HANOVER, Jamaica — Sandals Negril will be heading to Rhodes Hall High School on Wednesday to provide much-needed support and encouragement to students of the 16-year-old institution which is faced with its fair share of challenges.

The move follows a Jamaica Observer article published on April 4 that highlighted a students’ and teachers’ march from the school into Orange Bay Square to bring awareness to chronic truancy.

“We saw the newspaper article about the issues that the high school is having in terms of violence and student absenteeism. Because it is a school within our region, we decided to reach out to them to see how we could assist,” Regional Public Relations Manager for Sandals and Beaches Negril Jennese White told the Observer.

On Wednesday, a representative from the Green Island Police Station will do a session on conflict resolution. In addition, a representative from the National Council on Drug Abuse will provide useful advice on how to avoid contact with and use of illicit substances. Members of the hotel’s entertainment department will also perform for and interact with students.

Loss Prevention and Security Assistant Manager from Beaches Negril, Damien Williams, will close the day’s session. He will speak on issues of security and career planning. More career advice will be provided at future sessions throughout the year. There is no word yet, though, on when those sessions will be held.

Opened in 2007, Rhodes Hall High can accommodate 1,200 students but has 1,058 on roll. Before the pandemic, just fewer than 900 students were attending classes. With COVID-19 now tamed, fewer than 700 regularly show up.

The school has tried to address the issue, but it has been challenging.

“It is worrying and we realise that it keeps declining. It is putting us as counsellors in a tight spot because we now activate all the tools and resources in the guidance department to assist in that regard,” the institution’s guidance counsellor Conroy Bonnick said.

He also expressed concern about police findings that some students are being recruited by gangs. Most were skipping school because of financial constraints, while others did not think getting an education was valuable use of their time.

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White said Sandals is aware of the various challenges.

“There have also been talks with the Sandals Foundation [about] giving school supplies to students that are in need. The principal let us know that some of them are struggling to come to school and they don’t have all the supplies that they need,” she said.

“Community has always been important to the Sandals and Beaches brand. It is what drives our business, really, because a lot of our resorts across the region, both in Jamaica and the Caribbean, are filled with persons who live in the community that surrounds our property. It is our responsibility to take care of our family because that is what our employees are to us. We don’t call them employees. We call them team members,” added White, who noted that some may have children attending Rhodes Hall High.

The decision to help had been an easy one, she said.

“When we saw that there was an issue, it became our issue too. We decided that we had to step in to help because we want to ensure that all areas of our community are striving and surviving. We have to find ways to mitigate violent activities, teach students better ways to handle conflict and in the same breath, through inspiring stories of our team members — some of them coming from difficult situations as well — to have career talks with the students so that they can receive hope,” White explained.

Bonnick is encouraged by the help offered.

“The business community is responding positively and I think it will only get better,” he said.

He said some parents have also been reaching out to the school and have shown an interest in helping the institution or children in need.