Basic Text
Jessica and Andrew go to Saint Anne’s Primary School. They like their school. They feel
safe there.
Jessica and Andrew live in a dangerous place. Outside of school they do not feel safe.
Jessica wants to be a pilot when she grows up.
Andrew wants to be a bank manager when he grows up.
Jessica and Andrew work hard at school. They want to help their families be safe when
they grow up.
Sister Anne teaches Jessica and Andrew. She helps them to be peaceful like Jesus.
Catholic Mission helps Sister Anne take care of the children at Saint Anne’s School. That
is how they share God’s love.
Simple Text
Jessica and Andrew go to Saint Anne’s Primary School in Kingston, Jamaica. Jessica is
eleven years old and Andrew is thirteen years old.
Jessica likes coming to school. She likes her teachers and her classmates and likes
learning too. Her favourite subject is English. She wants to be a pilot when she grows up
because she would like to see the world.
Andrew likes school too. His favourite things are doing maths and playing football.
When he grows up he wants to be a bank manager because he is good at maths.
Jessica and Andrew live in a dangerous neighbourhood. It is not safe to walk around
there. Sometimes when the children are learning they can hear guns shooting. They go
under the table and keep doing their work.
Sister Anne works at the school. She is Australian but she went to work in Jamaica
because she wants to share God’s love. She teaches the children to be peaceful like Jesus.
She knows that learning is how the children will have a better life.
The children feel safe at Saint Anne’s School. Andrew says that when he came to the
school he got angry very easily but now he has learned to be more peaceful. Andrew
says the teachers helped him a lot.
Catholic Mission helps Sister Anne care for children like Jessica and Andrew. That is how
they share God’s love.
Intermediate Text
Jessica and Andrew go to Saint Anne’s Primary School in Kingston, Jamaica. Jessica is
eleven years old and Andrew is thirteen years old.
Jessica likes coming to school. She likes her teachers and her classmates and likes
learning too. Her favourite subject is English, especially learning about grammar. Jessica
wants to be a pilot when she grows up because she would like to see the world. She
would also like to be able to help her family move to a safer neighbourhood.
Andrew likes school too. His favourite things are art, doing maths and playing football.
When he grows up he wants to be a bank manager because he is good at maths. He
knows he has to work hard to make his dream come true. Andrew wants to be able to
help his family move somewhere safer too.
Jessica and Andrew live in a dangerous part of Kingston. There is a lot of gun violence in
the community and it is not safe to walk the streets. Sometimes when the children are
learning they can hear gunshots. They shelter under their desks and keep doing their
work as best they can.
Both Jessica and Andrew have lost their fathers in shootings in the last year. Each time
they hear gunshots they remember their fathers and wonder whether someone else
they know has been shot.
Sister Anne works at the school. She is an Australian missionary who works in Jamaica
to share God’s love. She teaches the children to be peaceful like Jesus. She knows that
learning is how the children will have a brighter future.
The children feel safe at Saint Anne’s School. Andrew says that when he came to the
school he got angry very easily but now he has learned to manage his anger and be more
peaceful. Andrew says the teachers helped him a lot.
Catholic Mission helps Sister Anne care for children like Jessica and Andrew. Together,
they are able to bring the love of Jesus into the lives of these children. By putting Jesus’
words into action, they believe that we all come closer to God’s kingdom.
Full Text
Jessica and Andrew go to Saint Anne’s Primary School in Kingston, Jamaica. This island
nation, situated in the Caribbean Sea, is famous for its vibrant culture and energy as well
as sport stars like Usain Bolt. However, Jamaica also has a reputation for being one of
the most dangerous and violent places on earth. Saint Anne’s Primary School aims to be
an island of peace in this sea of violence.
Many young people in Kingston grow up thinking violence is a normal part of life. From
a young age they witness street fights, shoot-outs and gang wars. Many of them
experience domestic violence in their own homes. Sexual violence against women and
girls is quite common, and hate crimes against people who are homosexual are more
common in Jamaica than almost anywhere else in the world.
It is not unusual for the children to hear the sound of gunfire in the neighbourhood as
they learn each day at school. Normally they take shelter under their desk and carry on
as best they can.
Jessica and Andrew have both experienced the devastating effects of gun violence within
the last year. Both of their fathers were killed in shootings. Each time they hear gunshots
they remember their fathers and wonder whether someone else they know has been
shot.
Eleven year old Jessica dreams of being a pilot when she grows up. She has always
dreamed of seeing the world and she longs to be able to afford to move her family to a
safer neighbourhood. She has a good relationship with her teachers and the school’s
guidance counsellor who support her when times are tough.
Thirteen year old Andrew relies on his teachers in many ways too. When he first came to
Saint Anne’s, Andrew had a short fuse and often found himself in trouble. His teachers
have helped him learn to manage his anger and, in small ways, learn to build peace in
the world.
Andrew loves maths and dreams of being a bank manager when he grows up. He knows
that studying hard is not only the key to his dream job, it is the way to keep out of the
gangs that fight for control of the streets of Kingston.
Both Jessica and Andrew say that Saint Anne’s is a place they feel safe. The love and care
of their teachers, and the security of the school buildings, give the children the peace of
mind to be able to learn and grow.
Sister Anne Quinn is an Australian Marist Missionary who works at Saint Anne’s. Like
the children, she is used to the frequent shootings in the neighbourhood but tries to
teach the next generation that the active non-violence of Jesus is a way out of the cycle of
violence. She understands how important faith in God is for these children, and that
education is one of the best ways to break out of poverty. It is the key to Jessica’s and
Andrew’s hopes and dreams, and those of all the other children at Saint Anne’s too.
Jessica says that Sister Anne is a nice lady who encourages the children to do their best
and loves them in everything they do.
Catholic Mission helps Sister Anne care for children like Jessica and Andrew. Together,
they are able to bring the love of Jesus into the lives of these children. By putting Jesus’
words into action, they believe that we all come closer to God’s kingdom.