SXMElections.com

Updated Information On The Reopening Of School.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport is currently still on target for the reopening of schools. The soft opening of school is set for September 28th, 2017. The soft opening will consists of students assessing their school materials, and speaking with their teachers, peers and guidance counselors. The official start date will be October 2nd, 2017.

The Foundation Catholic Education school board consisting of the St. Dominic Primary and High School, the Sister Regina Primary School, the St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Today A Mandatory Meeting For The Ministry Of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport

Philipsburg, The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, the Honorable Silveria Jacobs, is requesting all Management and Staff of the following departments and divisions to attend a mandatory meeting On Friday Sept 15 at the New Government Building for 11:00 a.m.

Department of Education
Department of Sports
Department of Youth
Department of Culture
Division Public Education
Division Study financing
Division Educational Innovation (DEI)
Student Support Services Division (SSSD)
Division of Exams
Inspectorate
Staffbureau

Lastly, we are requesting Ms Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Ministry Ecys And Witu Meeting Held

Philipsburg — Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms. Silveria Jacobs held a meeting with representatives of Windward Island Teachers Union (WITU) on Monday, August 28th 2017. WITU’s board was represented with a delegation of 5 members; the President of the WITU Mrs. Claire Elshot-Aventurin, the Vice President,  Mrs. Corinne Lejuez-vanPutten Putten, General Secretary Ms Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Ms. Silveria Jacobs held a meeting with representatives of Windward Island Teachers Union (WITU) on Monday, August 28th, 2017. WITU's board was represented by a delegation of 5 members; the President of the WITU Mrs. Claire Elshot-Aventurin, the Vice President, Mrs. Corinne Lejuez-vanPutten Putten, General Secretary Ms Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Pond Island:--- The staff at the USM welcome the President of the University of the Virgin Islands, Dr. Hall, on campus at the University of St. Martin on Friday, August 25, 2017. Dr. Hall also attended the scheduled staff meeting, where employees got the chance to address pressing issues and concerns that they felt was affecting their students under the growing partnership.

Dr. Hall was without hesitation hands on to help resolved the issues at hand and took on full accountability of the challenges and hiccups that the University has been facing over the past year Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Minister Of Education, Culture, Youth And Sport, The Honorable Silveria Jacobs’ Back To School Message.

PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — On  Monday August 14, the school bells will be ringing, children will be walking to school, being dropped off by excited parents, and otherwise doing their usual, but it will be the dawning of a new day for many entering the school gates for the very first time. All across Soualiga, there will be children ready for the next step.

As the school year 2017-2018 commences,  I would like to wish each and every student, teacher, parent, school management, and all who make school possible, a happy and productive 2017-2018 Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

SIMPSON BAY:--- Ms. Shanice Powell returned home on Tuesday evening after participating in the Miss Caribbean Culture Queen Pageant held in Nevis.

Shanice represented St. Maarten to the best of her ability and won “Best Promotional Video (produced by Soualiga Media)”, Best Interview and Best Talent and ultimately placed 2nd Runner-up. The regional pageant was held during the Culturama Festival in Nevis and consisted of contestants from 11 islands and was won by Miss Dominica, Jade Romain.

Mrs Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- At the Department of Communication, Business Outreach and Placement Program (BOPP) student interns Julianne Robert(16) and Omari Philips(18) took part in hosting a TV Program that will play on Cable TV for the next 3 weeks.

Julianne, of the Charlotte Brookson Academy, and Omari, of the St. Maarten Academy—PSVE division, were trained in several areas at the DCOMM, from administrative tasks to video production to media communication.

The student interns worked along with DCOMM staff members to contribute their part of an information program, called “Inside Government.”

The two students interviewed the Prime Minister William Marlin, Minister Silveria Jacobs, the BOPP coordinator Faye Arnell, and a couple of BOPP students interns.

