Port of Spain, Tuesday, July 12, 2016: STUDENTS of St. Phillips’s Government Primary School, of Old St Joseph Road, Laventille, who need remedial teaching to achieve their academic potential, will now enjoy the benefits of the specialised skills as three of their teachers have completed training in the acclaimed Arrow teaching methods. Teachers Tracy Jo Ali, Cleshia Philip and Marcia-Ann Riley were congratulated by representatives of RBC Royal Bank Trinidad and Tobago on successful completion of the training at the school on Thursday. The teacher training is the second phase of an ongoing partnership between the Royal Bank Education Foundation and the ARROW Foundation and its specialised teaching initiative with the student population and teaching staff of St Phillip’s. The first component of the programme was completed in March when 20 students celebrated their successful completion of the ARROW study programme. As ARROW-trained tutors, Ali (Standard 3), Philip (Standard 4) and Riley (Standard 5) are now equipped to offer the benefits of the ARROW teaching methods to all of the students at St Phillip’s.
Previously, the programme was administered by tutors attached to the ARROW Foundation. “This is a really exciting development. We are now able to offer remedial teaching on a regular basis. The students will benefit tremendously from having their own teachers trained in this method,” Riley said. “Royal Bank Education Foundation is really delighted to bring a wider dimension to the very successful ARROW initiative at St Phillip’s Government Primary School. With the training of three members of the teaching staff, every student at the school can now have access to this proven teaching programme. Before, only small groups of students would benefit since the tutors were brought in by ARROW. Now, all are in line to benefit and achieve their full academic potential,” said Gretchen Camacho-Mohammed, Area Vice-President, RBC Royal Bank and alternate chair of the Royal Bank Education Foundation.
Camacho-Mohammed explained that RBC Royal Bank had a long tradition of supporting youth development which was deepened with the formation of the bank’s Education Foundation in 1977. “We believe in building prosperity by caring for the communities in which we live and work. Our partnership with the ARROW Foundation and St Phillip’s underscores our motto: It’s All About YOU! The true reward is to see these young children enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rise above the challenges they face to become the best they can be,” said Camacho Mohammed. She was accompanied by Anna-Maria Kurbanali, Senior Manager, Brand & Corporate Social Responsibility, . Helen John, acting Principal at St Phillip’s, welcomed the expanded ARROW training initiative, explaining that the real benefit is having the luxury of three ARROW-trained tutors present at the school full time on a permanent basis.
“We don’t have to wait for ARROW and RBC to send tutors on an intermittent basis. We have the entire package right here at the school. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to RBC Royal Bank and the ARROW Foundation for this truly remarkable gesture. This initiative marks a major stepping stone in the academic and all-round development of our students,” John pointed out. Through the ARROW Foundation and with support of a trained United Kingdom ARROW tutor, St Phillip’s will be licensed to conduct the remedial teaching programme for three years. Developed more than 40 years ago in the United Kingdom, ARROW stands for Aural - Read - Respond - Oral - Write. It focuses on remedial work in reading, spelling, dictation, speech and listening skills and assists students who experience academic challenges by transforming their entire approach to learning.