Students, parents, my fellow educators, I wish you all a happy
\nIndependence Day. As St. Vincent and the Grenadines celebrates
\n39 years of sovereignty, my hope is that we all spend some time
\ntruly reflecting on what it means to work together to enhance
\nnational pride. When we consider that national pride is the love
\nand devotion we feel for our blessed Hairouna, we realise that our
\nIndependence theme is not only patriotic, but more so, achievable.
\nAs a nation, we can all work together to improve our country; no
\none is too small or too big to play his or her part.
\nStudents, you can help to enhance national pride by continuing to
\nperform well locally, regionally and internationally. Represent
\nyourself and your country to the best of your ability in your
\nacademics and in your sporting and extra-curricular activities.
\nWhen you perform well, St. Vincent and the Grenadines performs
\nwell. You are a representation of our nation. As such, your part in
\nenhancing national pride is to ensure that your representation is
\nalways a positive one. Be mindful of your social media presence \u2013
\nthe world is watching so watch what you post online. What you
\npost reflects on you and by extension, St. Vincent and the
\nGrenadines. Let\u2019s work together to make sure that what the world
\nsees is a proud nation filled with youths with endless potential.
\nParents, your role in enhancing national pride starts by instilling in
\nyour children a love for our country. Children live what they see
\nand hear, so set good examples for them. Instead of only pointing
\nout the negative things about St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
\nfoster ingenuity and critical thinking skills in your children. These
\nskills will ultimately facilitate improvements in the vulnerable areas
\nthat exist in our small island state. Speak with your children about
\nthe way things were \u2013 pass down national traditions and customs \u2013
\nplay old-time games with them and keep our unique Vincentian
\nculture alive and well. Your words and actions can help to enhance
\nnational pride for this the land of the blessed.<\/p>\n
My fellow educators – your part in enhancing national pride is a
\nchallenging, but attainable one. You are expected not only to
\nfacilitate and develop the excellence that is our young people, but
\nalso to create avenues for their expression of national pride. I am
\nquite certain that all schools throughout St. Vincent and
\nGrenadines there will be or have been some ceremonial
\nacknowledgement of our island\u2019s auspicious liberation. However,
\nstudents need to see our country being celebrated year-round. This
\ncan easily be done by integrating love for our country into the
\nhidden curriculum. Link the tidiness of their classrooms to the
\ntidiness of our country and its effects on tourism and our economy.
\nEncourage open and respectful debates on topical issues and how
\nthey can affect them as students and citizens of St. Vincent and the
\nGrenadines. Drill the importance of their contribution towards the
\ndevelopment of the country. Continue to be excellent exemplars of
\nwhat it means to be proud upstanding citizens of our beloved SVG.
\nStudents, parents, my fellow educators, let us all work together to
\nsay like Alston Becket Cyrus:
\nI love you St. Vincent
\nHome of the blessed St. Vincent
\nSt. Vincent, St. Vincent
\nI love you!
\nHappy 39th, St. Vincent and the Grenadines. May God continue to
\nbless you and keep you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Students, parents, my fellow educators, I wish you all a happy Independence Day. As St. Vincent and the Grenadines celebrates 39 years of sovereignty, my hope is that we all spend some time truly reflecting on what it means to work together to enhance national pride. When we consider that national pride is the love<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\n