Father Of Year Essay Competition Winners
When asked to pen essays on their fathers in celebration of this year’s Father’s Day, young Bermudian students were asked to write about why they thought their father was the best.
Beginning in early May, P5 and P6 primary students in all Bermuda’s public schools participated in the first annual Minister of Education’s Father of the Year Essay Competition.
The competition was enthusiastically pursued with students determined to highlight their fathers’ accomplishments, achievements, and different parenting styles, in hopes of winning the competition and the gifts that went along with victory. In total, the competition was divided up between the Eastern, Western and Central School Zones with the overall winner sitting at the top of the heap.
The idea for the competition was put forward by the Minister of Education and Workforce Development Diallo Rabain.
He said: “I wanted to inspire the children to recognize the significant role fathers have in their lives. I thought an essay competition would be a great way for students to share their thoughts about their fathers.
“We reached out to all primary schools in the Bermuda Public School System and asked P5 and P6 students to write an essay explaining why their father should be Father of the Year. The competition exceeded my expectations, we had over 160 handwritten entries, from the majority of our schools.”
Minister Rabain added: “Overall, every young essayist in the competition did a great job of showcasing why it is that they love their fathers so much, and why Father’s Day is an occasion to be celebrated with much joy. While every student’s essay was certainly worthy of consideration and showed their fathers in the best light possible, the overall winner of the competition was Port Royal Primary student Tristan Robinson. “
Beyond getting the prestige of having won the competition and having his picture taken with his father, Edmund Robinson, and Minister of Education Diallo Rabain, Tristan also received a restaurant gift certificate at Lost in the Triangle, a gift certificate to The Bookmart, a certificate recognizing him as the overall winner of the essay competition, and a pizza lunch for his entire class.
The Eastern, Central and Western School Zone winners were:
Viquan Chambers, Elliot Primary
- Father: Vivian Chambers
Shia Bean, Paget Primary
- Step-Father: Hilton Wolfe
Jace Donawa, West End Primary
- Father: Jay Donawa
These students also received gift cards, certificates and pizza lunch for their class.
Edmund Robinson, Tristan Robinson, Minister Rabain
Tristan wrote about his father stating: “My first significant memory of my father was when I was 4 years old, we were playing football in the backyard and I was discouraged that I couldn’t do a stepover. My father encouraged and supported me to try again until I got it. My father continues to support me end encourage me to this day by driving me to and from my sporting events.
“My father works hard to make sure I have a roof over my head, he pays the bill, pays for the food and water and he pays for the car to be fixed and repaired. Although he goes to work, he somehow finds time to repair the lights in the house. My father loves me dearly however he disciplines me a lot. My father gives me words of wisdom and guidance so I can try my best in everything.
“My father will give me consequences, not to hurt me but to prepare me for the real world. My father should be Father of the Year because he is an excellent role model, he is dependable, considerate, generous, honest and virtuous.”
Primary 6 Teacher, Chantal Simons, Edmund Robinson, Tristan and Minister Diallo Rabain
Upon finding out that his son won, Tristan’s father, Edmund Robinson, said: “I am very excited for Tristan. Fatherhood is a journey that is simultaneously incredibly rewarding and particularly challenging. There are moments of shining success tempered with, hopefully fewer, moments when you think [and perhaps have] made a considerable mess of it.
“However, a goal of producing a confident, intelligent, and engaged participant of our community is always the ‘end in view’. Fathers guide our little ones with love, affection, and stern instruction to achieve that goal with the Bermuda community providing an incredible environment in which to realize it.
“I am very fortunate to have Tristan as my charge in this journey and I hope his mother’s and my plans for him lead him to further success. I extend my thanks to the communities of Port Royal Primary, Bermuda Gymnastics Association, CP Athletic Development Academy, and Bermuda Chess Association for their contributions in support of our goal for Tristan.”
BEAUTIFUL!