Last year TB.Net received a request from the Sandy Bank Primary School for funding for a remedial teacher to teach literacy to a group of students aged 11-12 years of age, who have for many reasons failed to learn to read and write.

Thanks to matching funds donated by several persons we were able to fund a remedial teacher through November of 2012. We (TB.Net) were very pleased to see the results of this program and therefore have donated $500 US towards its continuance. (You can see the initial request from last year here)

Ms. Parchment sent us the following information regarding the success of the program:
"The teacher began February 2012 with 12 students from Grade One who were considered "non starters" performing at two grades below their class level. Their knowledge of letters was very limited and they did not know letter sound and some of them did not know colours and numerals. At the start of the new school year September 2012 six of these were promoted to another group being able to read at their Grade Level and also mastering numeracy at their class level. She is presently working with the other six students who are gradually improving and also an additional six from the new Grade One class. These new students are already showing improvement in literacy and numeracy. I believe that this programme is very successful and could be used as a model. Further statistics show from 2008 to date the percentage of numeracy for students has increased from 35% to 68% and literacy is from 60% to 80%."

Therefore, TB.Net would, once again, like to put a challenge forward to anyone reading this who would like to donate towards keeping this program going. TB.Net will match all funds donated up to a total of US$500. So donate now and we will match your donation. Any and all contributions will be greatly appreciated, whether large or small. Every mikkle makes a mukkle.

Our aim is to continue to employ a part time trained literacy teacher at a cost of $15,000 Jamaican dollars per month (US $174.00) to concentrate on this group of students.

How To Help:

1) Contribute online via PayPal

2) Contact Rebecca 876-965-0126 or Miss Zane or 876-387-5816 directly.

What its all about:

Sandy Bank Primary School

Thank you in advance for your generosity and kindness in helping us reach our matching funds goal of US$1000 to promote literacy in Treasure Beach.
-TBNet

This is great! I'm very happy to contribute to literacy efforts in Treasure Beach. Keep up the great work! Bless

Thank you for your online donation, Quinn. As promised, we've matched your contribution dollar for dollar.

-TBNet

Could you tell us something about this teacher. She sounds like she is getting excellent results and should be applauded.

Thank you to Kelli and Kaye for your online donations.

We are almost half way to our goal!

-TBNet

Thank you to Kevin for your online donation.

-TBNet

It is my understanding that this teacher is paying her own way for volunteering meaning the cost of lodging, food and other necessary but minimal expenses so she may stay in Treasure Beach. The help of TBNet is commendable in assisting her to be able to keep helping the Sandy Bank Primary students. I encourage people who can possibly spare anything from their pockets to donate to this worthy cause. More than $500 is needed. Please dig deep.

My contribution with all my encouragements for this excellent initiative and for the courage of the students. Keep up the great work !

More thank you notes:
Suzanne, Sylvia, and Fedel.

-TBNet

Hey everybody. We've reached our matching funds goal...thanks to all the generous people who've given. We are going to keep the fundraising open for a little while longer in case you'd like to participate as well. While we not able to match the donation anymore, we will ensure that the money gets to the literacy program which is accomplishing so much.

Here's a reminder of what she's accomplished already

"The teacher began February 2012 with 12 students from Grade One who were considered "non starters" performing at two grades below their class level. Their knowledge of letters was very limited and they did not know letter sound and some of them did not know colours and numerals. At the start of the new school year September 2012 six of these were promoted to another group being able to read at their Grade Level and also mastering numeracy at their class level. She is presently working with the other six students who are gradually improving and also an additional six from the new Grade One class. These new students are already showing improvement in literacy and numeracy. I believe that this programme is very successful and could be used as a model. Further statistics show from 2008 to date the percentage of numeracy for students has increased from 35% to 68% and literacy is from 60% to 80%."

1) Contribute online via PayPal

2) Contact Rebecca 876-965-0126 or Miss Zane or 876-387-5816 directly.

There is something the matter when a public school in the community cannot get funded for even the most basic of needs. Several taxes have been increased and no one seems to be able to articulate where the proceeds will go.

Over the years many people and many organizations have done their best to help Sandy Bank Primary School. Treasure Beach Foundation was one such organization. They not only awarded scholarships worth a considerable amount of money but they contributed bookcases, books, computers and so forth. They encouraged people to bring supplies to the school when they visited Treasure Beach. They were the ones who arranged for the university students to come down to work with the students before they sat their GSATs. I know they helped pay the salary for a teacher. Now they are winding down operations and continuing to support the scholarship students who are already in the program.

Who is stepping in to fill the BIG void in the school that is being created by Treasure Beach Foundation? I had hoped it would be Breds.

