BOSA Newsletter Volume 25, April 2016
Only The Best Is Good Enough”
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Produced by: Beersheba Old Students Association
Officers: Glenis Daley, President
Victor Smith, Vice President
Vincent Samuels, Secretary Treasurer/
NewsletterEditor/Producer
Ann Hamilton, Assistant Secretary
OBJECTIVE
The objective of BOSA Newsletter is to inform and educate the people in Beersheba School Community and all Beersheba Primary School Alumni in Jamaica and the Diaspora by means of clean and wholesome news. In doing so, the Newsletter will continue to highlight and celebrate their achievements, mourn their losses, defend their rights and articulate their needs. With meticulous calculated professional news reporting, the Newsletter will ceaselessly expose the entrenched culture of silence, secrecy, non-response and pussy-footing that has characterized the unscrupulous tyrannical oligarchy rule that is tarnished with nepotism that is designed to frustrate BOSA.
Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) continues to work assiduously as the safety net and mentor for voiceless and vulnerable students who reside in the impoverished peasant farming Beersheba Primary School Community from falling through the cracks cognizant of the fact, that had it not been for intervention from the Association, these students would be left alone to fend for themselves contrary to the vision of James “Dick” Richards, Beersheba Primary School Alumnus, Soldier, Self-made Businessman, Philanthropist and Icon.
Reflection On Beersheba Primary School Alumni That Have Passed On
In keeping with the decision of Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) to support a paperless friendly environment and go green, effective from Volume 16 of its newsletter, the Association will no longer list in its newsletter the names of Beersheba Primary School Alumni that have passed on.
All Beersheba Primary School Alumni, Honorary BOSA Members, Friends, Well-wishers, and all our other readers who are accustomed to see the names of those that have passed on listed in its newsletter, are asked to visit BOSA website: bosaonline.org where information is listed in full detains and it will be updated periodically.
Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) wishes to express its sincere condolence to all family members and relatives of the deceased as they continue to grieve and mourn the loss of their love ones. May the memories of these bereaved love ones continue to linger in our heart and subliminal consciousness. Sunset in one land is sunrise in another.
Progress Report on Shanisa Jones, Nickayla Stevens, and Damanike Smith
Shanisa Jones who is now an Upper Six Form Student at Saint Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), in the pursuance of her goal to do medicine as her career, will sit her final four (4) subjects in Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) in May 2016 in preparation to seek admission to Medical School. Shanisa received the award from her school in December 2015 for being the most outstanding student at the school.
Nickayla Stevens who is now in grade 11 at Saint Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), is currently involved in completing her School Based Assessment (SBA) assignment that will enable her to graduate in 2016 after she has sat the required subjects in Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) Exam.
Damanike
Damanike Smith – part of the trio of excellent performing students from Flint Valley, New Market, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica West Indies, is now an grade 11 student at Saint Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) where like Nickayla Stevens, she is focused on completing her Student Based Assessment (SBA) Assignment that will enable to sit her CXC Examination and graduate from high school in 2016.
Meet Sameika Maitland BOSA Adopted Achiever and Trailblazer
Sameika Maitland, financially challenged grade 8, Form 3 boarding student at Hampton School, Malvern, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica West Indies for whom Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) is safety net and monitor, received the Silver Award and recognition as a member of the Headmistress Round Table as commendation for her excellent academic performance for 2014/2015 school year. (Please view and read the news article that is posted on BOSA web page about Sameika’s achievement).
Beersheba Primary School Alumni, Honorary BOSA Members, Friends, Well-Wishers, Visitors to BOSA website and Readers of this newsletter in Jamaica and the Diaspora who would like to assist Sameika Maitland defray the cost of her boarding and tuition fees at Hampton School, should make checks (cheques) or money orders payable to Munro & Dickenson Trust – Hampton School and send them indicating that their donations is for Sameika Maitland, student ID 2923 to: Mrs. Svetlana Crawford-Keane, Bursar Hampton School, Malvern P.O.,Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica West Indies.
Please notify BOSA by email: beershebaoldstudentsassn@gmail.com to let the association know that your donations have been sent to the Bursar so that they can be reconciled with her and promptly acknowledged.
