Story By Dare 2 Be Different Media Department Staff Reporter:
Internet TV: www.d2bdtv.com Internet Radio: www.d2bdradio.com
"There are many simple individuals in the world doing a great job, have great ideas and have a passion for youth just like me, but oft times are not recognized because they may not be as aggressive as others. Mr. Terrence Edwards, Head Teacher of The Tyrell Williams Primary School is one such individual." Those words were echoed by Khrystus Wallace, President and Founder of Dare 2 Be Different International at the school's 1st Parent-Teachers meeting for the 2013 held on Wednesday, 23rd January.
This article, is among a series of articles that would be penned during 2013 as Dare 2 Be Different Celebrates 5 years of impacting, innovative and creative Youth Ministry this year. These Global Spotlight Articles seek to introduce to the world, some of the simple people who have been financially behind our ministry and events over our last 5 years of existence. We believe that one of the simplest ways to say thanks, is to publicly recognize them and adopt or continue to work with them and the organizations that they are apart of moving forward. This is one benefit of supporting our ministry. We are DIFFERENT to others. We NEVER just take - we GUARANTEE a blessing in return because Jesus was all about GIVING BACK. Therefore, to the top 10 ministry followers (United States, Russia, Ukraine, Ghana, United Kingdom, Antigua and Barbuda, Germany, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Philippines, Canada) this week, and to all others countries, let's follow Mr. Edward's latest idea at the Government School that he heads in St. Kitts - West Indies.
Recognizing the constant and exceptional work that Dare 2 Be Different International - www.daretobedifferentskn.com is doing with youth not only in St. Kitts - Nevis, but across the world, Mr. Terrence Edwards wrote to the ministry during the latter part of 2012 and asked the team to again assist with executing a few of his ideas for the school in the New Year, as he underscored the critical importance of The School, The Community and The Church working together to impact tomorrow's generation.
Although much more quiet than most head teachers around the world, Mr. Edwards is bursting with ideas and just needs the extra help and resources. Before introducing Mr. Khrystus Wallace to the Parent - Teacher's Gathering, he expressed his sincerest thanks to Dare 2 Be Different International for adopting the school at the beginning of the September 2012 school year and its weekly active involvement, visits, assemblies etc.
He reminded the Parents that it was Wallace's Ministry that fully organized and executed the BEST CAREER DAY the Federation had ever seen since its birth and asked to say thanks to those on the team that carried out the event last school year. (Tracy Chapman, Patricia Sampson, Lemercius Wallace, Joy Codrington, Stacy Brown).
Dare 2 Be Different International not only got the children to elegantly dress in their career fair clothes, but got the Fire Truck, The Ambulance, The Police Cars to take children for an exciting drive around the community with the sirens etc on. Ministry Leader Khrystus Wallace then led over 250 students marching around the community in in their professional wear, as they chanted, "YES WE CAN" or "WE WILL MAKE IT"
See Scores of Pictures on www.tyrellwilliamsprimaryonfire.com .
Video Footage including Police PRO, Fire Officers, Paramedics, Other Professionals addressing the youth, along with folks like Mavis Huggins and Jervin "Minister LK" Vanterpool singing and lots of others will be uploaded on YouTube soon.
This was all an idea of Mr. Edwards, but he allowed an active community group to execute his vision.
Edward's latest idea is to establish a Community Parenting Club. The caring headteacher stated in a meeting with the team that he thought that establishing such a group NOW, was very important because having taught for most of his life, he was seeing a drastic decrease in proper parenting skills and aggressively begged the group to start as early as possible because the community needed URGENT help.
Forward thinking Head Teacher Edwards mentioned that he also wanted parents from the Pre-Schools whose children would soon be enrolling at the school, to join the club now and start being apart of something positive, because the earlier The Club makes an impact on the parents, the easier it would be for teachers having to work with them.
President Khrystus and a few team members discussed the matter and decided that it fell well within one of their 5th Anniversary Projects that was scheduled to be launched in June 2013 - its Anniversary Month. It was also well within the ministry's Mission-Vision Plan The team decided to launch it along with launching The Tyrell Williams Primary Parenting Club as it would fall directly under it.
This New Initiative of the ministry is called The Dare 2 Be Different Global Empowerment Project - www.theglobalempowermentproject.com and would seek to encourage individuals to form clubs and cooperatives around the world and work together, help and empower each other, as that is the only survival tool currently available in financially turbulent times.
Wallace in addressing the parents cautioned them to get involved immediately. He told them that they were primarily responsible for the success of their children. Wallace passionately warned about the quest after THE MIGHTY DOLLAR that was affecting many children across the globe. His point was that Parents should play a keen interest in what happens to their children when they have to work and they are not at home. He outlined that it was during these unmonitored times, that children get involved in sex and drugs and wrong company.
