Minister Praises Whitney Students
Minister of Youth, Families & Sports Glenn Blakeney this week congratulated Whitney Institute students who successfully completed an intensive three-day Mirrors “Coaching For Success” programme at the Smith’s Parish school.
The Minister said the almost 40 students who finished the initiative would benefit both academically and personally from its core content.
“You have completed a course that encourages you to think and explore about how you learn … to plan, and take responsibility for your own learning, to celebrate your accomplishments and to handle your mistakes powerfully,” he said.  You have taken on the challenge of being an active learner in education.
“These skills young men and ladies will support you throughout your education and will truly enhance you employability as you move into your chosen careers, later in life.”
The Minister’s remarks in full appear below:
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Mrs. Rasheemah Swan, principal of Whitney Institute, teachers, parents, volunteers, staff and last but not least the students of Whitney Institute Middle School. It is my pleasure to welcome you as we congratulate each student sitting here today for completing the first phase of the Mirrors Coaching for Success programme.  Forty students started on Monday and 37 of you remain…completing three days of rigorous self- reflection.
I understand that you have stretched yourselves beyond your comforts to discover what it will take for you to be successful students.
You have decided to do this at 11- to 13 years of age. Indeed, this Government and those here today are proud of your choice to develop as a student.
You have completed a course that encourages you to think and explore about how you learn … to plan, and take responsibility for your own learning, to celebrate your accomplishments and to handle your mistakes powerfully.  You have taken on the challenge of being an active learner in education. These skills young men and ladies will support you throughout your education and will truly enhance you employability as you move into your chosen careers, later in life.
Another area that you explored in this course is developing relationships. This will help you to carve out those relationships that will increase your capacity to produce results. The same results that you want to achieve over the next eight months, such as improving your grades, getting along better with teachers, not being distracted by your friends and listening in class.
I am proud of each and every one of you. I want to thank you for deciding to be leaders in your education, in your school and in your community. This is the first step. You now have eight months of working with your education coaches to achieve your goals. These volunteers, some are here today, have decided to support you as players in your academic pursuits. They are no different then the coaches who assist athletes to improve their skills, nutrition and physical fitness to perform well in sports. These coaches will support you in achieving the education goal that you have set for yourself over the next eight months. Listen to them, talk with them and allow them to deepen the learning that you have achieved over these past three days such that in June you will be sitting here proud young men and ladies celebrating the many accomplishments that will propel you forward for your last year in middle school.
Thank you teachers, education coaches, volunteers and Mirrors staff members for your work over the past three days and your commitment to coach these students over the remaining school year. I am pleased with your work to transform our community and your focus on inspiring excellence.
We must continue to surround our young people and assist them to be in action on their visions and dreams. We must continue to be open and available to listen to our young people and to let them know that their voice matters. To my young people I encourage you to keep the lessons that you have learned in front of you at all times. Continue to reflect and redefine what it means to be successful students.  I am proud of each and every one of you and would like to say job well done. Congratulations. Â
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