BOSA Invaluable, Beersheba Primary School Alumni, Honorary Members, Friends, and Well Wishers
Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) wishes to place on record and express its sincere gratitude and appreciation to every contributor for their invaluable support that they continue to give to the Association un-behalf of the students.
Need For GSAT Students Graduating From Beersheba Primary School To be computer Literate.
Against the backdrop of information given on page 2 of 10 Volume 15 October 2013 under the above heading, and in light of recent announcements made by the Ministry of Education with respect to the introduction and provision of Computer Tablets to each student at the Primary Level, Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) met with the School Board at Beersheba Primary School (Government Leased) on December 4, 2013 to discuss the way forward regarding this matter.
Decision taken at this meeting at which four (4) additional items that were used as terms of reference for this meeting, is that the Administration at Beersheba Primary School (Government Leased) will take appropriate action to contact Stephen Curran, Network Design Director at Digicel Group, Kingston, Jamaica West Indies regarding his interest that he has indicated to Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) to provide Wireless Broadband Internet Service to the school notwithstanding the fact that his knowledge of the terrain in the area could be challenging to provide service to the school.
Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) has not received any information from the School Board at Beersheba Primary School (Government Leased) with respect to the outcome of the contact that the Board is expected to make with Stephen Curran, Network Design Director at Digicel Group.
Bi-Monthly Meetings of BOSA The Administration at Beersheba Primary School (Government Leased), has granted Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) permission to continue holding its bi-monthly general meeting in the main auditorium of the school. Meetings are held in the main auditorium at Beersheba Primary School bi-monthly on the second Friday commencing at 4:00 p.m Fund Raising Activities In Connection With BOSA Support Fund For High School Students BOSA Members, Honorary BOSA Members, Friends, Well-wishers, and other Beersheba Primary School Old Students who have not yet heard but who through the help of other Old Students, and this News Letter, will be made aware of BOSA existence and the work that the Association has been doing in the interest and welfare of students at Beersheba Primary School, are urged to join us in making a difference in the lives of these smart young people, who only need a helping hand to help them in this life’s journey to achieve their goal. You can make your donations by Checks(Cheques) Money Orders payable to BEERSHEBA OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION and is to be mailed to: Vincent Samuels, Secretary/Treasurer, Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) at 99 Jacaranda Avenue, Flat Rocks Subdivision, Black River P.O., Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica West Indies. All donations received will be promptly acknowledged in writing on BOSA official letter head. Persons living in Jamaica, West Indies may deposit their generous financial contribution to Beersheba Old Students Association Savings Account No. 4410317200298396 at any Branch of Sagicor Bank Jamaica Limited and advise the Secretary/Treasurer of the Association when the deposit has been made so that such contributions can be promptly acknowledged in writing. Meet the Achievers and Trailblazers No profile has been received from anyone to be posted in this newsletter. Editor’s Note: If Beersheba Primary School (Government Leased) Alumni in Jamaica and the Diaspora would like to see themselves being featured under this heading, Alumni who have not yet responded to appeals made in BOSA Newsletters to send the Editor/Producer their curriculum vitae, academic, and communal profile as an attachment to the Association’s e-mail address: beershebaoldstudentsassn.@gmail.com as soon as possible so that they can be published in each monthVolume as well as future Volumes of the Newsletter. Resolution to Rename Beersheba Primary School James Richards Primary School. As a result of the above subject matter being thoroughly discussed with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education in a meeting that was held at the Ministry’s Head Office in Kingston, Jamaica west Indies on March 13, 2013, and the matter being given full support by the Saint Elizabeth Parish Council, South Coast Resort Board and Jamaica Heritage Trust Foundation, Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) is hopeful that with the full backing of the entities named herein,the School Board at Beersheba Primary School (Government Leased) will do the right thing so that James “Dick” Richards, Beersheba Primary School Alumnus, Soldier, Self-made Businessman, Icon and Philanthropist will be officially recognized and honoured as an integral part of the heritage in Beersheba School Community. Members of the School Board Beersheba Primary School, New Market, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica, West Indies. The National Council on Education (NCE) has published the names of the following persons whom the Honourable Minister