OFFICIALS at Breadnut Hill Primary School in St Ann are hoping that a recently launched magazine will generate enough funds to erect a perimeter fence around the institution which has been broken into several times.

Not only has the school been plagued by thieves but also by stray animals who roam the property daily.

However, despite these challenges the institution has failed to get any help from the Ministry of Education, forcing the administration to create ingenious ways of raising funds on its own.

The school also used the recent launch of the magazine to celebrate the outstanding achievement of its students as well as to host a homecoming for past students.

“The ceremony gave us the opportunity to applaud our students for the hard work they have accomplished during this academic year. Hence, they were awarded for their performances academically and socially in key areas such as deportment, punctuality, helpfulness, and attendance,” organiser of the event and editor of the magazine, Reiness Marsh, told the Jamaica Observer North East.

She explained that the vision for the magazine was identified as the first of several projects designed to raise the well-needed funds to erect the fence, which is estimated to cost over $1.8 million.

Marsh said the school would, however, like to get private sector assistance in raising the funds.

“We want to appeal to corporate Jamaica to help us to make the target,” she said, even as she encouraged more persons to support the fund-raising effort by purchasing the magazines.

According to Marsh, the magazine sought to capture the historical overview of the school’s development from its inception in 1932 to its re-establishment in 1950.

“Since re-establishing itself over 64 years ago, Breadnut Hill has strived to produce students who are well-rounded individuals equipped to be agents of change,” she said.

At the launch, selected students were asked to share poems and stories which were submitted for inclusion in the magazine.

Marjorie McIntosh guided the production segment which was designed to capture the experiences of the students, past and present, through dance and drama. The drama presentation featured the over seven decades of what life was like in those times. The school’s Jamaica Cultural Development Commission

award-winning dance groups joined in showcasing aspects of

the Jamaican dance culture.

Meanwhile, the homecoming celebration was designed to encourage past students to mix and mingle while reflecting on their early days at the institution. Despite the small turnout, it was labelled a success by those in attendance.

Member of Breadnut Hill Primary School Past Students Association, Maureen Byfield, outlined the association’s vision and mission statement. She further elaborated on its commitment to partner with the school in an effort to see improvements in key areas that warrant its intervention.