Financial literacy and nutrition were the main aspects of the St Lawrence Primary School Open Day where pupils showcased their hands-on learning during the school year on Thursday.
The event, held under the theme Growing Healthy Minds for a Brighter Future, gave parents and members of the public an opportunity to see how students are applying lessons learned through classroom activities, project-based learning and practical experiences.
A major feature of the day was a dramatic presentation by Class Two and Class Three pupils who have been participating in the National Financial Literacy Programme and the FLITE School Experience. Throughout the year, students have been learning concepts such as budgeting, earning, spending, differentiating between wants and needs, saving and making smart financial decisions.
The Ministry of Education Transformation’s education officer for business and financial literacy, Janelle Phillip, told attendees that the presentation reflected two years of learning.
“The students are going to put on a dramatic presentation to show all of the things they have learned over the past two years. And their presentation is called ‘Smart Money, Smart Moves: Financial Literacy in Action’.”
Stacy Mottley, community relations officer at the Barbados Public Workers’ Co-operative Credit Union, praised the students for their understanding of money management and encouraged them to continue building healthy financial habits.
Stacy Mottley Communications Relations Officer at the BPWCCUL speaking at St Lawrence Primary School’ s Open Day. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla/Barbados TODAY)
“I was very encouraged to hear your classmates talk about money and the presentation they did because those are all of the things that make us very proud to be a credit union,” she said.
“We know that that means that one day you are going to grow up to be very good members of our credit union.”
Highlighting some of the key lessons, she challenged students to recall concepts they had learned, such as budgeting, needs, wants and smart saving.
Mottley added: “One of the reasons why I’m so passionate about this programme is because I feel encouraging children to be mindful of these things from early… I wish I had. Some things could have been avoided if you had that exposure from early.”
Financial literacy learning was also evident in the Infants A classroom, where the class teacher transformed the room into a miniature shop using recyclable materials to help children interact with money in a practical setting.
Greaves A-ONE Shop in the Infants A class. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla/Barbados TODAY)
Pupils were encouraged to count money, combine coins to make specific amounts and calculate change, while parents were given ideas on how to recreate similar activities at home. She demonstrated how inexpensive and recyclable materials can be used to support learning.
Senior Teacher Tracy Cox said the Open Day was designed to show parents how the school nurtures curiosity through a variety of teaching approaches.
Senior Teacher at St Lawrence Primary School Tracy Cox. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla/Barbados TODAY)
“We believe that a healthy mind needs more than just teaching from a textbook,” she said.
“Our parents today are invited to enter our infant classrooms and the teachers will be conducting brief workshops explaining to our parents how they can utilize certain play-based techniques and strategies to help teach their children at home.”
She explained that students benefit from project-based learning that allows them to solve real-world problems while developing confidence and critical-thinking skills.
“We’re also going to expose our parents today to experiential learning. We believe in learning by doing.”
Science teacher Carol-Ann Holford-Sam showcased a range of projects completed throughout the school year, including experiments on sinking and floating, water conservation, energy, light and shadows, the respiratory system and healthy living.
“This represents all of the work we would have done throughout the school year for St Lawrence Primary School,” she said.
Among the exhibits were demonstrations showing how rainwater can be collected and reused, models exploring transparent and translucent objects, and projects focused on healthy hearts and bodies.
“We’re very happy about that and we’re happy to be able to share it with the public,” Holford-Sam said.
Parents attending the Open Day were invited to participate in classroom activities, explore student projects and gain practical ideas to reinforce learning at home while supporting the school’s efforts to prepare students for the future.
Reception student creating her name from coloured paper mache. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla/Barbados TODAY)
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