of Education has appointed to serve on the School Board at Beersheba Primary School (Government School), New Market, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica West Indies: Chairman: Rev. Phyllis Smith-Seymour Principal: Mrs. Tatlin Smith-Williams Academic Member: Mrs. Naomi Foster-Brooks PTA Member: Nickesha Lawrence Community Member: Mr. Valdes Hamilton Member 1: Mrs. Karen Walker The Elesa Hamilton Scholarship Programme Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) is pleased to announce that Harry Archer of New Savannah, New Market, Saint Elizabeth, Jamaica West Indies and a member of the graduating class of 2015 at Beersheba Primary School, is the first qualified beneficiary that has satisfied the criterion of 85 average to benefit from Elesa Hamilton Scholarship Programme. Harry Archer – an orphan who is currently under the care giving and guidance of Angella Balds – began attending Saint Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) where the Ministry of Education placed him as a grade 7 student on the basis of his performance in the 2015 Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). Harry Archer whose tuition fee of JMD 24,000.00 was paid by the scholarship programme was provided with three (3) suits of khaki uniforms and school supplies by Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA). Cognizant of the strict criteria by which the scholarship programme is administered, Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) has arranged for Vincent Brown, Retired Trained Teacher at Beersheba Primary School to monitor Harry Archer in his school work so as to ensure that he will consistently maintain 85 average that will enable him to continue to benefit from the scholarship programme. Because of the students Psychological Profile, BOSA Secretary/Treasurer met with Mr. Shields, Harry Archer’s Form Teacher who decided that he will make Mrs. Levy, Head of Guidance Counselling Department aware of his challenges so that further intervention – including home visit – can be arranged to provide him with additional support that he needs. Golden Thoughts and Nuggets “Setbacks have an upside; they fuel new dreams.” Dana Torres, US Olympian 1984-2008 “Consider it pure joy ………whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produce perseverance.” James 1:2-3 (NIV) “Adopting the perspective in the difficulties of life is not easy; but it is worthwhile. Trials provide opportunity to deepen our relationship with God. They also provide the opening to learn lessons that success cannot teach by developing in us the kind of patience that waits on God and trusts Him for strength to endure.” Bill Crowder, Our Daily Bread Ministries. Confinement is not the same as exclusion.” Pope Francis in his address to inmates at Philadelphia Prison, USA on September 27, 2015. If a man expect a woman to be an angel in his life, he must first create heaven for himself; angels do not live in hell!” “Contributed ” “The happiest people do not necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything.” Author Unknown. “Friendship is a lot like food. We need it to survive. We function best when our social needs are met.” Psychology Today (2003) “One way of looking at this” he said, “might be that for 42 years I’ve been making small regular deposits in the bank of experience, education and training. And on that day, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.” Captain Charles Sullenberger who skillfully landed an USAIRWAYS Aircraft on the Hudson River in the winter of 2009 after a flock of birds was sucked into the aircraft’s engine after it took off from LaGuardia Airport, NYC, USA. BOSA Career Advice Builder The following seven (7) common and awful Career Advices should be ignored by candidates who are desirous to enter the job market: 1“Going to grad school will make you more marketable.”Grad school will make you more marketable if you’re in a field that requires or rewards graduate degrees, bur if you’re in one of the many fields that doesn’t, many employers find the degree irrelevant. What’s worse is that grad school can even make it harder to get hired in many cases, since if you’re applying to jobs that don’t require the degree, employers may think that their work isn’t what you really want to do. 2 “Treat your job search like a full time job if you want to be successful.” The amount of time a job search takes varies dramatically from field to field and from person. If you are junior in your career and applying to a wide range of positions, it’s possible that writing cover letters, tailoring to your resume and networking. Could take up a significant portion of your time (although it still might not reach 40 hours a week, and that’s fine) However, if you’re more senior or simply in a field without a lot of openings, you’re probably not going to need to spend (or be able to spend) 40 hours a week on your search. And besides, for most people, when it comes to applying to jobs, quality matters far more than quantity. 3 “It no longer matters how your resume is.” It’s true that the old one page resume rule has relaxed for everyone but very recent graduates , but resume length still matters. Resumes that are three pages or longer user end up diluting the impact of their contents and will make you come across to someone who can’t edit and doesn’t understand what information matters most. Plus, the strongest candidates limit their resumes to two pages, so when an experienced hiring manager sees a long resume. They’re instantly primed to expect a weaker candidate. 