Please do not ask me to call or email Breds. I realize they already do good works in Treasure Beach. I DO question why they have not reached out to assist this teacher financially. If I was in Treasure Beach I would go to their offices and speak to someone in charge. I suggest that people in Treasure Beach reading this visit Breds and point out this vital need and ask them if they can find the room in their hearts and the funds in their wallets to help keep this teacher.

It is impossible for one organization to be the end all and be all for solutions to problems within any community nor would it be good for the community. What makes a community strong is knowing there are many persons and/or organizations where folks can turn to for guidance and assistance. These can include individuals, churches, businesses, ngo's and more. As has been stated here many times previously, let us not ask what others can do about the situation but let us ask ourselves what can I do to make a difference. TB.Net is very grateful that we are in a position to help out in a small way with financial assistance for a tutor at the Sandy Bank School. We are also very grateful to all who donated funds towards this literacy program as we know they are grateful for the opportunity to help too.

The more each of us help out as individuals the stronger the community as a whole will grow. If we always look to one source we will no longer feel pride and a sense of being a part of the community as we do when we can look at something and say, "I helped with that."

You are right BREDS does many things in this community as does The Treasure Beach Foundation, The Treasure Beach Women's Group, The Citizens Alert Group, the various churches, many businesses, loads of individuals, etc. This is the very essence of what makes Treasure Beach the best community in Jamaica, all of us working together with each group/person doing what they can when they can. Let us not get into listing what one has done over the other but be thankful for all that is being done and continuing to ask ourselves what we can do.

Thanks TB.Net for keeping those of us who do not live in TB.informed.I know there are others with a vested interest and without this information resources go to other needs.Is there a way to plan ahead to avoid this? is there an active P.T.A.?can Government Schools hold Bank accounts and solicit funds? I do agree that the needs cannot be met by any one group or person.The concept of a VILLAGE raising a CHILD began a long time ago in TREASURE BEACH.THANK YOU AGAIN REBBECA for your help.Jenny Reynolds Nelson and Family. TTVILLAGE

Thanks TB.Net for keeping those of us who do not live in TB.informed.I know there are others with a vested interest and without this information resources go to other needs.Is there a way to plan ahead to avoid this? is there an active P.T.A.?can Government Schools hold Bank accounts and solicit funds? I do agree that the needs cannot be met by any one group or person.The concept of a VILLAGE raising a CHILD began a long time ago in TREASURE BEACH.THANK YOU AGAIN REBBECA for your help.Jenny Reynolds Nelson and Family. TTVILLAGE

I spoke to this teacher at length several weeks ago. She was looking only for very moderate living expenses--no salary--so she could continue her good work at Sandy Bank Primary. I suggested some possible avenues to get funded including making an appeal on TB.net. It's heartwarming to see that several readers have made contributions, and it's wonderful that TB.net has matched $500 (US) in donations. I urge more people to send in what they can, even if it's a small amount.

Regretfully, Treasure Beach Foundation has no additional funds to help support this teacher. Though we are winding down our operations, we are using each and every penny we have to continue to support the scholarship students for as long as we possibly can. We made that commitment to them, and we intend to honor it.

Someone made a suggestion to me, and I am passing it on for consideration. In addition to the Treasure Beach Women's Group, BREDS, the Citizens Alert Group, and Treasure Beach Foundation, there are several churches in Treasure Beach, and each has its own special causes--all valid. Might it be possible for these groups to come together for the purpose of doing one or more things as a group? This group could be governed by a council with one member per organization and one vote per organization.

There is often strength in numbers, and something like this might make it possible to do more for the community.

I am in love with Treasure Beach and I like Mrs. Kennedy's idea and imagine there are even more organizations that could participate. If each one could contribute $100 (USD), working together they could enable some noticeable change to be made. This could be installing sleeping policemen, funding a teacher or many other worthwhile things that one group alone doesn't have the resources to do. I think this is worth trying. The worst thing that would happen is nothing. If it worked and there ended up being a central "bank" for future projects, my husband and I would be willing to contribute some money toward project #2.

Firstly I would like to thank treasure beach.net for once again coming on board to seek sponsorship and assisting in this worthy cause. To all donors and well wishers,I most sincerely extend our gratitude for making it possible to continue this progressive project. There are positive results and we are indeed very grateful to you all.Your contribution will help to make a big difference in a child's life.

We were able to present Miss Zane, principal of Sandy Bank Primary School, with $98,600 JA for the continuation of the literacy program at the school.



We would like to sincerely thank all who donated for your support of this very worthy program and we look forward to reporting on the positive results we know will come from your generous donation.