In 2004 the Derniere Riviere Combined School embarked on a literacy project funded by President George Bush through USAID called Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Teacher Training (CCETT). This project aims to increase reading literacy in early childhood. The project is currently being implemented in five Caribbean countries namely Jamaica, St. Vincent, Belize, Guyana and St. Lucia. In St. Lucia seven schools were selected to carry out the project namely Banse La Grace Primary School, Blanchard Combined School, Roseau Combined, Marchand Combined, Methodist Primary, Grande Riviere Combined and Derniere Riviere Combined School where Miss Zenith Edward is currently a Grade Three teacher.
The teachers involved in the CCETT project are given training through workshops and material to use in their classrooms to assist in teaching. The children are tested at the beginning of each school year and at the end to monitor progress. As an incentive, teachers are awarded according to their pupils’ performance, the classroom transformation and the teacher pupils’ interaction in the class.
Miss Zenith Edward first received an exemplary teacher’s award along with three other St. Lucian teachers for achieving the requirements of 70% of her pupils being able to pass the post test given at the end of 2004. She was flown to Montego Bay in Jamaica where she was required to share her best practices with other teachers of the Caribbean.
Miss Edward again received the exemplary teachers’ award in 2005 by producing 100% pass rate in her class. Again she was flown to Ocho Rios in Jamaica to share with other teachers and educators around the Caribbean about what makes her classroom a cut above the rest. At Ocho Rios the CCETT project was awarding Caribbean teachers in order to choose a teacher of the year in Grade One, Two and Grade Three teachers. The teacher of the year awards for Grades One and Two were captured by two Jamaican teachers but Miss Edward made her colleagues and country proud by capturing the award for Grade Three teacher of the year. As her prize Miss Edward was given an all expense paid trip to Toronto Canada to the International Reading Association’s (IRA) reading convention. There she was able to join in workshops and exhibitions with teachers and educators world wide.
On March 7th 2008, St. Lucia CCETT teacher were being awarded locally for exemplary practice at the Palm Haven Hotel. Miss Zenith Edward again was able to walk away from the ceremony with four trophies along with other prizes for being an exemplary teacher.
When asked about the secret to her success, Miss Edward attributes it to her love for children, dedication to her job as a teacher and her passion for creativity.
Miss Edward would like to dedicate her achievement to her late mother who was her pillar and support in her educational endeavours.
Hats off to Dennery’s Daughter of the Soil!!!!!
