BUFF BAY, Portland — Teachers and students of Buff Bay Primary know what it is like to be embraced by their community, and they are grateful for the support. Helping hands sometimes come from afar, like members of the Jamaica Awareness Association of California (JAAC) dental team that was at the school when the Jamaica Observer visited recently.
“The JAAC team has been visiting us for over a decade. They have adopted the computer lab, furnished it with computers, and from time to time, refurbished those that are malfunctioning and replaced them with better ones. They are here today with a dental team, where they are doing cleaning and extraction for some of our needy students. There are about 80 students involved,” said school Principal Jacqueline Edwards.
The school, nestled in the western section of Portland, was originally part of St George parish before it was absorbed into Portland in 1867. Its motto, “Only the Best is Good Enough”, is taken very seriously. Of the 89 students who did this year’s PEP exams, 88 per cent were placed in Pathways One and Two with 70 per cent placed at their school of choice. Top boy Kijmar Higgins scored 374.6 while top girl Denisha Palmer scored 360.7. They will both be attending Titchfield High in September.
The aim is for Buff Bay Primary students to be well-rounded and they are encouraged to complement academic excellence with a wide range of extracurricular activities.
“Keneisha Taylor heads our Culture Club and the performing arts. We have a very strong debating team headed by Tiffany Thaxter. Our 4-H club is doing well, and we have met with various successes. We also do well in sports. We are doing well and aspire for greater things,” Principal Edwards said proudly.
According to Taylor the school’s performing arts students took gold at the parish level last year and this year. Even though they did not perform as well at the national level of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission festival of the arts, she is very proud of her pupils.
“They are doing well, and we just need to continue to unearth the talent and develop it. We focus on dance and speech. Our parents are very supportive; the students are usually from grades four to six, and are actively involved,” Taylor told the Observer.
“These students perform at optimal levels across the board on top of their grades and classes. A well-rounded child will perform academically and in the performing arts. The performing arts helps them to be oriented, disciplined, and confident in themselves,” she stressed.
Thaxter, who teaches fifth grade, was just as effusive about students who have taken up debating and benefit from her guidance. She proudly rattled off a list of contests they have won over the years, including the Jamaica Library Debate competition and the Junior Debate International competition based in Kingston.
“The latter lends itself to schools across the country and so we travel to different schools. In 2023 we were the national champions. Last year we did not participate but this year we were second in our zone, the highest third-place average and have been placed in the complementary final,” she said.
Students from all across the school are involved. Those from fourth to sixth grade compete with their peers from other schools. Younger students are encouraged to observe these matches and also have their own contest at Buff Bay Primary.
“A number of our students are involved in the debate at Titchfield High School. We have seen shy students develop to be top debaters as the talent is unearthed,” said Thaxter.
She spoke glowingly of parents who are actively involved in helping students prepare for debates.
“The parent support is truly amazing and it gives me great joy seeing the development of the children” she said with a smile of contentment.
