Students of the Francis Lettsome Primary School dance merrily to Fungi music: Photo: VINO

Ruth Frazer teaches how to make pom poms as children look on with keen interest. Photo: VINO

The occasion was the Francis Lettsome Primary School’s observance of Culture Week 2011 being celebrated under the theme, “From Whence We Came: Our Virgin Islands History.”

It would seem that if yesterday’s November 17, 2011 activity was graded, every student would have received an A as the teachers had no task at all in getting the students to participate in any of the activities. In fact the problem would have been more in getting them to stop.

Probably the most exciting activities for the students were in the Agriculture field as a cow and two goats were brought in. The students were shown how the milking was done and were then able to taste some fresh cow’s milk. The boys eagerly awaited their turn to proudly walk the goats around.

Earlier the children, most of them decked out in their culture wear, also did some planting of banana trees and inspected their coal pit that also had to be disturbed early as coals were needed for the corn meal porridge to continue on the fire.

Some of the students preferred to jump rope while others looked on keenly. Inside one of the classrooms Liaison Officer in the Department of Education Ruth Fraser had the students’ undivided attention as she taught them how to make beautiful pom poms. Pom poms were craft items, including pillow cases, cushions, table runners and spreads, made by women in the Virgin Islands using recycled materials and scraps.

Upstairs the students were also engaged in making potato and bread puddings and baking specially designed fruit tarts that they would soon sink their teeth into.

Parents were also involved as they assisted with the coal fire and making the porridge but they had little work to do as the children needed no encouragement to get involved whether it was dancing, planting, walking the goats or cleaning the garden.

One of the teachers told Virgin Islands News Online that the response from the children to the Culture Week activities was overwhelming. She said earlier in the week the students and teachers engaged themselves in cultural games such as hop scotch, kick ball and skipping.

Other schools in the Territory also had similar activities.

Meanwhile, today Friday, November 18, 2011 is packed with a number of community events including a Food Fair with cultural demonstrations including basket weaving, drumming, fish pot mending and tyre-broom making at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park from 10 a.m. The community is encouraged to dress in their cultural costumes on this day.

The ‘Basics of Fish Pot Making Workshop” co-hosted by the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College will be held on Saturday at the same venue.

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The fifth annual Virgin Islands Fungi Fest will take place at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park this evening November 18 and 19 from 7 p.m. nightly.

Featured artists include the ‘Ole Time Jammers’ from Tobago; “The Quelbe Ambassadors” from St. Croix; “Flambo Combo” from St. Thomas; “The Jolly Boys” from St. Martin; and local bands ‘Zion Sounds’ and “Razor Blades from the Virgin Islands.

Culture Week is held annually in November to highlight and showcase Virgin Islands culture. It was first celebrated in 1994 and strives to promote and preserve the Territory’s cultural heritage.