Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 02, 2024 (SKNIS): Twenty-four (24) students at the Joshua Obadiah Primary School are the first graduates of the Mentoring, Advising, Guiding, and Instructing Children (M.A.G.I.C) Programme since it was re-introduced in late 2023.
M.A.G.I.C. was adopted in St. Kitts and Nevis in 2012 by the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force as part of the collaboration with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. The programme is designed for sixth graders and shares lessons on goal setting, conflict resolution, peer pressure, bullying, cyber-interference, and law and order. It also promotes ways to get a natural high and strongly discourages the use of drugs, alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and other harmful substances. However, M.A.G.I.C. was abruptly ended in 2015.
Photo 1: Prime Minister Dr. Drew and others celebrate the success of the the M.A.G.I.C. graduating class
Suzette Cannonier, Principal of Joshua Obadiah Primary School noted that she was a teacher when the programme debuted and its impact resonated with her. She endorsed the return of the M.A.G.I.C. A graduation ceremony was held at the Explorers Headquarters in Molineux on Thursday, February 01, 2024, to celebrate the graduates’ accomplishments.
“We are happy this morning that we have the reintroduction of the M.A.G.I.C. Programme, but not only its reintroduction but the enhancement of the M.A.G.I.C. Programme and the prime minister and his team deserve a round of applause for that,” said Principal Cannonier, describing the student’s success as “something special.”
The graduation was attended by Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Cecile Hull, Commissioner of Police James Sutton, Chief Education Officer, Francil Morris and others.
Jemarie Gardner wrote a poem for the graduation detailing what he learnt in M.A.G.I.C. “[My] short-term and long-term goals I will accomplish I assure you [because] I have learnt to achieve everything I set my mind to. My voice, my stand, stop the crime, these words will help me all the time,” he expressed.
Photo: Student Uzyun Matthew highlights the dangers of alcohol
Another student, Uzyun Matthew, put together a diagram showcasing the dangers of alcohol and discouraged his peers to stay away from alcoholic beverages. Vanika Duggins and Clairencia Wilson warned against tobacco use in a rap poem called “Say No to Tobacco.” A number of M.A.G.I.C. graduates depicted an anti-marijuana message in a skit.
All of the performances were developed by the children without any adult assistance.
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