VIDEO: Principals Endorse Quiz Competition In Linstead; Ewarton Primary Wins
December 4, 2023Ewarton Primary School from St Catherine has won the inaugural staging of the Math and Science Meet, held on November 5 at Dinthill Technical High School in the mentioned parish.
The competition, hosted by the community-based group called Football With A Twist, comprised five primary schools from Ewarton and Linstead, St Catherine. And plans are afoot to expand the pool of competitors.
Jericho Primary School finished second after relegating Lorna Otto Prep to third in a tie-breaker. The other competitors were Linstead Primary and Trinity Preparatory School.
Ewarton did not only win the overall competition; it also produced the event’s top female performer Britney Burton as well as top boy Javion Smith. Britney collected a cash prize of $7,000 sponsored by Touch Of White Car Rental; Javion got the same amount of funds from another sponsor – Omar Hyatt.
One of the coaches at Ewarton Primary, Phillip Lee, is among people lauding the organizer of the Math and Science Meet.
The organizer, Football With A Twist, is the brainchild of Wayne Clarke, who is a native of Linstead living abroad. He started the initiative a year ago with a football competition and has been expanding to include other events such as the quiz.
“It is a good idea to have a quiz competition even though the organization is called Football With A Twist. It gives an opportunity for those who are not inclined athletically to exercise their skills in academics,” Lee said.
A number of people, including parents and principals, showed up at the event to support the students. They included principals Mickhail Solomon of Lorna Otto Prep, Fabian Facey-James of Jericho Primary, Michael Brown of Trinity Prep, and Joni Tucker of Linstead Primary. All endorsed the quiz.
Tucker told The Beacon: “I think this initiative is a really good one. We have to think outside the box so that we can engage students to absorb the content of the curriculum using different strategies – and I think this [quiz competition] is an excellent one. Congratulations to the Football With A Twist team. My team is very very excited and so I hope that they will come out [of the competition] with a very good experience.”
The principal of Trinity Prep, Brown, said the quiz competition, among other things, indirectly helps to prepare students for their all-important Primary Exit Profile (PEP). That’s because the PEP syllabus is similar to that used in the quiz.
Brown further stated that his school did relatively well in the football competition last year, but he is enjoying this year’s twist.
“I like the twist in the programme this year with the academics where the PEP curriculum is being used as a path to encourage students and motivate them to do as best as they can in the academic work as in their physical football,” he added.
His view regarding the benefits for students preparing for PEP is shared by Listra Clemetson, who is a sponsor of the quiz and an aspiring politician representing the Jamaica Labour Party in the Linstead Division.
She told The Beacon that she is elated to contribute towards initiatives that redound to the good of the community, adding that other residents should follow suit.
“We are very pleased with what we are seeing… Anything that would contribute towards the positive development of our young people within the community, we fully endorse,” she declared.
Another aspiring politician who is supportive of the quiz is Damion Crawford, who will represent the opposition People’s National Party in St Catherine North West where Linstead is located.
In an address to the quiz participants, he said: “I am happy to see you all out here competing in education and academics; I want to say a big congratulations to the organizers.”
Crawford also encouraged the students to work hard in school and reap the rewards after they complete their academic pursuits. “Those who do more work in school do less work after school and get more pay for it. Those who do less work in school do more work after school and get less pay,” said Crawford, who also made a monetary contribution towards the raffle that was being held during the quiz.
Other sponsors of the raffle were: Wayne’s Boutique, Dixon’s Drug Store, Football With A Twist, Fadil Smith, Travis Hamilton who is also known as “Stunner”, Lemoneus McLean who is otherwise called “Tims”, Five Star Promotion And Graphic Design, and Sasha’s Sweet Shop.
In the meantime, Football With A Twist, along with Dixon’s Drug Store, sponsored the grand prize of $30,000 for the winning school, which turned out to be Ewarton Primary.
Jericho Primary got $20,000 for their second-place finish courtesy of Catalyst Security Consultants Limited.
Lorna Otto Prep, which finished third, walked away with $15,000, sponsored by Listra Clemetson.
Two students from Jericho Primary School – Racquea Mattis and Hayden Savage – won the essay component of the quiz competition. They each got $7,500 from Archer’s Faith Foundation.
The display of generosity spearheaded by Football With A Twist neither started nor ended with the quiz.
As evidence of that, the group donated a fan to Rosemount Primary School. It also joined forces with Dixon’s Drug Store in providing breakfast to students of Victoria Primary, Linstead Primary, York Street Primary, Rosemount Primary, and Jericho Primary. Football With  A Twist, through its founder, also pledged sponsorship over the long term to the school-feeding programme, which Dixon’s Drug Store has been spearheading for years.
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