Bel Air Newsletter Jul 2006

Bel Air Newsletter

July 2006

B el A i r C h i l d r e n ’s H o m e , C al l i s t e , G r e n a d a , We s t I n d i e s w w w. s p i c e i s l e . c o m / b e l a i r h o m e b e l a i r h o m e @ c a r i b s u r f . c o m Ph o n e 1 - ( 4 7 3 ) 4 4 4 - 5 1 0 0 ; F a x 1 - ( 4 7 3 ) 4 4 4 - 5 2 2 0

President’s Notes By Paddy Ross INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1

President’s Notes

1

Manager’s Matters

2

Resident’s Experiences & Nursery Report

3

Esther Rantzen visits us.

3

The Danish Student’s Story.

“…we are extremely grateful to Mr. Nestor Abraham and his team for the $TT52,000 they raised”

In the last newsletter, I gave preliminary details about a new project “Moving On”, which is intended to give the older adolescent girls a smooth transition from institutional to independent living. This will entail the acquisition of land near Bel Air, the construction of a home under the guidance of a housemother that will accommodate three or four older teenagers and four additional one bedroom homes for girls who are no longer our legal responsibility i.e. aged eighteen or over. I am pleased to say that the Board of Bel Air approved the project proposal at our last meeting and this document has now been circulated to certain individuals and organizations as well as being posted on our website (www.spiceisle.com/belairhome). So what progress if any to report? We have established that the plot of land immediately behind Bel Air is owned by Government and have approached Cabinet via the Minister for Social Development asking for this land to be donated to Bel Air for the purposes of “Moving On”. If this approach is successful, then we can start to clear the site immediately as we have already received some significant donations towards this project from individuals and organizations. Probably the most unusual source of funds was from the premiere of the Da Vinci Code at the Movie Town cinemas in Trinidad. Please see President’s Notes on page 2

Manager’s Matters By Sharon Davis

See “Sailing” on page 2

Bel Air is proud to announce that three out of the six students who sat the Common Entrance Exams have passed. “Now girls, this is where the work begins.” We would like to thank all the staff and volunteers for their time, hard work, knowledge and perseverance with the girls. We also say thanks to Bo and Lisa, although you were students on the last leg of your Social Education training from Denmark, we were grateful to have you here with us for six months. You have surely left your ‘footprints’ behind for other students to follow.

Bel Air Newsletter

Page 2

Resident’s Experiences Easter Sailing trip

“Bel Air is proud to announce that three out of the six students who sat the Common Entrance Exams have passed”

April 12th was a hot sunny day. My friends and I went on a sailing trip up the western coast of our island on a bright yellow catamaran, “Carib Cats”. We went to Grand Anse Beach and went aboard the boat. We were able to look at the bottom of the sea from the boat and saw beautiful stones and fishes. We stopped on a little beach along the coast and had a swim. I couldn’t keep up for long as I get sea sick when traveling on boats. We had lunch of sandwiches and juice and then I took a good rest. It was a very enjoyable and fun-filled trip. By: Markidah...... Resident Bel Air’s Achievements Three of our adolescent girls were successful in the Common Entrance Exams and will be starting High School in September. Residents attending School for Special Education excelled at their Annual Sport Meet. Nursery Report The nursery is doing very well and is improving day by day with the help of our very capable staff. The nursery consists of (20) twenty children, (12) twelve boys ages 2 to 9 and (8) eight girls ages 1 t0 8 years old. All Please see more on page 4 President’s Notes from page 1

Sailing !!! (See Markidah's description on this page)

As one might have expected, there was a lot of publicity with regard to this film. It is said that there is no such thing as bad publicity and we are extremely grateful to Mr. Nestor Abraham and his team for the $TT52,000 that this event raised. We are almost half way to our financial target already but we will remain only half way there unless people and organizations continue to support Bel Air generously as in the past. Ever the optimist, I look forward to our next newsletter and hopefully being able to say that we have reached our target. Until then, please keep giving and thank you. ***************************************** Photos of the children playing 'dress up'. The staff in the picture are Ms. Desan and Ms. Erica.

Page 3

Bel Air Newsletter

Picture Gallery

Esther Rantzen …..

…..and Sharon Davis…..

at.Bel Air

Some photos of Ms. Esther Rantzen, famous Television Journalist and founder of Childline, charity phoneline, in the UK who visited us this month. Julia Montgomery (lady in red in the photos) organised the visit.

