Noranda Bauxite and Alumina leadership teams from Discovery Bay, St Ann, Gramercy Alumina, Louisiana, and ARC Fused Alumina located in France, came together on September 19 to construct and install an outdoor reading/recreation area at Waltham Abbey Primary School in Woods Town, Discovery Bay.

Acting Principal Thalcia Campbell, board chairman Rev Michael Campbell, PTA President Purchell Clarke, Noranda Community Council representatives Pauline White and Brian Austin, teachers, and the over 200 students gave a warm welcome to the visitors.

The work team constructed a levelled floor base around a shady guango tree and furnished it with junior-sized concrete benches and tables. The team also presented the school with a much-needed laptop computer and multi-media projector.

On completion of the project, Noranda Alumina Executive Vice-President John Habisreitinger and Senior Vice-President, Human Resources Steve Smith were invited to give a talk to the students on the journey of bauxite from Jamaica to Louisiana and the processing of bauxite into alumina and subsequently aluminum.

Students enjoyed a lively question-and-answer exchange with their guests.

“We were highly impressed with their knowledge and awareness of the bauxite industry, the number of students who had relatives working at the nearby bauxite plant, their interest in developing careers at Noranda, and the warm welcome we received from the school and community”, said Habisreitinger.

The Noranda Alumina team members said they enjoyed the morning spent with the school. “It has given us a higher appreciation of the social and community interplay, mutual respect and partnership opportunities that exist between bauxite and its operating area communities in Jamaica,” the company said in a news release.

The teachers referred to Noranda’s recent presentation of GSAT High Achiever awards to schools in the area, pointing out that Waltham Abbey’s top GSAT student Nashaun Chambers had been placed at Jamaica College and was a standard bearer for the school’s academic achievements.

At the end of the day, Noranda Bauxite’s vice-president and general manager Delroy Dell thanked and congratulated the team on the work and coordination undertaken to make the addition of the reading centre a success.

“The corporate team joins me in thanking all the participants for their dedication and spirited enthusiasm in delivering this project,” he said.