Last week was a most memorable week for the staff and students of JCCSS as well as for the visiting members of the JCCSS Alumni Association.  The absolute and unmitigated success of the week was the result of a well-executed virtuoso choreography of several persons and organizations, to whom we now express sincere gratitude:

**** Ron & Molly (Class of 1976) Ramnarayan for donating 25 new desktop computers and monitors.  Before the computers could be installed some additional work had to be undertaken:

* Tiling of laboratory floor  (our thanks again to Ron & Molly)

* Installing electrical wiring and fittings (thanks to JCCSS Alumni Association for providing the materials, and the Regional Government for providing the labor )

** Martin, Chief IT Officer of Metro for delivering the computers on time and for overseeing the tiling and electrical work on behalf of the JCCSS Alumni Association

** Kashwar Ramnauth for doing the honors of pinning Head Boy, Head Girl and Prefect badges (donated by JCCSS Alumni Association) on students who have displayed  leadership qualities

** Selwyn Griffith, Head of IT at JCCSS, for the extra hours he and his group of students put in to assemble the computers

** Nigel Drepaul (Class of 1976) for donating $400.00 to be used for buying a PA system and additional cricket gear needed by the school

** Abel Peters (Class of 1966) for donating $100.00 to be used for buying a ping-pong table and paddles

** Jai Petam (Class of 1975), Regional Director of Guysuco, for arranging a tour of the Albion Sugar Factory for a group of Fifth and Fourth Formers.  Tour included lunch, complements of Paris Singh (CHS Class of 1962), at the Senior Staff Guest House

** John Loncke, Factory Manager of Albion Estate, for providing an expert overview of the operations of the Factory, and equipping us with safety helmets and advice

** Ms. Bhajan, Regional Education Officer, for constituting a much-needed PTA

** Ms. Barbara Hamilton, Headmistress, for the courtesies and co-operation extended to the visiting members of the JCCSS Alumni Association

** Hon. Shaik Baksh, Minister of Education for meeting with us at his Office in Brickdam, and for attending and delivering a stirring oration at the handing-over ceremony. Mr. Baksh, a stickler for punctuality, arrived at the stroke of 9.30am as if to reiterate that “punctuality is the stern virtue of men of business, and the graceful courtesy of princes.”

** Head-Mistress, Staff and Students of JCCSS for their enthusiastic welcome of the members of the visiting JCCSS Alumni Association, and for their work, including the artistic decoration of the upper floor, in preparing for the “big day” of the handing-over ceremony.

** The TV Networks (DTV-8, LRTVS, and NCN) for sending in their crew to cover the event.  It would have made a bigger difference had they shown up on time.

Lastly, my personal gratitude to Ron, Beauty, and Venus of the JCCSS Alumni Association for taking time off from families and work to travel to Guyana; and to all the old grads of JCCSS who turned up in a show of support.

The happy faces of the students on handing-over day was the clearest message yet that our time and efforts were not in vain.

Rishi Singh

Holi or Holika, is a spring festival celebrated at the approach of the spring season, during the 3 or 4 days preceding the full moon day in the month of Phalguna. Holi is celebrated by throwing colors and colored powder in the air. Colorful Rangoli pattems are painted at doorways to houses. Families assemble around a fire throwing prasad (sanctified food) and coconut in the fire. They also take home prasad. The Holi festival marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Essentially, Holi means the triumph of good over evil and conquest of sensual values by spiritual values.

People start collecting wood from many days before the actual event and the pyre is built over time by kids and adults alike. On the night of Holika Dahan, huge crowds gather around the pyre and make offerings of barley and wheat (from the freshly harvested crops) and priests will make offerings of coconuts into the fire. The pyre is then lit to chants of "holi hai, holi hai" (it is holi, it is holi!). Once the fire cools down, the Holi festival begins by people smearing the ashes from the fire on each other.

