The Arima North Secondary school dedicated its annual 5K walkathon to violence and bullying.

(Courtesy Arima North Secondary)
Principal Karena Ramdeen-Steele said that there were 167 participants to the event, which was held on Friday 12 February 2016 under the banner of: “Stamp out School Violence and Bullying.”
Ramdeen-Steele claimed too that her school’s teachers have also implemented other initiatives aimed at eradicating violence in school and is encouraging students to stand up against deviant behaviour.
Students ran alongside teachers, parents and well-wishers for the event.

(Courtesy Arima North Secondary)

(Courtesy Arima North Secondary)

(Courtesy Arima North Secondary)
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Lovely to see! (I was born in Arima)
Lovely to see! (I was born in Arima)
Stand up
Here’s what I was told about their initiatives…
The school invites different NGOs and stakeholders throughout the term such as Rapport, The Community Police, Two cents movement, Don La Foucad, Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and others to address students on a number of different topics and behaviors in an attempt to motivate and challenge the students to become model citizens and instil in them that desire for a peaceful and productive school.
The form six students have undergone a mentorship training programme done by the sixth Form Association and have been trained to be mentors to the younger ones. The school has also spoken to the Arima Mediation Center to do training of some students in the area of peer counseling. They have already committed to training 5 schools this year but has promised to attend to Arima North in the next Academic year.
Some teachers have also embarked on doing life skill programmes for at risk students. Another group that recently formed is a modeling group called Fiercely Chique and they do their shows walking down the platform to a theme of No bullying and school violence as well.
A newly formed film and drama group called E.D.I.T. is also currently working on something to portray a stance and a call for no bullying and violence. The school sees these things as being proactive so as to ensure a safe school environment for students so that optimum learning can be achieved.
Yesssssss I am so proud 2 state that I attended here…#ProudArimaGem???❤???!!!
Good to have a theme…bullying is still very prevalent…kudos to them.. http://awesomejelly.com/girl-posts-photos-of-herself-in-a-bikini-and-turns-the-tables-on-cyberbullies/
They usually have the 5k as one of the events leading up to Sports Day. Maybe they just have a theme for the 5k. Not sure if they had a theme in previous years. Think the points from 5k goes towards sports day points, will ask my brother, a few years ago he placed 3rd in the 5k. If so that’s why it is just for their students.
Thanks Gen.
I would still get my kicks running past un-athletic teachers tho!
I really did see some students run past some adults this year, was wondering if was teachers. They pass thru Cleaver then unto the main road. Lol
I don’t see why you would think that is dissing at all! Maybe they can do both.
I would have thought it hilarious to see my school teachers puffing and huffing while I sprinted past them. It won’t have the same feel of running past a teacher from another school.
And then it will get more competitive too. I won’t want any Fatima, QRC or El Do or St Augustine boys to finish ahead of me!
So maybe a nice friendly internal affair and a bigger one with more schools might work nicely.
Unless you mean like maybe two more schools maximum like say Holy Cross and Arima Govt Sec…
Lasana, don’t take this as negative criticism or dissing, but would it not be more effective if a few or all schools in the area coordinate and host a joint event?
Not a bad turnout. I wonder what the school is like now…
I would love to see this momemtum capitalised on and have peer counselling and other peer-related initiatives introduced.
Glad to see the school trying something positive. Kudos to the principal on this issue.
The children are taking a stand….
Nice turnout I think.
Yes. so much awareness being built by this one activity. I hope that there is some form of follow such as class discussions, street plays, etc.
Exercise is a good way to get those happy endorphins going. And must be positive to run alongside (and past!) your school teacher!
Nice get-together by the looks of it.
But I agree on classroom follow ups and conversations too.