4 “Offer to work for a week for free to prove yourself to an employer.” In most cases, this is illegal, because it violates minimum wages laws, With a few limited exceptions (like some nonprofits and government agencies), employers are required to pay people who work for them. But even if it weren’t illegal, most employers wouldn’t sign on for this anyway because it takes an enormous amount of time to train new hires. This first week is nearly always a loss for the employer. 5“If an interviewer asks about your weaknesses, answer with something positive.” If you’ve picked up any guide to job searching in the past decade, you’ve probably seen the advice to claim that your biggest weakness is that you work too hard or you’re a perfectionist. But so have most interviewers and at this point, those answers sound cliché and disingenuous. What’s more, they make you sound like either don’t have self-awareness or you’re unwilling to have an honest discussion about your fit for the role you’re applying for. Good interviewers don’t want to talk about weaknesses so they can play “gotcha,” but because they want to make sure they won’t put you in a where you’ll struggle. 6 “Following up with an employer after you apply for a job shows persistence and enthusiasm.” This advice is still a staple of many career centers, but these days, persistent follow up mostly shows you don’t respect firing managers’ time and that you’re not clear on how the hiring process works. After all, the employer knows that you’re interested; your application demonstrated that. Now the ball is in their court to decide whether they’re interested in speaking further with you or not. Most employers aren’t interested in fielding follow-up calls at this stage. 7 “Track down the hiring manager’s name so that you can address your cover letter to the right person.” This is unnecessary, and most hiring managers don’t even notice whether you did or did not – and far fewer care. If the hiring manager’s name is easily available, of course it’s fine to go ahead and use it. But you don’t need to call to track it down or do other detective work to find it. Hiring Managers care about this content of your application, not whether you spent 20 minutes trying to find out their names. Editor’s Note: The foregoing news article which appeared in US News on January 5, 2015 is written by Allison Green who writes the popular “Ask A Manager Blog” where she dispenses advice on career search and management issues. She is the Author of HOW TO GET A JOB; Secrets of a Hiring Manager; co-Author of MANAGING TO CHANGE THE WORLD: The Nonprofit Manager’s guide To Getting Results and the former Chief of Staff of a successful nonprofit organization where she oversaw day-to-day staff management. BOSA Science And Health Corner: Why Bone Health Matter? When you think of diseases that disproportionately affect women, breast cancer or ovarian cancer is likely what comes to mind. But while it affects both sexes, osteoporosis, a disease that causes weakened bones and increases your risk of fracture, affects women at a rate four times that of men, making it a major women’s health concern. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation: Roughly 10 million Americans – including 8 million women – suffer from osteoporosis.
- Nearly half of women age 50 (22.7 million) suffer from osteopenia a disease that is precursor to osteoporosis.
- A woman’s risk of breaking a hip is equal to her combined risk of breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer.
What exactly is osteoporosis and why does it impact women so much more intensely than men? What, if anything, can be done to prevent it? Our Bones Are Constantly Changing Most people don’t think of their bones as growing, living tissue. In factor bones are continually undergoing change. In a lifelong process called “bone remodeling” or “bone turnover”, our bodies are constantly removing old bone tissue and growing new tissue. From birth through our twenties, growth of new tissue outpaces removal of old tissue, resulting in a net gain. By about age 30, most people will reach “peak bone mass,” meaning their bones are strongest and most dense that they will ever be. After age 30 the removal of old bone tissue outpaces formation of new tissue, resulting in a net bone loss. For women, menopause marks a period of rapid bone loss. This period can last up to 10 years and is associated with a drop in estrogen, which plays a key role in maintaining bone density. Diagnosing Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is often a “silent disease” because the telltale signs of the disease, such as a loss of height and kyphosis also known as “dowagers hump” aren’t apparent until the disease is in its advance stages. In fact, many people don’t know they have the disease until they suffer a fracture. The most common and accurate method for assessing a person’s risk to develop osteoporosis is by measuring bo ne mineral density (BMD). The most common and accurate BMD test is called a DEXA (duel energy x-ray absorptiometry) scan. A DEXA scan is like an x-ray that quickly measures how much calcium and other minerals are in certain area of your bones (typically the hip or spine area). Osteoporosis occurs when bone mineral density falls to lower than normal levels.