A Story of Two Danish We are the two Danish Social Education students, Bolette and Lisa, which have been Students working at Bel Air for the last 5 months.

We have mostly been working with the adolescent girls, and also two handicapped children, Brittney and Jamal. We have seen big improvement with Jamal and are hoping that the next Danish students will follow up on the work we have been doing. It has been a great experience to meet all the children and the staff. The day is coming when we have to go home and it is with great sorrow that we have to leave this place and all the people in it. We have learned a lot about the Grenadian culture and the people. There are big differences between the institutions that we have in Denmark, compared to the institutions on Grenada. Grenada does not have as many resources as we have in Denmark and that in itself has been a big challenge. Bel Air has given us ways to work with children from all kinds of backgrounds. It has taught us to be open and willing to accept constant changes. So many things have happened over the last 5 months and it will be very hard to say goodbye, both to the children and staff. Bel Air has given us tools we can take home and use in the future, working with children. It has been some life changing months for us at Bel Air and we will never forget it. Bolette and Lisa

“. It has been some life changing months for us at Bel Air and we will never forget it.”

Page 4

Bel Air Newsletter

Continued from page 2

the kids are doing their very best in school.

Some more “Sailing” shots

We have one very special little boy who's name is Jamal. He is seven years old and cannot walk or should I say could not Walk, talk, and react to sounds, touch or any human contact. But with the help of God, staff and lots of hard work he is now walking, Responding to touch, human contact and sounds. Our next accomplishment would be to get him to talk, that in itself would be another miracle. Our next very special child would be Brittany who is now (8) eight years old. She is also doing very well on her own. She is sitting up by her self; she is holding her feeding cup by herself, reaching out and takes things and lots more. Now these accomplishments may be small or insignificant to many people, but to us the staff and even the children they are very big miracles from God. Being told that they would never be able to do any of these things and now seeing them happening is so great it is too much to put into words. I must say thank you to the staff who work with them on a day to day basis. We consist of (9) nine people whose names are: Miss Desan; Miss Alica; Miss Sonia; Miss Lisa; Miss Erica; Miss Audrey; Miss Ernestine and Miss Laurine. And my name is Miss Alenda, with the help of God, and Management we are striving to do a lot more in the future thank you. By: Nursery Coordinator (PS you can come see us at any time.)

From the Deputy Manager/Educational Needs Co-ordinator Our toddler programme is a great place for our toddlers to spend time every day. This programme seeks to provide a variety of experiences aimed at developing the whole child. It is lively, loving and interesting. For the past six months we have watched our five little ones bloom, become mobile, those who didn’t speak begin to speak in words and sentences they have developed some self-help skills as they learn to play and interact with others in a safe and caring environment. I love their enthusiasm and responsiveness, as we observe them work on a project, read a book, play with their favorite toy or discover something new. The staff and I can’t hide the joy and satisfaction we feel knowing that we are helping them develop in their early years. We are the ones to applaud their handiwork when they accomplish something new. They can no longer be called “babies” they are in fact ready to move to the next step of pre-school and we are excited and equipped to take them there. *********************************************************

Bel Air Newsletter

Page 5

More Kind Benefactors

Special thanks go out to Bishop Redmon and the team from The Worship Center for the Donation of a DVD player and a VCR player. These pieces of equipment will enable the children educationally and for relaxation. Plus they have also committed themselves to sponsor two children monthly. Indeed thanks go out to all the many persons and organisations that sponsor individual children.

In the picture below Mrs. Jocelyn Sylvester-Gairy of the Grenada Board of Tourism is seen handing over a cheque on behalf of the Northern California chapter of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) to our Deputy Manager, Ms. Alison Greene.

Also thanks to Mrs. Jenny Barlow and the Inner Wheel of Andover, Hampshire, UK for the large donation of toiletries, craft equipment, quilts and toys etc. and for sponsoring our children who passed Common Entrance. If we do not mention you by name please do not be offended. Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! B e l A i r C hi l d r e n ’s H o m e , C a l l i s t e , G r e n a n d a , We s t I n d i e s w w w. s p i c ei s l e . c o m / b e l a i r h o m e b e l a i r h o m e @ c a r i b s u r f . c o m Ph o n e 1 - ( 4 7 3 ) 4 4 4 - 5 1 0 0 ; F a x 1 - ( 4 7 3 ) 4 4 4 - 5 2 2 0