The Grade six students of Allman Town Primary recently created their last artefact – designed tiles – as a gift to the school’s canteen. The project was guided mostly by Mrs Nadine Bonner – Williams, grade 6 teacher of Allman Town Primary, and the OAaSIS International Anthea McGibbon . Other teachers assisting were Mr Toyan McLean, Mrs Cadena Lumsden-Walcott, Thamar Russell-Brown.

TILES AS ARTEFACTS

The tiles then formed part of the school leavers exhibition of art and craft put on by said Grade 6 students on July 3rd, 2017 transforming the canteen into a showroom.
Over the year, students were taught how to do tye and dye and craft items including lanterns, baskets. The tiles were conceptualised in keeping with Jamaica’s Ministry Of Education’s mandate to incorporate Art in primary schools – STEAM. Steam is the curriculum based on the blend of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.

The design on the tiles reflected lessons learnt and the personal motto of the students. The students worked on them just after GSAT and just in time for the exhibition, July 3rd, 2017, a day before their own graduation.

Principal Mrs Kandhi Lee Crooks Smith says the tiles will be used to adorn the wall of the canteen, while the craft items were on sale after the exhibition. As artefacts, the tiles will be a tell tale to visitors about the 2017 set of Grade Sixers whose journey began at Allman Town Primary School.

Thanks for a great team effort and initiative by our grade 6 teachers. Numerous artistic expressions, linguistics, technical and vocational activities were executed following the sitting of the GSAT. Students were fully engaged while increasing their skill set. Thank you Toyan McLean, Cadena Lumsden-Walcott Thamar Russell-Brown, Nadine Bonner-Williams, Roger Smith, Anthea McGibbon. Thanks to other staff who supported, our students and their parents for making it happen! – Principal

It is hoped that with proper funding, the current and future students of Allman Town will experience a more indepth art programme in response to Jamaica’s Ministry of Education’s mandate to fulfil the STEAM curriculum.
OAaSIS International Foundation has already committed to more projects in art and literacy including creative writing.
STEAM is the incorporation of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics for the development of Jamaica’s youth and the nation.