Julianne and Omari said that interning at DCOMM was a learning experience and productive Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG:--- Mr. Rumari “King Rumer” Rogers will be competing in the upcoming Soca Monarch competition to be held in Tortola, BVI. Rogers traveled on August 2nd, and the competition will be held on August 3rd. He is currently the 3-peat Road March King of St. Maarten, and was selected to represent St. Maarten. The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, the Honourable Silveria Jacobs and Government of Sint Maarten, would like to wish Mr Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

PHILIPSBURG: --- The chairman of NIPA supervisory board Antonio Aventurin buckled to severe pressure from members of the community on Wednesday and submitted his letter of resignation. Teachers at the learning institution were informed of Aventurin’s resignation on Wednesday. Aventurin and other members of the NIPA board are under severe criticism on social media after the board of NIPA terminated several local teachers, while they chose to grant a three-year contract to the daughter of the Minister of EYS at NIPA.
Several members of the community went directly after Aventurin after he dismissed the female Culinary and Arts teacher Renata De Weever who recently took students of NIPA to Miami and they did extremely well.
Minister of EYS Silveria Jacobs said on Wednesday at the Council of Ministers press briefing that she was highly criticized by the social media the past days for the dismissal of the teachers Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Witu Being Left Out Of Social Dialogues

MADAME ESTATE – The Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU) held a press conference, via phone, with the different media outlets, at their office in Madame Estate, on Thursday, July 27, after another failed attempt to meet with Minister of Education Silveria Jacobs.

According to WITU President Claire Elshot-Aventurin, the purpose of the press conference was to inform members about the ongoing issues they come to the union with, and let them know how talks with the Education Minister were progressing.

Initially, WITU first requested a meeting with Minister Jacobs on June 16 Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

POND ISLAND:--- On Friday, July 7th, the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS), Ms. Silveria Jacobs met with Mr. Ki-Mani Olivacce, founder of the Back 2 School Drive, to discuss the vision and projection of the project. The Back to School Drive is a project, 16-year-old Ki-Mani Olivacce began in 2016. The drive is geared towards students who are in foster care, as well as for students whose parents are unable to provide the school materials and supplies every year for their child or children Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

The Ministry Of Education, Culture, Youth And Sport Supports The Back To School Drive

POND ISLAND – On Friday, July 7th, the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS), Ms. Silveria Jacobs met with Mr. Ki-Mani Olivacce, founder of the Back 2 School Drive, to discuss the vision and projection of the project. The Back to School Drive is a project, 16-year-old Ki-Mani Olivacce began in 2016. The drive is geared towards students who are in foster care, as well as for students whose parents are unable to provide the school materials and supplies every year for their child or children Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Successful G.I.F.T.E.D. Awards Honours Young Kings & Queens

CAY HILL – It was a royal affair at the 2017 G.I.F.T.E.D. Royalty Awards held at Belair Community Center on Wednesday evening, July 5.

The Royalty Awards is presented by G.I.F.T.E.D. Foundation and is the leading award ceremony honouring youth excellence on St. Maarten. This year, 50 nominees, from 7 high schools were celebrated in grand style. Attendees were decked out in black and gold and the program included an address by Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Silveria Jacobs, with guest performances by Malaika Maxwell and Shawn J.

Surrounded by friends and family, five young women and five young men were dubbed Young Kings and Queens in their respective categories Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

CAY HILL:--- It was a royal affair at the 2017 G.I.F.T.E.D. Royalty Awards held at Belair Community Center on Wednesday evening. The Royalty Awards is presented by GIFTED Foundation and is the leading award ceremony honoring youth excellence on St. Maarten. This year, 50 nominees, from 7 high schools were celebrated in grand style. Attendees were decked out in black and gold and the program included an address by the Honorable Minister of ECYS, Silveria Jacobs with guest performances by Malaika Maxwell and Shawn J.
Surrounded by friends and family, five young women and five young men were dubbed Young Kings and Queens in their respective categories Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Situation At Nipa Not Conducive To Education --- No Threats Took Place In My Presence --- Andrea Gibson.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Job Coach Coordinator of NIPA Andrea Gibson said in a statement to SMN News on Monday that RN teacher Farrah Busby Richardson did not make any threats to anyone last week Tuesday while she was in her office. Gibson said she cannot say if threats were made anywhere else however, she said that the teacher and the Social Worker Ms. Peterson were in her office for a period of time and at no time either of them threatened each other. Mrs. Gibson said that from her office Busby-Richardson left the school premises.
Gibson who has been working at NIPA for the past three years said the current state of affairs at the learning institution is not conducive to education.
SMN News tried to reach the social worker Mrs Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

18 Dynamics Track Club Athletes Travel To Curacao

PHILIPSBURG РOn Tuesday, July 4, Coach Abdul Wathey along with support staff and the 18 Dynamics Track Club athletes, travelled to Cura̤ao to compete in the 25th annual Track and Field meet.