Wallace gave a little run down of his life growing up and commended his mother Mrs. Yvette Wallace for keeping her children under strict order and discipline. He stated that anything her children do now, that isn't right, could never be blamed on his parents as they trained them well and his team wanted to try its best to encourage PROPER PARENTING SKILLS again at the club. Wallace told the gathering that they had to care for guinea pigs, rabbits, sheep, pigs, do house chores etc and still shine at school. He encouraged parents to bring back those days immediately.
"Buy a cow! Buy a rabbit! Buy a pig! Let them join a class, learn a skill, music, etc. Get your children positively involved now, in the earlies. If you see your child getting involved in the wrong things and joining the wrong company and you never tried to get them positively involved in something, it would be ALL YOUR FAULT!"
Before his presentation, Wallace asked the parents to get up for 1 minute and tell 5 people something good. A handful of them moved and carried out the exercise. He then told them, that when they go home and tell their children to wash the dishes or clean their room or help around the house, they should NEVER punish them or shout after them, because THEY TOO were not being obedient and the few children in attendance saw their outright disrespect. Wallace told them that if the Parenting Club was to get anywhere, their children MUST see them actively involved in something and doing the right things and their spirit would definitely rub off on their youth.
Wallace then officially launched the Parenting Club and quickly put the ball in the court of the parents to suggest a once per month meeting time. The parents agreed that the 2nd Thursday each month at 5:30pm would be quite suitable.
President Wallace said that God had blessed him with a fresh energy and charisma and they need not worry that the group would be boring. He highlighted a few of his plans which include FREE COMPUTER CLASSES at The Dare 2 Be Different Academy - www.daretobedifferentacademy.com for Parents who attend the club's monthly meetings. Quite excited to hear that first plan, dozens of parents were overly excited to have their names added to the registration book. Using the cell numbers and emails, Parenting Tips, School Announcements etc will be constantly communicated to parents as Wallace slowly works to raise funds and help make The Tyrell Williams Primary School a fully Technological Agency where each class can have their own sponsored computers, televisions and better access to learning resource material.
The involvement of Dare 2 Be Different International in the life of the school will see Dean of The Dare 2 Be Different Academy - www.daretobedifferentacademy.com - Retired Educator, Mrs. Yvette Wallace, M.Ed (a teacher for over 20 years, Head teacher for 10 and Education Officer for 5,) along with other folks from the youth gospel ministry giving back to the community by teaching for a few hours a month on teacher's regular time table. Mrs. Wallace, an Educator all her life noted that this involvement in the school, is expected to add a special flavor and energy to the learning experience as the children would look forward to seeing new faces now and again helping them out. Mrs. Wallace would be ensuring that extra effort be placed on the Grade 6 so that they stand out in their Test of Standards in June 2013.
Some of the other FREE sessions include:
Workshop Sessions On* Conflict Resolution * Time Management * Stress Reduction * Anger Management * AIDS support groups / families * Alcohol Abuse * Teenage Pregnancy * Domestic Violence on Men & Boys and Women & Girls * Child Abuse
Training Sessions On* Agro-Processing * Computer Training * Business Labs Workshops * Entrepreneurship Training
Social & Community Sessions On
* Health Fairs * Business Expos * Health Walks * Dinners *Fishing etc
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Wallace encouraged the gathering to ensure to give God thanks for Mr. Edwards, for had he not been so agressively involved in The Ministry, although he is not seen or heard of much, the ministry would have quite unlikely not selected their school for adoption.
Upon entering the school yard, dozens of Tyrell Williams Primary Students thought that Wallace had come to have fun with them as he usually does at times and wouldn't let him go to the meeting as they wanted to hug him, play with him, smile with him, give him a high five. Interestingly enough after, just like the children, dozens of parents didn't want to let Wallace leave the school compound as they too wanted to see how they can get their children even more involved in the ministry and spend time around him.
Having single handedly walked the school's compound to ensure doors were properly locked as any outstanding headteacher would do, and after sitting in his car for a while and patiently waiting, Mr. Edwards kindly asked that Wallace and parents take the conversation on the outside of the yard as he hard to properly secure the school.
I am most certain that the visible parental engagement with Khrystus Wallace excited Head Teacher Edwards and caused his heart to leap for joy as great things are in store for The Tyrell Williams Primary School Parenting Club.
Khrystus Wallace closed by saying, "The Federation, The Region and The World will all stand amazed at how this rural school in St. Kitts and its parents and students will always be in the news, leading the way at reshaping the lives of parents and students. We are prepared to lead the way around the world in rebuilding the Walls, like Nehemiah of a global broken family-training-social system. Dare 2 Be Different International and its Global Empowerment Project Initiative - www.theglobalempowermentproject.com was once again proud to be involved and we say to the world, we don't just ASK for support. When you look after our ministry, we have so many ways we can look after you, your organization and your children, so the ball continues to stay in your court."
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