The Tribune

GRAND Bahama teachers applauded their students’ performances and commended the E Clement Bethel National Arts Festival for giving the them a chance to “let their lights shine”, during the first week of the adjudications there.

Joanne Cooper, of Mary Star of the Sea Catholic School, said she was “beyond proud” seeing her students perform in the festival.

“When they came in September, they were all so shy and did not want to speak,” she said. “Now I can get them on stage and they are so poised and well spoken - so it is pride that I am feeling.”

Bahamas Total Education Centre (BTEC) teacher Dora Brown said that her students are performing well, especially considering the number of schools taking part in the event.

Ms Brown is also Miss Talented Grand Bahama 2011-2012 and an accomplished singer and performer.

“I am excited that our school got the opportunity to participate this year,” Ms Brown said. “It’s great that the festival is still around because, in high school, I participated in it, too. I was excited every year that it came around.”

Director of BTEC Karen Rolle agreed and said that the festival is a wonderful platform for building the character of the children, as well as showcasing their talents.

“I think that it is an excellent platform in general because you would be surprised to know how this has helped so many of our young people to get to the next level in whatever it is they plan to do in their lives because it helps to build character – as I had said earlier – but, more than that, it gives them a place to exude some positivity into our community,” she said.

Donna McKenzie, of Community Holiness Preschool, said that the National Arts Festival also gives the children a chance to develop socially, as well.

“It gives them an opportunity to express themselves. It gives them an opportunity to meet students from other schools. It gives them an opportunity to become who they are as an individual,” she said. “It’s a great thing for the preschool. This is our second time in it and they are performing at their best and so are the other children – they are all performing at their very best.”

“I think that the National Arts Festival is a great thing because it gives them the chance to exhibit their talent,” Mrs Cooper added. “Some of these kids here are still shy and do not show their talent everyday; but this gives them the opportunity to showcase their speaking or dancing or whatever their talent might be.

“This can also help them when they go up into primary school with story writing because you can find that a shy child might be able to express themselves through a story and we can draw that out.”

The E Clement Bethel National Arts Festival Grand Bahama Adjudications continue until March 28, 2013, at the Grand Lucayan Resort Convention Centre, and are free and open to the public.