Tennis Court becomes a Reality at the Shady Grove Basic School!

Labour Day, May 25, 2015, was indeed a very happy one for the students and staff at the Shady Grove Basic School.  As budding tennis players (and very keen ones too!), the Shady Grove children got their very own tennis court.

In a concerted effort, with parents, students and their siblings joining in, the Shady Grove Basic School made the most of their Labour Day and a much-needed tennis court was resurfaced and ready for play, right there on campus.  For Shady Grove, it really was a dream come true. Following all that hard work, the school’s tennis programme is now running smoothly under the tutelage of Coach Plummer. Since then, the students are reportedly doing very well and have improved vastly in their technique and knowledge of the sport.

Coach Plummer spoke with the Principal to ascertain how the school could further assist its tennis programme. The school decided.  It wanted to resurface the grounds as the 2015 Labour Day project and the Phillip & Christine Gore Family Foundation provided just the materials required.  As one of the Foundation’s ‘target’ schools, it played a key role in the implementation of the ‘Play & Stay’ tennis programme at Shady Grove Basic School, to help with the children’s early childhood education.

Such a project that saw the tennis court become a reality and indeed the tennis programme itself, could not have happened without the ‘hands on’ assistance of the Phillip and Christine Gore Family Foundation (PCGFF).  Founded in 2001 with the main objective of improving early childhood education in Jamaica, tennis was and remains, paramount on the Foundation’s agenda.  When young children learn tennis, it encourages good hand-eye co-ordination, brain development, self-esteem, concentration, self-control and social interaction.  It is one of the sports in Jamaica with a direct pathway to higher educational opportunities.  In association with Jamaica’s Early Childhood Commission (ECC) therefore, getting the Play & Stay programme into as many basic and primary schools is one of the Foundation’s major priorities.

 

Now boasting a proper tennis court, Shady Grove Basic School’s children can fully participate in the tennis programme to their full potential. Based on the school’s estimation and outside assessments, the students excel and are well prepared to move onto their respective preparatory or primary schools upon graduation.

The Foundation marches on and is sticking with its initiatives to improve and enhance early childhood education at every opportunity.  Another project undertaken is that of ensuring the right nutrition for the very young. Nutrition plays a vital role in the early life and a child’s learning capacity; indeed, the Foundation believes it is key in the proper development of that particular age group.  By hosting workshops for school principals, teachers and cooks, schools’ staff  learn and put into practice, the basics of feeding children correctly whilst ensuring good nutrition towards their continued, successful education.

After the nutrition seminars, the Foundation makes sure the cooking and feeding utensils required for school kitchens are on hand.  By improving the basic needs of all their target  schools under its umbrella, the Foundation thereby ensures their schools not only meet, but surpass the expectations of the ECC’s standards; by creating the right environment for a child to grow, develop and learn.

 

For more information on the Gore Foundation, please visit: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gorefoundation