HECTOR’S RIVER, Portland — Students, teachers, and parents are warming to the use of technology at Seaside Primary School at Hector’s River, Portland.

The school has two computer laboratories, all eight classrooms have whiteboards. There are also 12 overhead projectors, and 79 Chromebooks are in use.

A grateful principal, Adli Lewis has lauded Paul Miles Foundation for its investment in education, and in Seaside Primary in particular.

“We were there from day one. Our school benefited from the foundation in 2018 when I became principal of this institution. At that time we received desktop computers; we were able to open a computer lab the December of that school year. Since then we have been able to provide our students with computer classes, teaching them basic things about the computer — how to type, how to research — and it kept building until students were able to send e-mails,” he said.

Seaside Primary School is one of many in Portland that have benefited greatly from the use of technology provided by Paul Miles Foundation.

Pointing to all the equipment that has been provided over the years, Lewis spoke of the impact the donations have had.

“Things have changed drastically in our school because of these technological devices. We had Cancer Awareness Day recently and our address was done virtually by a representative from the Ministry of Health and Wellness. All 200 students sat in their classrooms quietly, listening attentively to that individual from their office elsewhere,” he said.

The principal also cited an example of students participating in morning devotions from the comfort of their classrooms one day when it was raining to show how much technology has become “infused” into the school’s operations.

Principal of Seaside Primary Adli Lewis engaging students in the science lab. (Photos: Everard Owen)

“We have seen where our practices are changing and how things are evolving in our school… It was possible because of the devices. We have become so advanced in using them in the teaching and learning sphere that how we interact has changed drastically,” said Lewis.

Like Seaside Primary, many other Portland schools have benefited from the work of Paul Miles Foundation. These include Bell Castle Infant and Primary, Nonsuch Primary, Mount Pleasant Primary, St Margaret’s Bay Primary, Port Antonio Primary, Rock Hall Primary, Windsor Primary, Windsor Forrest Primary, Avocat Primary, Cascade Primary, as well as Birnamwood Primary and Charles Town Primary. In addition to donations that enhance academic learning, support has also been provided to the Port Antonio High School track and field athletics team. They received equipment used in the recently held Penn Relays.