Back to School Message 2022-2023
I, the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, drs. Rodolphe Samuel would like to officially welcome all Students, Parents/Guardians, School Managers, Teachers, and Support Staff back to school for the 2022-2023 school year. I trust that, like myself, you are looking forward to an exciting and productive school year in which we all strive to work hard and enjoy the experience of learning together!
I am pleased to welcome all new teachers that joined the teaching profession this year and wish the teachers enrolled in the Government?s Professional Development Plan at the University of St. Martin much success in the upcoming semester. The skills and competencies you bring to the profession are valued and I look forward to what we will accomplish together.
The pilot of the National Summer School Program held at the Asha Stevens Hillside Christian School and the Prince Willem Alexander School this Summer was a great success. The participants, approximately 175 students from the Hillside Christian Schools and the Public Schools, took part in various academic and enrichment activities in the areas of Mathematics, English, Dutch, and General Knowledge to strengthen their competencies for the upcoming school year.
Presentation, speaking and engineering skills were also part of the program. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the teachers and school management involved who contributed to bringing the implementation of the 2022 National Summer School Program to a successful conclusion. I am sure that students, teachers, and school management were all empowered to bring new insights to this new academic year.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport has been working diligently in conjunction with the school boards, the National Recovery Program Bureau, and the World Bank Trust Fund on the Fostering Resilient Learning Project aimed at restoring access to a safe education, learning, and cultural environment and improve the resilience of Sint Maarten?s Education System.
This school year, we will continue to see major construction repairs executed across the island's public and subsidized schools, and plans for the rebuilding of the Sister Marie Laurance Primary School and the Leonard Conner Primary School, facilities that will accommodate an inclusive education approach that supports the needs of the most vulnerable students will continue to take shape this academic year.
As we commence the 2022-2023 school year, I wish everyone much success! Students, make the most of every opportunity which you are afforded this year. We believe in you and expect the best of you! Teachers let us innovate, adapt, and improve the way we deliver education to meet the need of every child! Parents, let?s collaborate in investing time, resources, and an unwavering commitment to your child?s success! Education Matters!
Together, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport will continue to work with school boards, school management, teachers, parents, students, the WITU, and all other stakeholders to continue to improve the quality of education. In so doing, we will ensure that all students have an opportunity to develop the skills required to enable them to succeed in school, college, and the workforce and to engage fully and contribute towards the further development of St. Maarten.
For the 2022-2023 school year, let us continue to Focus on Education to Build our Nation!
