On Tuesday September 20, 2011 the San Pedro High School held its first Student September Rally. All students gathered at the Rafael Angel Nuñez Auditorium for some entertainment such as poems, dances, historical skits and a very inspirational speech. The theme of the rally was “Honor Him today, Miss Him Tomorrow; R.I.P. RT. Hon. George Cadle Price”.
Students took the stage and expressed their love for Belize and the Father of the Nation through poems. While others expressed themselves through acting; through an excellent and well performed re-enactment of the historical day Belize was granted its Independence. There was also an impressive performance by a very talented student by the name of Gwendolyn Zuniga as she spread the September fever in the Auditorium with her excellent carnival rendition. Lastly, guest speaker from the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Candy Armstrong took the podium to give a very inspiring and warming speech and wishing everybody a Happy September Celebrations.
It was indeed a great success and a very entertaining and educational day for all the students of San Pedro High School. Kudos to all teachers and the return of the drama group on their great re-enactment in honoring the late Hon. RT. Hon. George Cadle Price and his triumph for the country of Belize. Long live Belize!
Inspiring Speech by Mrs. Candy Armstrong; Ministry of Education
Honoring our History, Celebrating our Cultures, Uniting for Peace
Mr. Emil Vasquez, principal, San Pedro High School, Mrs. Conchita Flota, Vice-Principal, Ms. Odelia Caliz, Ministry of Education teachers, students, a pleasant good afternoon.
I would like to begin by joining the nation to express condolences to the family and friends and the entire nation of Belize as we mourn the passing of the Rt. Hon George Price.
Thank you Mrs. Flota for inviting me to share a few words with you all this afternoon as we prepare to celebrate the 30th anniversary of our independence under the theme “Honoring our History, Celebrating our Cultures, Uniting for Peace”.
This 8866 square miles we call Belize, our home is rich in history and culture. Our country has been constantly evolving from the days of our early settlers, the Maya to present day, where we live in a very multi ethnic multi-cultural society. We have so much to celebrate and be proud of. Honoring our history means having high respect for the past events in our lives, the lives of our families and those events in the history of our entire nation.
Culture means many different things to different people. These may include the clothing, food, values, laws, beliefs, music and dance, material things, language, art, medicine or healing practices, the shared history, the kinship system (which mean whom you consider to be family), the stories, the economic system, and much more, of a group of people. From our own Belizean experience we know that culture is constantly changing as people and places change. Today in celebrating our cultures we celebrate the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon our capacity to learn and transmit our knowledge to those that will come after us. Each of you represent your own unique culture and as such it is each and every one of you that we are celebrating during this independence anniversary.
Uniting for peace refers to the oneness, of being formed as parts that make what we call Belize – coming together essentially around a consensus of shared values. I am going to share with you the story of
The Crayon Box that Talked
by Shane DeRolf
While walking in a toy store,
The day before today…..
I overheard a crayon box,
with many things to say.
“I don’t like red! said Yellow
And Green said, “Nor do I!
And no one here likes Orange
But no one knows just why.”
We are a box of Crayons
That doesn’t get along.”
Said Blue to all the others,
Something here is wrong!”
Well, I bought the box of crayons,
And took it home with me,
And laid out all the colors
So the crayons could all see…
They watched me as I colored,
With Red and Blue and Green
And Black and White and Orange
And every color in between.
They watched as green became the grass
And blue became the sky.
The yellow sun was shining bright
On white clouds drifting by.
Colors changing as they touched,
Becoming something new.
They watched me as I colored.
They watched till I was through.
And when I’d finally finished,
I began to walk away.
And as I did the crayon box
Had something more to say…
“I do like red!” said Yellow
And Green said” So do I!
And Blue, you were terrific,
So high up in the sky!
“We are a box of crayons,
Each of us unique.
But when we get together…
The picture is complete.”
Students, be reminded that just as I told you the story of the Crayon Box every one of you have a story to tell. I urge you all to share your story with each other so that each of you can make your own personal connection to the past. Your experiences can help other understand how we got to where we are today. That is why I feel it is important to tell your story.
We all want you to grow up in a world that is peaceful and free from bias and discrimination, to reach for your dreams and feel that whatever you want to accomplish in life is possible. Like the crayons in the story, we want you to feel loved and included and never to experience the pain of rejection or exclusion.
But the reality is that we do live in a world in which racism and other forms of bias continue to affect us. Discrimination hurts and leaves scars that can last a lifetime, affecting goals, ambitions, life choices, and feelings of self-worth. In order to be the best prepare yourself to meet the challenges and reap the benefits of the increasingly diverse world that we live in you must be able to honor our history, celebrate each other’s cultures and unite for peace. Be proud of who you are and your family traditions. Respect and value others regardless of the color of their skin, intellectual abilities, the religion their practice, their physical abilities, or the language they speak. Each of you have something important to add to make the picture of Belize unique and complete!
As our nation grows increasingly diverse, there has never been a better opportunity for us to learn to live respectfully together and benefit from one another’s wisdom and experiences. Happy Independence day to all of you. And may God continue to bless you and Bless Belize.
Thank you!