- Osteoporosis occurs when the loss in bone mineral density is so great that bones become porous and brittle and susceptible to fractures.
Risk Factors Your doctor will order a DEXA scan of you if certain risk factors are present. The major risk factors for osteoporosis include but are not limited to:
- Family history. Osteoporosis tends to run in families. In one of your parents has suffered a hip fracture or kyphosis, you have a greater risk of osteoporosis.
- Gender. Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men.
- Age. Your risk of osteoporosis increases with age. Post-menopausal women over 50 have the greatest risk of developing osteoporosis.
- Race. Asian and Caucasian women have a higher risk than African American or Hispanic women.
- Bone structure and body weight. Petite women and small boned, thin men tend to have less bone mass and thus higher risk.
- History of fractures. Having one fracture increase the risk of more fractures.
- Certain diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and type 1 diabetes, have been linked wih a higher risk of osteoporosis.
Lifestyle Changes For Stronger Bones While many risk factors for osteoporosis are beyond your control, there are many lifestyle changes you can make to manage or even prevent this disease.
- Stop smoking. Smoking is harmful to bone health on a multiple levels. It has a toxic effect on osteoblasts, the cells responsible for manufacturing bone. Women smokers tend to produce less estrogen, and very young smokers (teenagers, adolescents) run the risk of not reaching peak bone mass.
- Limit alcohol use. Like smoking, long term and/or heavy use of alcohol negatively impacts bone health on multiple levels. Alcohol damages organs that are involved in the absorption of two essential nutrients for bone health, calcium and vitamin D, and it increases the production of hormones involved in bone breakdown, cortisol and parathyroid hormone. Like smoking, alcohol kills osteoblasts It also impedes the healing process if you suffer a fracture.
- Eat foods that are good for bone health. Calcium and vitamin D are vital nutrients for healthy bones. Dairy products such as low-fat milk, non-fat yogurt, and cheese are excellent sources of calcium and are often fortified with vitamin D. If you’re lactose-intolerant, don’t worry! There are plenty of non-dairy options for calcium and vitamin D, including almonds, canned salmon and sardines, green leafy vegetables such as kale, bok choy and broccoli, soy products (soy milk, tofu) fortified produces (cereals, orange juice) and dietary supplements.
- Do weight bearing exercise. Exercise, expecially weight-bearing exercise, is beneficial for bone health at all ages. Weight bearing and resistance exercises stimulate the cells that make bone. You don’t have to hit the weight room or the gym, walking hiking, or dancing are all good options. (Bonus: outdoor exercise means greater exposure to sunlight, thus increasing your body’s production of vitamin D)
- Tell your doctor all of your medications. Lon term use of some medications, including steroids, thyroid medications, anticonvulsants, antacids and other drugs can increase your risk of osteoporosis. If you have other risk factors for osteoporosis, speak with your doctorabout prescribing alternatives to these medications.
Editor’s Note: The forgoing article is taken from THE GRAYBILL BLOG – Volume 3, Issue 5, May 8, 2015. BOSA DEVOTIONAL Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth the peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father, brothers are we. Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me and let this be the moment now. With every step I take let this be my solemn vow. To take each moment and live each moment with peace eternally Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth the peace that was meant to be. With god as our Father brothers are we. Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me let this be the moment now. With every step I take let this be my solemn vow. To take each moment in peace eternally Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. ———- Vince Gill Additional Editor’s Note: We wish to remind our readers that as part of its vision to contribute to a paper free environment as well as to use Information Technology (IT) to minimize cost, Beersheba Old Students Association (BOSA) will no longer circulate its Newsletters by Post Office and hand delivery. Effective immediately, BOSA Newsletters will be posted quarterly on its website: bosaonline.org. It is my sincere wish that all our readers will have a Peaceful, Blessed and Spirit-filled summer. “A heart that is focused on others will not be consumed with self”
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