The games are taking place from July 4-11, and the team will be taking part in relays, field and sprinting events as well as long distance and road races. The event is seen as a stepping stone for the younger generation of athletes and gives them an opportunity to compete regionally.

The Minister of Education, Culture Youth and Sport (not in photo) Silveria Jacobs wished the athletes much success as they continue to make their parents, coaches, and country proud Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

St. Maarten Represented At Film Show Meeting

CUBA – President of the Traveling Caribbean Film Showcase Rigoberto Lopez Pego extended an invitation to Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Silveria Jacobs during her visit to Cuba in March, to send two representatives to the meeting of Caribbean countries to exchange experiences about the Showcase development in the region.

Actor/Director Earl Duzong and Production Manager/Technical Director Ursel Biabiany were selected to represent St Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Top Foundation Based Exit Exam Students Honored

PHILIPSBURG – The top students of the Foundation Based Exit (FBE) Exams were honored with a ceremony at the New Government Building on Monday, July 3.

Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Silveria Jacobs ensured that the tradition of honoring the top elementary students continued. The students were invited to a ceremony, where they were either nominated for the overall nationwide top students, or top student(s) in a subject Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

POND ISLAND:---The top students of the Foundation Based Exit (FBE) Exams were honored with a ceremony at the New Government Building on Monday, July 3rd, 2017. The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Silveria Jacobs, ensured that the tradition of honoring the top elementary students continued. The students were invited to a ceremony, whereby they were either nominated for the overall nationwide top students or top student(s) in a subject Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

CUBA:---- The president of the Traveling Caribbean Film Showcase Mr. Rigoberto Lopez Pego extended an invitation to Honorable Abel Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport Ms. Silveria Jacobs during her visit to Cuba in March 2017 to send two representatives to the meeting of Caribbean countries to exchange experiences about the Showcase development in the region Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Students cried as board tried to sabotage their examination.

PHILIPSBURG:--- An RN teacher at NIPA Farrah Busby Richardson had to face police on Tuesday whose students were taking their final examinations in order to graduate.
Police showed up at the school when they were called by the chairman of the supervisory board Antonio Aventurin to escort the teacher out of the school because she submitted her resignation letter to the school stating that her resignation goes into effect as of July 8th after her students finalize their examination on July 7th.
According to information provided to SMN News when police reached the school, they met with Aventurin and was asked why he wanted the teacher removed, after given full explanation police informed Aventurin that he has no grounds to remove the teacher from the school and they left.
The situation on Tuesday created a huge turmoil for the students that were busy taking their examinations, some even called their parents, one parent even went to NIPA screaming saying that the board of NIPA is busy ruining her child’s examination Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Minister Jacobs: Change Is Not Easy, However, More Accountability, More Efficiency Are Needed

PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports Silveria Jacobs addressed the media in Wednesday’s, June 21, Council of Ministers Press Briefing.

She first congratulated graduating students saying, “I would like us as a community to recognize and applaud them, but also to encourage them to never stop learning, to become lifelong learners.”

She also informed that the school-leaving ceremonies of each school is now a separate event Read more

---

Candidates in this article:

Stakeholders And Ave Board Met To Discuss Issues And Way Forward.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The stakeholders, represented on the board of The Advancement for Vocational Education (AVE) Foundation, namely SVOBE, FAVE, Windward Island Chamber of Labour Unions, St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of VSA (absent) and Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport met with the board of directors of The AVE Foundation on June 16th 2017.

Stakeholders were given the opportunity to address published reports and therein outlined supposed issues at NIPA Read more

---

Candidates in this article: