Riverton basic school

Lunchtime for the 4 year olds, Riverton Meadows Early Childhood Development Centre, Riverton, Jamaica

During the mornings, while we are in Riverton, we support the teachers in their regular classes by helping children with their work, completing tasks for the teachers, and planning special activities for the children.  During the winter trip, students from the School of Early Childhood Education at Seneca College in Toronto, Canada plan and implement small group activities, involving creativity, literacy, and numeracy. The Jamaican Ministry of Education is moving to a new phase in the education of young children. In their new model, they have moved towards a more child-directed, play-based learning environment and we are helping the school in whatever way we can to adapt their program to this new model.

AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM

At the end of the school day, our group sets up an afterschool program for the older children in the community. We plan activities in creative arts, literacy skill-building, games, sports, and music. We have been running this very popular program every trip since 2005.  In addition, we help individual children who are struggling with literacy in small groups or on a one-to-one basis.  Prior to leaving for Jamaica, we assess the skills of the group travelling there, and plan and implement additional workshops and activities based on our collective skill set and the wishes of the community.

 
Ruthie Valkenburg and Fumiko Fujikawa, now graduates of Seneca’s School of Early Childhood Education, Toronto, Canada, conducting an activity with children

oops  - who left the bag of flour open?                                                 yoga!

FIELD TRIPS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Each time we visit Kingston, we try to treat children and others in the community to a party or a trip to Hellshire Beach.

Hellshire Beach, in line for lunch

 
The DJs setting up for a street dance