The festival of Holi is celebrated on the day after the full moon by tremendous gaiety and revelry by people of all walks of life. It is a day of particular freedom for kids who look forward to this day with great anticipation. Water balloons filled with color water are hurled at passer-bys, pichkaris and water guns filled with water are squirted in all directions and impromptu street gangs roam the neighborhoods looking to include everyone in the revelry. On a more sedate note, some adults prefer to observe a dry holi by greeting fellow adults with gulaal (a colored powder of various hues) – the colours are traditionally made of neem, kumkum, haldi, and bilva.

Robert Mathias Hackett, 69, departed this life on February 22, 2010. He was the husband of the late Eunice Hackett. Father of Michael, Jackie, Nigel, Adrienne, Dwayne Hackett, Steve McLennon and Corienne Subick. Also, grandfather to seven grandchildren. He will be waked at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne. Funeral will take place at the Roman Catholic Church, Port Mourant on Saturday February 27, 2010 at a time to be announced.

Our Dad was a strong man.  Through his many battles he persevered.  He has now passed on to be with our Mom.  May his soul rest in peace.

Please view album on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/JHackett33#!/album.php?aid=186460&id=728252921&ref=mf

Jackie Hackett – Class of 1985

Nigel Hackett – Class of 1986

On February 23, 1970 Guyana was proclaimed a Co-operative Republic (the first Co-operative Republic in the world). On the occasion of the 40th. Anniversary as a Republic, CHS-JCCSS Alumni the world over send congratulations to the Government and People of Guyana.

In pic below, Education Minister Hon. Shaik Baksh "mashes" with the children's contingent of the Mash Parade.

This photograph was taken sixty-five years ago depicting five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.A framed copy of this picture  used to be in a Second Form classroom at CHS.  Does anyone remember it?

Amazing how we long to re-establish the link with our past even as we move into the uncertainties of the future. Especially is this true  for those who have left their native land. The articulation of this  nostalgic longing is enabled through written articles and comments, , photographs and even music e.g. Radio Corentyne.

  
In my view, the fulfilment of this need is not only therapeutic; it also enables us to lift ourselves beyond "the common strife" and move into the realms of the spiritual and philanthropic. Thus what is taking place next week at the old school, when a generous gift of computers from an Alumnus is being made, is in the highest traditions of our culture. This link with the old school must be maintained and encouraged. It sends the message, loud and clear, that we care and that we will continue to care for as long as we live. There is nothing so encouraging to a young child as the certain knowledge that parents love them and deeply desire their success and happiness. This has been the most fundamental lesson of my teaching career which spanned more than thirty-six years.  Let us be loving parents!

In 2008, when as ambassador of the CHS-JCCSS Alumni Association, I gave this message of care, love and hope, there was thunderous applause. It pleases my heart that the children will now see that they were not empty promises!

My duties as  President of the College of Psychotherapists prevent my attendance at the handing over ceremony  but do rest assured that my heart is with you- always. 

Regards,

Jules

They will all attend CHS-JCCSS …

Please join me in wishing Reggie & Penelope a very Special Happy Birthday – both from our Class of 1971. 

By now, Reggie is a household name in many circles. He has distinguished himself over the years by his high achievement and by being modest about it all.  Whenever I think of Reggie, I think of a long-ago time when we were little kids. Reggie lived at the entrance to the Port Mourant cricket ground & Community Center. My grandfather lived directly across from the grandstand in the 'Center' grounds. As a little boy, I spent a lot of time at my grandfather house. Now, the entire perimeter of the community center grounds was zinced eight to ten feet high. Reggie's house had a landing and so had my grandfather's. Both house landings had a clear and unobstructed mutual view of each other, and in fact, my grandfather's landing was like a viewing platform just about twenty feet from the zinc wall of the Center. Whenever I wanted to see what was going on, I would go and sit on the landing –  nowadays, these are rennovated and expanded  and are called verandahs. Reggie was almost a constant fixture in my 'landing' views. He was either on their landing or on the community center grounds running around – skinny guy with curly hair. I never had any interactions with him those days. However, he 'registered' on my mind. This was the pre-1962 period. Read the rest of this entry »