| GBR Foundation adopts Ianthe Pratt Primary |
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| Thursday, 10 March 2011 12:25 | |||
 Students and educators at the Ianthe Pratt Primary School were treated to an extra special education week when they were adopted by the Grace Bay Resorts Foundation on Wednesday, March 9. Students showed their appreciation through song, choral speaking and cheers. “This is something we have been longing for, praying for, hoping for and praying for,” moderator Mrs. Alexander told the body of students, teachers, dignitaries from the education department and members of the Grace Bay Resort Foundation who were in attendance for the ceremony. “We want you to do well in school, that is why we are here,” Dr. Carlton Mills, GBR manager for talent, growth and local affairs, told the excited students. “This is one of the most exciting things happening in the TCI today. We have adopted four government schools already, and now you make five public schools adopted by the Grace Bay Resorts Foundation in the Turks and Caicos Islands.” The adoption was due in great part thanks to two loyal members of the foundation who pleaded the case for the school on Providenciales to join schools on North, Middle and South Caicos already adopted by the group. Adelphine Pitter, who was recently promoted to resident manager of the Grace Bay Club, and Deleria Simms, human resource manager for the company, believed the school could benefit tremendously from the support the GBR Foundation has given the adopted schools. Last year the GBR Foundation donated a remarkable $100,000 to local schools and offered several scholarships for local students to attend the TCI Community College. It has also been active in all of its properties giving opportunities for local students to serve internships during their vacations, gaining experience in the country’s number one industry — tourism. “We are here not to build hotels, we are here to build lives,” said Mark Durliat, CEO and principal of Grace Bay Resorts. He thanked the school, saying he is grateful for the opportunity to demonstrate how tourism can help the country. One of the most grateful individuals in the crowd was Ianthe Pratt Primary School Principal Dara Thomas, who beamed from ear to ear during the festivities. She said she is grateful that the foundation brought her school — one of the best ranked schools in the country — on board. “We look forward to a long and beautiful relationship as we all seek to build our nation through advancement in education,” Thomas said. Director of Education Edgar Howell noted the adoption was critically important for the school, especially given the economic state of the country. “They can do a whole lot more because of the access to resources this relationship with the private sector offers them,” he said. This is particularly so in the areas of reading, math and early education, he added. The team of the GBR Foundation did not go to the school just for a formal ribbon cutting, they came bearing gifts. Mills delivered a highly desired gift to Thomas in the form of an heavy duty industrial stove.
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| Last Updated on Friday, 11 March 2011 18:26 |
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