The Adopt-a-Class Programme –
William Knibb Memorial High School
Exemplary School Partnerships
Sharing Our Experience
William Knibb Alumni Association
Kingston Chapter
The Jamaica Teachers’ Association
International Education Conference 2014
April 22-24,2014
Hilton Rose Hall
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Revolutionizing the 21st Century Education System
Through Best Practices
Presented by
Ellis James Laing
President
William Knibb
Alumni Association
Kingston Chapter
Outline
 Genesis of the Programme
 Rationale
 Scope
 How Undertaken – Activities
 Challenges
 Benefits
Genesis of the Programme
Rooted in Aims of Alumni
 To give tangible assistance
to the school’s
development;
 To seek to mentor and
mould students into
thoughtful well
rounded leaders of the
community & society;
 To liaise with the school’s
several stakeholders,
including administration,
staff and students and other
chapters to foster
meaningful relationships;
 To foster and encourage a
positive image of the
school community
Genesis of the Programme
The Association
 ...wanted to make contributions that went beyond cash to
special one-off projects or to infrastructural development
 ...wanted to go beyond the routine gifts to sports, culture,
special days etc.
 ...wanted a project that would be holistic in nature,
meaningful to beneficiaries and impacting a lifetime
and based on that
 Conceptualized the Adopt-a-Class One for Five Project
Genesis of the Programme
 In conceptualizing the Adopt-a-Class One for Five Project
the Association considered the African proverb:
“It takes a Village
to raise a Child”
which gave rise to serious contemplation of the word ADOPT
Genesis of the Programme
ADOPT
 Adopt, verb
 1. legally take another’s child and bring it up as one’s own
 2. choose to take up or follow (an idea, method, or course of
action)
 Synonyms – embrace, take on, affect, assume
Scope
 Adopt-a-Class Five for One Project seeks to
 positively impact the lives of 45 students within one class
at the WKMHS over a period of 3-5 years,
 resulting in model students who will inculcate
wholesome values in their
 academic,
 social,
 cultural,
 spiritual lives
Scope
 Adopt-a-Class Five for One Project hopes to
ultimately result in
 all round participation in school life
 loyalty to the institution
 exceptional grades at CSEC
 appreciation and regard for social mores and
wholesome values and attitudes
Methodology
 Develop Adopt-a-Class Programme proposal
 Associate with students over a 5 year period
 Work with other stakeholders –
parents,
home room teacher
subject teachers
year-group supervisor
vice-principal
principal
Methodology
 Contact School Administration sharing plan, indicating





commitment and getting buy-in
One class among the 2010 Cohort of GSAT Awardees
identified by the school
Welcome Letters to students issued at start of First Semester
Letters to parents issued simultaneously
Painting of designated Homeroom of Adopted Class
Provision of texts and resource material for general use
(particularly by those who may lack adequate resources)
Methodology
 Contribute to physical and enabling environments:
 Physical
painting of classroom
provision of suitable/comfortable furniture,
provision of appropriate learning resources
Methodology
 Enabling –
enrichment exercises
teacher development
incentive – awards/recognition programme,
motivational presentations
exposure to civic and national importance thus leading
to a pride in, and commitment to self, school,
community and country
Special Activities
 Painting of Classroom
 Gifts of books, material – shared resources for students
 Did special presentations on
 etiquette,
 hygiene,
 study techniques
Special Activities
 Special Personal Development Seminar
– September 2012 (Start of Grade 9)
for students and their parents
Shaping Your Future
Presenter – Joan Davis Williams
Being the Support System – Parents
Shaping Your Future
The Eagle in Me
Social Graces, Hygiene & Grooming, Relationships
Special Activities
 Awards presentation – outstanding performances in
academics
punctuality
courtesy
deportment
discipline
reliability and cooperation
consistency in spoken English
Certificates and Trophies presented annually in General
Assembly
Positives
 Commitment to excellence from majority of students in
terms of academic/ decorum
YEAR
ACADEMIC SPECIAL
2010-11
10
8
2011-12
21
14
2012-13
29
17
Able to identify students who need special intervention
Positives
 Buy in from students, school and parents
 Enthusiasm
 Benefits to the students, the school, the community
 Greater sense of pride and self-worth; affirmation
Challenges/Limitations
 Limited numbers of members within the Association to
effectively manage several aspects of the programme
simultaneously
 Our physical distance from the school
 Physical distance from the youngsters but made easier through
use of technology, social media and liaising with home room teacher
and principal
 Limited Resources
Opportunities for Improvement
 Review the programme strategies
 Include the Guidance Counsellor as a key stakeholder
 Strengthen the methodology
 Greater analysis of challenges and successes
This is Our Reward!!!
 Thank you for wishing me
a happy new year. Hope
you and the Alumni
Kingston Chapter have a
wonderful n great New
Year and I also thank you
for what you have done for
me n the 9-2 family
throughout the past years. I
am very appreciative. Hope
you have a prosperous year.
Best Wishes.
This is Our Reward!!!
 We are trying to do our
best although the first term
of grade 10 was very
challenging because we
have to step up our game
to take on CXC in grade
11. Thanks for shaping us
into the men and women of
tomorrow and also
mothers and fathers. We
will continue to try to do
our best or should I say my
best.
This is Our Reward!!!
Presented to
William Knibb Memorial
High School Alumni
(Kingston Chapter)
Thank you for your
sterling contribution
to the Adopted Class of
2010
William Knibb Alumni Association Kingston Chapter
williamknibbalumni_kingston@yahoo.com