SXMElections.com

Teachers train to ‘create positive climate in schools’

ST. PETERS--Primary and secondary public school teachers attended informative professional development sessions on "creating a positive climate in schools" August 10 and 11 at St. Dominic High School.

The event was part of the annual teachers' conference hosted by St. Maarten Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). The first day focused on primary educators, and the second on secondary educators.

Participants were welcomed by ASCD President Juliana Hodge-Shipley and received a keynote address by Tracelyn Hamilton of Anguilla, a primary school principal who graduated from University of Bristol with distinction with a Masters in Education for Teaching English and has previously held roles as classroom teacher, reading recovery teacher, numeracy coordinator, English as a second language (ESL) teacher, and a tutor for Differentiated Instruction.

Hamilton focused on the conference theme "creating a positive climate in schools" by honing in on practical tips which she termed "reflectors" for creating and maintaining a positive school environment Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Emancipation celebrated at historic Emilio Wilson Estate

CUL DE SAC--St. Maarten's families, dignitaries and artistes gathered for the main Emancipation Day Celebration and Cultural Manifestation, celebrating 152 years since the emancipation proclamation, under the theme “Emancipation from Within-The Voice of Our People” at Emilio Wilson Park on Wednesday, July 1.

The day’s commemorations and celebrations started with an Ecumenical Service at St. Martin of Tours Roman Catholic Church and two Symbolic Wreath Laying Ceremonies by the country’s leaders at the One Tete Lohkay and Freedom Fighters monuments Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Dr. Gonsalves: Reparations needed to fix Caribbean underdevelopment

POND ISLAND--Caribbean Countries should get reparations from former and in some cases, present colonial masters to repair the under-development they face today, said Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on the topic of reparations.

Dr. Gonsalves was the keynote speaker at the Emancipation Day Lecture hosted by Independence for St. Martin Foundation on Saturday night at University of St. Martin (USM). St. Maarten will mark Emancipation Day on Wednesday, July 1 Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Writers flock to St. Maarten for 13th annual Book Fair

MARIGOT/PHILIPSBURG--A host of international authors, writers and poets from all over the world, including countries such as Brazil, India, Panama, France, the United Kingdom and United States, will be travelling to the island for the thirteenth annual St. Martin Book Fair.

The Book Fair, to be held June 4-6, will be officially opened at Territorial Media Tech Centre in Spring Concordia, Marigot, Thursday, at 8:00pm. President of the Collectivité of St. Martin Aline Hanson and Prime Minister of St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Mindful moments on raging children

Dear Editor,

Be Kind; Everyone You Meet is Fighting a Hard Battle ~ Plato.

When one practices mindfulness, one practices feeling the body as it experiences emotions. Emotions are felt in its most miniscule form. Anxiety, for example, is a very uncomfortable emotion to bear; it is also a precursor to rage. Any outburst of a raging scene starts with the seed of anxiety, so fear.

In certain societies, rage is naturally accepted as response and reaction to situations that arise Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Acha Symposium

First Anniversary of ACHA

Acha will be holding another interesting and informative program at Philipsburg Jubilee Library this evening, April 9, at 7:00-9:00.

The program includes the singing of the St. Maarten song by Ifelola Badejo before the welcome introduction to ACHA where Drs. Okama Ekpe Brook will speak about positively reconnecting the Caribbean with Africa and the vision of ACHA.

There will be a summary of activities and upcoming events throughout the year as well as a poem by Julie Alcin Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Independence referendum possible in less than 4 years

PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten could possibly see a referendum on independence before the current Parliamentary term ends in 2018. At least this is the hope of staunch independence advocates such as activists Jose Lake Jr., Leo Friday Sr., Elton Jones and Drs. Rhoda Arrindell.

This hope was expressed by representatives of Independence for St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Shujah’s pick of books for “the ‘readingist’ month” of the year

by Shujah Reiph

When I first glanced at the Facebook post from Nehesi House at the end of January, about February being "the readingist month" of the year, I had to laugh, because that is a big statement to make without any backup information.

I was about to call Lasana right away, for proof, since he always drills me about evidence and having "multiple sources" when I find some new historical information. Nehesi House is the Facebook page of House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP). Lasana Sekou is a poet and projects director of HNP Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Establish the van Hugh Law

Dear Editor,

Our youth are crying for help and all their pleas are falling on deaf ears. A major crime is committed and unfortunately some youths are involved and the entire nation is in uproar. We must do something for our young people. They are going astray. Then the blame game starts, from the parents to the teachers and eventually the government, but at the end of the day nothing is done to help our young people. The 2015 budget was passed recently; what youth programmes were presented to the public?

Every year we have hundreds of young people completing our secondary schools and who cannot find employment Read more

---

Candidates in this article: