Be Aware--Zika is Near

Drug Abuse Prevention Convention

On Wednesday 20th January, the class of 3-3, along with Mrs. Williams and Ms. Charles, represented the Convent High School at the annual convention highlighting the effects of drug abuse in Dominica held at the Roseau Public Library. The theme this year is “Let’s develop our lives, our communities, our identities without drugs”.

Ms. Leandra Cuffy, a representative of the Roseau Drug Abuse Prevention Unit expounded on the meaning of this theme. She explained that young people often put unnecessary pressure on themselves and make bad decisions and even sometimes turn to illegal drugs with false beliefs that there are no consequences. She warned that young students especially, should take care of their mental well-being as well as their physical health. Drugs should never be the answer, she told the students.  70% of the population of rehabilitated men in Dominica suffer from drug induced psychosis mainly due to smoking marijuana. Ms. Cuffy pointed out how many people are persuaded to smoke by being promised a free and peaceful feeling, but many of them end up on the streets as vagrants or with serious health issues. Marijuana, she informed, affects everyone else differently and no one knows how much it will take to destroy them.

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WHA TA FET 2016

The Convent High School held a fund-raiser on Saturday 30th January.  The school through this medium wishes to express gratitude to the following organisations and individuals.  Your contribution went a long way:

• Dodds Family

• Dominica Fire Service

• DOWASCO

• ELGEE

• Fine Foods Inc

• First Domestic Insurance

• Fisheries Division - Roseau Market

• Jean Bois Extreme Sports

• Miss Alia Webb

• Miss Janice Scotland [Bath Estate]

• Miss Jose Lewis

• Miss Marie-Therese Green

• Miss Vyleen Prentice

• Mr & Mrs Anthony Lawrence

• Mr Courtney Challenger

• Mr Martin Charles

• Mrs Irene John

• Mrs Pearl Xavier

• National Cooperative Credit Union

• Springfield Trading Ltd

World Respect Life Day - Head Girl Address

The typical route when addressing the issue of respecting life is one which discusses perhaps murder, terrorism or abortion.  The media and the slightest compassion that human nature provides, do not allow us to forget the many victims of these examples of disrespect for life.  While I am asking you to be mindful of these and their dreadful effects, I wish to draw your attention to two simple ways we can respect life.  These include acknowledging that each person has a unique purpose, and vowing not to speak words of destruction.

To begin with, life can be compared to an ecosystem in which each equally important component has a niche.  Respect is acknowledging that your friend, the person standing next to you, even your enemy has a niche worth appreciating.  While I might be able to play the violin, you may not be able to read a bar of music.  You should respect that this is what I can do while I should respect that you are maybe a spectacular netballer.  Difference of talents or God-granted purposes is no ground for fierce criticism.  Although sad, this is the reality all around the world where persons refuse to understand and further respect others from other cultures and religions because of the differences they possess.  I tell you my friends, that much of the worldwide fighting can be attributed to this and no nation, not even ours, is immune to it.  

Additionally, many would not consider intentionally speaking destructively to or about someone as disrespect.  It is clear that this view is widely shared because looking around, so many gossip about or verbally bully others.  I invite you to walk around our very school at break time.  I promise you you will find cliques all around the premises, and listen closely, many will be spreading rumours about a common enemy.  If bullying is not an ideal example of disrespect, I do not know what is.  By bullying you are saying that you do not have enough respect for someone to be bothered if he/she carries on with life the same way after your hurtful words.  Respect is about being cordial despite differences, it is never about resorting to bullying.

In conclusion, fatally shooting someone, claiming to be an ISIS terrorist online or aborting an unborn child are not the only ways we can disrespect life.  We can respect others by realizing their purposes in life and refraining from uttering negative words to them.  If due to this assembly you have realized that in some way you are not respecting life, I ask that you reflect and make a change today.

Head Girl's Christmas Message

I trust that you have already begun to feel the happiness that this season brings.  We cannot rely on a dictionary definition of Christmas as it means something different to each of us.  To some, it means a time to travel.  To others, it is a time for family to shower them with gifts.  To others, it is a time to eat many tasty foods.  We can interpret Christmas in these many ways but we should not leave out the essentials- love, giving and most importantly, Jesus; put Christ back into our season of Chirst-mas.  Let us take the incarnation of Jesus seriously this Christmas since in some other countries, people are being persecuted for their Christianity.  

A quote from Dr. Seuss goes like this, ¨Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn´t before!  What if Christmas, he thought, doesn´t come from a store.  What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!¨  

The thought of Christmas being more than materialistic items scares some of us.  We wonder how we can expend as much energy loving our families as we do formulating our Christmas lists.  By giving, we can also make someone else´s Christmas a bit brighter.  The timing is appropriate as many may not experience the Christmas they have been used to this year due to the passage of the Tropical Storm.  Imagine the joy we can feel by making such persons experience joy too.

Additionally, we rejoice that we can still celebrate Jesus in Dominica this Christmas at a time when people in many countries cannot.  For this, we need to be grateful.  Let us not waste this opportunity by idolizing the things that will not matter after the season ends. Jesus does matter, and He 'is ' there for us in every season.  How would we cope if invaders told us that we are no longer ¨allowed¨ to partake in Christmas festivities?  How would we cope if they shut the doors to our churches for Christmas mass?  I can imagine a people in a state of confusion and disbelief.  This Christmas, let us show how appreciative we are for this religious freedom.

I sincerely hope that each of you will have an enjoyable Christmas season centered around the meaningful intangible things- love ,family, giving ourselves, being kind, compassionate, just and the list goes on.  May you also be appreciative of the opportunity to praise Christ.  Catch up on your rest during this holiday break and return to school in January equipped for challenges but also, hard work and success.  Merry Christmas to you all, May God bless us everyone ! (A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens)

2015 May/June CSEC Certificates Available

The CSEC CERTIFICATES for the May/June 2015 Examinations have arrived and can be collected from the Convent High School office from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Monday - Friday on school 'open days'.  Past students wishing to have others collect certificates on their behalf should provide written authorisation to the school.  Persons collecting on behalf of others should provide a form of pictorial identification.