Arbor School, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

I’m posting an article about a new school in Port of Spain, Trinidad, as it was published in a local newspaper: http://guardian.co.tt/features/life/2010/05/30/learning-difference-creating-well-rounded-kids.

Marilyn O’Brien is the first woman Numerary member of Opus Dei from this wonderful Caribbean nation. She went to Dublin for her college studies and met some people of the Work there, and joined Opus Dei. Then she decided to stay in Ireland, as there were no centres of Opus Dei in Trinidad, nor were there any short-term plans for opening one there. She returned to Trinidad in 1982, and went back to teaching at St. Joseph’s Convent, the girls Catholic school -one of the more prestigious in the country- where she had been a student before going to Ireland.

I remember her first comment when I met her, just arriving from Ireland: ‘I never thought to see Opus Dei in my island during my lifetime!’ (She actually said those words almost as a greeting to everyone she was meeting those days!)

Now she can tell us how much the Work has grown in Trinidad: she came back in order to start the very first Centre of Opus Dei in the West Indies!

As you read the article, pray for Rosewood School for girls, already functioning within Arbor’s premises, and Trimont School for boys [Thansk, Fr. Gutiérrez and sorry!] (starting soon, God willing!) (NOTE: Highlights are mine!)

<–o–0–o–>

Arbor offers learning with a difference

Creating well-rounded kids

Published: 30 May 2010

Pupils pay attention in their Spanish class last Wednesday in Arbor’s school in St Clair. Photos: Jennifer Watson

A well-rounded child. That’s the wish of almost every parent. And Arbor, an educational institute in St Clair—established in September, 2008—is offering just that opportunity. Arbor believes that academic education should aim at excellence across the whole range of intellectual disciplines. According to the school’s draft charter of educational principle, “The best way to meet this standard is through a combination of different approaches; formal class teaching, informal class excursions, smaller group activities, and individual attention.” The aim is to stimulate students to explore and discover not just individual truths, but also the greater truths which exist in all things, and to provide each student with a personalised and balanced education in intellectual, cultural and spiritual matters that promote a sense of individual and social responsibility.

Principal Nicola Ramsaran, left and Academic director, Marilyn O’Brien.

Your bundle of joy will benefit from neuro-development, Spanish and music, every day, from as early as two-and-a-half years old. The school was established by a group of parents and educators to offer learning with a difference. Principal Nicola Ramsaran, in an interview, said the founding members believed that too much emphasis was placed on academics and not enough on the development of the whole person.

“We felt that personalised education was lacking. We wanted to make learning fun and demanding,” Ramsaran said. The pupils who at present range from just over two to age eight, are taught different virtues in Arbor’s character development programme. “Once a term we highlight a virtue,” Ramsaran said. This term the pupils are learning the virtue “sincerity/honesty” which they are also taught by their parents. “Parents are the primary educators.” Parents are not left out of their child’s school life. Once per term, an adviser meets with the parent. The Catholic school also has religious instruction, and its philosophy includes the unquestioned acknowledgement of the existence of God.

Developing skills
Daily, pupils develop their motor skills during the neuro-development programme. This is when they perform different activities, such as balancing, rolling, jumping and even climbing in what is called the circuit. Therefore, if a child’s motor skills need to be developed, or he or she has any disability, this could be identified at an early age. The pupils are also required to listen to a piece of music for two weeks. Every day the music is discussed. It’s quiet time where they can truly understand the music they are listening to. Though at present the pupils are no older than eight, every year Arbor adds another year to the institute. This means that in addition to the pupils already at the school, applications are entertained.

Habla Espanol?
Learning Spanish at Arbor is more than routine. When the Sunday Guardian visited a kindergarten class, some students were speaking to the Spanish assistant in fluent Spanish. Apart from being momentarily distracted by the photographer, the children were disciplined and quickly focussed on their teacher. Academic director, Marilyn O’Brien, says they saw the need for an alternative. “This is the first bilingual school. I don’t know if it’s the only one, but it’s the first,” she said. The pupils are taught Spanish by four assistants whose native tongue is Spanish. “The Spanish assistants speak only Spanish to the children,” Ramsaran said.

In turn, the children respond in Spanish. Even during break time, the Spanish assistants speak their native language. When asked about school violence, O’Brien said: “There has been no incidence of school violence. They have learnt to look out for each other.” The children are also taught how to carry out daily chores and are taught how to be mannerly, which forms part of the school’s learning situations programme.

A few of the daily learning situations:
• Incidental action
• Tasks
• Neuro-development
• Music auditions
• Knowledge bits

With these situations, such as incidental action, they are taught to raise their hands before speaking.

O’Brien said Arbor sought to develop citizens of T&T and the world who would contribute more meaningfully to the society. Parents also get their fill as the school hosts a parent enrichment programme once a term, when different topics are discussed. They even offer baby-sitting for those who need it while attending the programme. “It’s normally filled.” Ramsaran said Arbor had a vibrant Parent/Teacher Association as well. “Each class has a parent representative. We cannot have the school without the input of parents.”

Some of Arbor’s assurances
• There will be no discrimination on social, cultural or financial grounds. On the contrary, any differences should be seen as a means of mutual enrichment.
• Our schools will share their resources with the wider community. Our schools will be social and educational centres for the community which they serve through family enrichment programmes, teacher training programmes and other social and civic initiatives.