Quarrie is one of 15 high schools in which the programme is being implemented in the first phase of a five-year memorandum of understanding between PALS and the Ministry of Education. Ninety primary and junior high schools have also been introduced to the programme under the agreement.

Although it was a dramatisation the scenario was not new to DQ - which is why that particular simulation was chosen for the drill. PALS presents the schools with a number of scenarios for critical incident management drills and Williams says they chose the irate parent because of previous incidents which have disrupted the school day. She points out, though, that the school does have two competent security guards, so she had some level of confidence previously.

Unexpected benefit

There is an unexpected benefit from the drill as well, as although the police did not turn up until after it was over, a very courteous constable explained how they could have been accessed faster and gave VP Williams several numbers for direct contact with police officers.

There are critical-incident management teams on the morning and evening shifts, 26 persons in all, comprising a medical team, transportation coordinator, perimeter coordinator (who controls the gate), parent coordinator (who communicates with the parents of children directly involved in any incident) and a media coordinator, who liaises with the press. DQ principal Reford Hines holds the last position and also selects the persons for the teams.

"You don't have to send anyone. You just see them where they are supposed to be," Williams summed up the team's response.

When the team was addressing Thomas, the students were inside their classrooms, naturally curious, but contained.

Depending on the signal from the bullhorn, there may be nobody in the schoolyard or even DQ at all. The lockdown signal means only members of the critical- management team should be outside, while during a complete lockdown only emergency-services personnel, such as soldiers and police, should be seen outside the classrooms.

And when the evacuation signal is given, very quickly there will be no one inside the orange gates at DQ, Harbour View, St Andrew.

Mel Cooke, Star Writer


Through the Peace and Love in Society's (PALS) Ministry of Education programme, being implemented in 90 primary and junior high, as well as 15 high schools across the island, a wide cross-section of teachers have placed their major classroom challenges on record.

Evaluations which follow sessions and general discussion, have identified as some of the challenges faced by teachers, indiscipline among students, lack of respect, fights, inadequate classroom skills and behaviour management techniques, lack of student motivation, class size and oppressive and autocratic leadership.

Individually and, especially, combined, these factors add up to major disruption, and at one school, it was estimated that a staggering 56 days from the school year were lost due to dealing with conflicts.

Now coming to the end of the first school term of a five-year memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Education (MOE), PALS has been meeting the needs of teachers, who have requested the workshop on 'Handling Inappropriate Student Behaviours' most, with nearly 80 per cent of the 28 participating schools in Region 4 welcoming the practical sessions.

Simple Methods

After participating in the workshop, one teacher said, "I now understand that there are simple methods to use other than punishment." Another commented: "I now understand that punishment is not the solution for children's behaviour, but implementing the methods taught will bring success."

The teachers themselves identified some of the common causes of classroom conflict. Among these are a competitive atmosphere, the lack of conflict-resolution skills, the misuse of power by the teacher, an intolerant climate, poor communication, the inappropriate interpretation of emotions, lack of respect, lack of resources, and lack of self-management skills.

The PALS programme speaks directly to tackling many of the problems, as PALS general manager Janilee Abrikian said, the purpose of the joint initiative is to strengthen the ability of schools to prevent, manage and reduce violence and conflict, boost their capacity to deal with anti-social behaviour, and build their capacity to change the existing culture.

"Of the 15 high schools in the project, schools that have been doing outstandingly are Buff Bay High, Dunoon Technical and Donald Quarrie. Many of the primary schools have responded very positively to the rejuvenation or introduction of the PALS programme," Abrikian told THE STAR.

The Invisible Line

In terms of teachers' needs, workshops in classroom management ran a close second. And, as one participant puts it, "I now understand the importance of not paying attention to minor disturbances and how this helps with classroom control." Also speaking to the invisible line between control and chaos, after doing the workshop, another teacher said, "I now understand how to identify when I am about to lose my class control."

"'Conflict Resolution for Student Leaders' is also high on the schools' list of needs," Abrikian said, "Additionally, upon the request of the school, some PALS trainers are working with small groups of students who need behaviour-modification interventions, as well as help with anger management."

Crisis-Management Teams

Abrikian said that most of the schools on the PALS programme have set up crisis-management teams, which ensure that critical incidents are dealt with effectively and efficiently.

"We are pleased with the inroads regarding programme implementation in the schools in the PALS-MoE programme. We now look forward to helping schools build sustainability and to expanding the programme to include more schools across the island," Abrikian said.