Latest update March 26th, 2026 7:55 AM
St. Therese’s Primary wins New Amsterdam Town Day Essay Contest
(Kaieteur News) – Several schools within New Amsterdam participated in an essay-writing competition coordinated by the Mayor and Town Council of New Amsterdam, as part of the municipality’s 134th anniversary celebrations.
Officials of the Mayor and Town Council and teachers with the top three contestants.
The competition accommodated both public and private schools, and drew participation from pupils of St. Therese’s, Overwinning, Lochaber, Edinburgh, New Amsterdam, All Saints and St. Aloysius Primary Schools, along with private learning institutions Learners Academy and Alleyne’s Academy.
After the one hour allotted time in the council room, Ariel West, a pupil of St. Therese’s Primary, was declared winner and walked away with a handful of trophies and other prizes. She was adjudged best overall, best writer, and best reader.
In second place was Selwyn Johnson, also of St Therese’s Primary. All Saints Primary pupil Justin Singh rounded off the top three.
The 18 participants, 2 pupils per school, chose from three topics:
‘How I imagine my town in the future, the green dream.’
‘If I was the mayor of New Amsterdam, how would I maintain a clean green and welcoming town.’
‘Write a letter or composition to a pen pal explaining three ways in which nature is preserved and how you would promote a cleaner greener town.’
The students were given an hour to complete their compositions in 150-200 words.
Ariel West of St Therese’s Primary was the overall winner.
The students were assessed on content and relevance, organisation and structure, creativity and originality, grammar and spelling, vocabulary and expression, and handwriting and presentation.
Deputy mayor and chairman of the town day committee, Kirk Fraser told the participants that the activity was conceptualised with them in mind, so as to unearth and also strengthen their ability to read and write.
“We believe that if a child can read and if a child can write very well, that child can be a very successful child,” he affirmed.
The essay competition will become an annual activity for the town day commemoration period, Fraser confirmed. The deputy mayor also challenged the schoolchildren to strive to become innovators, as such, according to him, is the aim of the council for the younger ones.
“If our society is to progress, people like you will have to be producers of something that is going to make life easier.”
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