Pupils get feel for Bajan characters

The Maria Holder Nursery School at Sharon, St Thomas, held a Bajan Character Day yesterday to help the young ones to get in tune with their culture.

As part of Independence celebrations, the school looked at various aspects of Barbadian culture to enable the young ones to have an informative learning experience about their island home.

“It’s okay to talk about something, but to actually see it, touch it, incorporate the senses and see what they’re doing, it makes the difference,” acting senior teacher Reneé Riley said.

“Now if you just show a picture and say, ‘This is a mother’s son, this is a cane cutter’, it’s just on the surface. But then if you have the children actually holding cane stalks, it’s an authentic experience which makes learning more meaningful,” she said.

“It is not just about A, B, C, 1, 2, 3. They are learning about Barbados’ culture and commemorating all the current events. We are embracing the culture, learning all about Barbados. If I show them the map of Barbados, they can point out some of the parishes.”

The little boys and girls were decked out in costumes that depicted fisherfolk, the nutseller, the tuk band, Shaggy Bear, Mother Sally and cane cutters.

“We commemorate all the current events as it pertains to Barbados and that’s integrated in our learning process. We felt it was important not just to learn about our country Barbados, but the nation builders as well,” Riley said.

There were live performances from the tuk band, with a Mother Sally and Shaggy Bear, as well as a mini-parade of the students in their respective costumes. The children were also treated to sno-cones compliments of Smiley Sno-Cones.

Principal Lydia Husbands-Hinds said the Bajan Character Day was an opportunity for students, parents and staff to embrace their culture and showcase the richness of Barbadian heritage and values.

“Our Independence Unit explores a variety of events, activities and initiatives which highlight the traditions, customs and history that make Barbadian culture unique,” she said. “By extension, it provides opportunities for us as a school family to come together and celebrate our shared cultural heritage.” ( AJ)

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