A student of the Bregado Flax Educational Centre offered a word of prayer before the fruit baskets were handed over the the Virgin Gorda seniors.

On Friday November 11, 2011, Grades 3, 4 and 6 students, along with Grade 3 teacher Beryl Vanterpool and Jonelle Jessop visited the Virgin Gorda Senior Citizens Home where they serenaded to the seniors and also offered prayer.

The jovial bunch of students lustily sang “This is the day”, “I want to be a worker for the Lord”, and “It is raining”.

Grade 3 student Dequon Hillhouse also said a prayer without any assistance from teachers while Dauria Wattley created her own vote of thanks at the end of the special proceedings.

Students Mayowa Williams, Luisa Samuel and Jahzara Alred presented fruit baskets to the three seniors who were at the centre at the time, which were well accepted by the seniors, and even requested that the students stayed longer.

Photographers were not allowed to take photographs of the seniors with the children, however, the time spent will surely leave a lasting impression on the students who were very happy and excited to be part of the event.

This is the 5th year that students of the school have been visiting the seniors, an activity which was the brainchild of Grade 3 teacher Ms. Vanterpool and it is the first year the Grade 4 and Grade 6 classes are involved.Because of her involvement with the community project, she has been assigned by the Principal in charge of community activities.

The Virgin Gordian teacher told Virgin Islands News Online that she did it every year because she wanted the kids to have an acceptance that there are seniors in Virgin Gorda who has done a lot for them and needs to be treated well.

“They have done a lot us and they are at a point in their life where there is no one to do much for them and I want the kids to accept and appreciate them. Every year I make it my duty so they can go and meet them, do presentations and speak with them.”

As being a true Virgin Gordian, Ms. Vanterpool said she would like to one day see the seniors of the island living in a friendlier environment than they are now. “I think they deserve the best and they should be living like kings and queens.”

She said the current location is find but it’s too close to the Public Works compound and not a friendly sight for the seniors. She also recalled that the current representative Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal had campaigned on getting a better home for the seniors and she hopes, even though his government has not been re-elected, that it can become a reality.