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The parents with their certificates. Photo contributed

At Asha Stevens Hillside Christian school

St. Maarten News – 42 parents (32 mothers and 10 fathers) received last week Monday certificates for completing the active parenting program which is held annually for parents of students who are new to the Hillside Christian Schools.

This year the Active Parenting sessions were held on May 9, 16, and 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. The parents were punctual and they actively participated at every opportunity. They learned from each other and shared their experiences of applying the lessons with their children between sessions. A light snack was served nightly as some participants would come straight from work to the training sessions which were prepared and facilitated by school staff members.

General Director Oralie Boirard, on behalf of the school board for Hillside Christian Schools, expressed thanks to the parents for selecting Asha Stevens School as the school for their children. She also asked the parents to spend quality time with their children and said that a key to a child’s success is parental involvement.

Principal Clara Curiel thanked her teaching staff (Leandra Honore-Edwards, Myrna Richardson, Alitha Papaso-Hodge, Doris George-Richardson, Sharon Hassell, and Nicole Fletcher-Penn) for assisting with the training; her office manager, Shirley Duffis-Duke for coordinating the event; and her cafeteria staff (Clareen Connor, Eileen Maloon and Ann Marie Forde) for preparing the nightly snacks.

Curiel welcomed the idea from the parents for a follow up session and mentioned that this will be organized during the upcoming school year.

During the closing ceremony, the parents were invited to share their thoughts and experiences regarding the training. Some of the remarks shared were as follows: “we made new friends during the training”; “I am much more aware of the way I speak to my child now”; “I found the do’s and don’ts, when correcting your children most helpful”, and “the teachers didn’t only speak from the books but from their own experience”. The parents also had high praise for their trainers and said that they looked forward to a follow-up session in the future.