Caramel Secondary is first beneficiary of Yvonne Murray Scrabble Initiative

Oct 14, 2016 Sports

Scrabble is not a spectator sport but has been touted as the most enjoyable and self-gratifying board game. It also has the ability to enhance one’s vocabulary thus creating a platform for improved academic achievements.

The children show off the scrabble sets along with Headmistress, Yvonne Adams (2nd left) and other teachers, Donette Butters (extreme left) and Odessa Smith Barker (extreme right). Yvonne Murray is 3rd left.

It was with this conviction that Yvonne Murray aspired to have the game placed within the school system and over the past months she has worked assiduously, making the necessary preparations to achieve her goals.
Last Wednesday afternoon, Ms. Murray journeyed to the Caramel Secondary School, Sussex Street Charlestown, where she donated the first of a set of scrabble equipment to the school’s administration and was accompanied by another scrabble affiliate, Michael Benjamin.
The items consisted of two boards complete with tiles, a special scrabble dictionary and an extensive list of 2, 3 and 4 lettered words. The process received the blessings of the Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine, in collaboration with the sports department, who donated the funds for the scrabble boards, tiles and dictionaries.
Several of the school’s teachers inclusive of Headmistress, Yvonne Adams, Donette Butters and Odessa Smith-Barker attended the simple ceremony where Ms. Murray handed over the materials while delivering a brief pep talk.
She explained the rudimental aspects of the game while sharing basic concepts like word formation skills and some of the rules of the game among others. She urged the children to practice diligently and also to support their colleagues on their way to proficiency.
She further committed to visit the institution randomly to assess their progress and offer technical advice. Mr. Benjamin also lauded Murray’s efforts and urged the students to make good use of the gift. He supported Murray’s view of improved academic performance and also delivered a short pep talk where he urged the students to enjoy themselves during the learning process.
The teachers were all delighted and thanked their benefactor for the gift. They further promised to support the children in their new endeavor. Several other schools will benefit from the Murray initiative and on Monday she is scheduled to travel along the East Coast Demerara to make similar presentations at the Annandale Secondary School and the President’s College.