RC Liamuiga: Inaugural Primary School Dental Quiz
Posted by Sean Paddy on Oct 17, 2016
Basseterre, St. Kitts: 13 October 2016 – As part of the Dental Health Week of Activities, the St. Kitts and Nevis Dental Unit in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Liamuiga (RCL) and the Ministry of Education hosted the Inaugural Primary School Dental Quiz at the Sir Cecil Jacobs Auditorium, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) on 12 October 2017.
Doctors and dentists from around the island, teachers, students and parents were in attendance at the Competition for Grade 4 students of both public and private primary schools, where two (2) students were selected to represent each participating school. A total of fifteen (15) schools participated.
The first round of the Competition was an individual round where each participant was given a question, and no consulting was allowed; the second round was a group round where each School was given a question, consulting was allowed and the Team Captain for each School would present the answer. A total of five (5) schools were eliminated after the first two (2) rounds were completed, with ten (10) schools advancing to the third round. Several other schools were eliminated after each successive round, until three (3) schools remained, namely Beach Allen Primary, Maurice Hillier Memorial and Tucker Clarke Primary.
Beach Allen Primary was eliminated in the seventh round, leaving the other two (2) schools to ‘battle it out’. It was a nail-biting finish as the questions went from Maurice Hillier Memorial to Tucker Clarke Primary and back again for several rounds. Tucker Clarke Primary finally out-answered Maurice Hillier Memorial when its competing team missed a question and left the way open for Tucker Clarke to attempt to answer two (2) consecutive questions correctly thus becoming Champions of the Inaugural Primary School Dental Quiz!
Speaking at the Event, Miss Carol Phillips, President of the RCL, advised that several months ago a member of the RCL incoming Board, Director Lee Bailey, advised that there was a serious need for dental care at the Primary School level. With this conviction the Club made contact with Dr. Randy Liburd, Chief Dental Officer, through the appropriate channels and requested a meeting which was held with Dr. Liburd and Dr. Retna Walwyn-Browne, Acting Director of the Community Health Division of the Ministry of Health. The idea at the time was to assist the Dental Unit by making appeals to dentists in private practice to volunteer of their expertise to assist these Primary School Students who were seriously in need of dental care. Dr. Liburd advised of the drive that had been recently started by the Unit to assess and assist these students. And also of his over two-year old plan to conduct a Primary School Dental Quiz to increase awareness of the need for proper oral hygiene. RCL offered to assist the Dental Unit with the administration of the Event which was the area of greatest need and which had prevented its previous execution.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws, in her address said that the aim of the Ministry of Health was to improve the general health of the people of the Federation and as a result the Ministry endorsed the Event which would assist in sharing information about proper dental hygiene, raising awareness and highlighting the importance of integrating good dental care habits into daily routine. She noted that the Ministry explored all opportunities and health education was one of the tools used.
Mr. W. Vincent Hodge, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, in his remarks stated that the Quiz was very important and that as a result of the Quiz teachers were able not only to teach about dental hygiene but to influence attitudes and values and create awareness. The Dental Unit was also congratulated on coming up with the idea of conducting the Quiz.
All participants in the Quiz received certificates of participation and medals which were distributed by Drs. Da Vinci Carty and Trevor Christmas respectively (Dental Unit Staff). Gift baskets donated by Ram’s Trading Ltd, agents for Colgate Palmolive, were also distributed to all participants by Brand Manager, Mrs. Shirley Julius.
Trophies awarded for first and second places were donated by the Dental Unit. The second place trophy was awarded to Maurice Hillier Primary and presented by Miss Phillips. The champion trophy presentation was done by Mr. Hodge, who congratulated all the schools with special congratulations for Tucker Clarke Primary.
In presenting the vote of thanks Dr. Liburd, thanked all the sponsors and contributors for their kind support, all the Competition officials including Rotarians for their time and expertise, and the media houses for coverage. He extended an invitation to other schools to participate next year, as effort is made not only in the competitive aspect of the learning but also for the children to have fun while competing.
The theme for this year’s Dental Week was “Gums plus Care equal Smiles: Everyone Smiles in the Same Language”.
The first round of the Competition was an individual round where each participant was given a question, and no consulting was allowed; the second round was a group round where each School was given a question, consulting was allowed and the Team Captain for each School would present the answer. A total of five (5) schools were eliminated after the first two (2) rounds were completed, with ten (10) schools advancing to the third round. Several other schools were eliminated after each successive round, until three (3) schools remained, namely Beach Allen Primary, Maurice Hillier Memorial and Tucker Clarke Primary.
Beach Allen Primary was eliminated in the seventh round, leaving the other two (2) schools to ‘battle it out’. It was a nail-biting finish as the questions went from Maurice Hillier Memorial to Tucker Clarke Primary and back again for several rounds. Tucker Clarke Primary finally out-answered Maurice Hillier Memorial when its competing team missed a question and left the way open for Tucker Clarke to attempt to answer two (2) consecutive questions correctly thus becoming Champions of the Inaugural Primary School Dental Quiz!
Speaking at the Event, Miss Carol Phillips, President of the RCL, advised that several months ago a member of the RCL incoming Board, Director Lee Bailey, advised that there was a serious need for dental care at the Primary School level. With this conviction the Club made contact with Dr. Randy Liburd, Chief Dental Officer, through the appropriate channels and requested a meeting which was held with Dr. Liburd and Dr. Retna Walwyn-Browne, Acting Director of the Community Health Division of the Ministry of Health. The idea at the time was to assist the Dental Unit by making appeals to dentists in private practice to volunteer of their expertise to assist these Primary School Students who were seriously in need of dental care. Dr. Liburd advised of the drive that had been recently started by the Unit to assess and assist these students. And also of his over two-year old plan to conduct a Primary School Dental Quiz to increase awareness of the need for proper oral hygiene. RCL offered to assist the Dental Unit with the administration of the Event which was the area of greatest need and which had prevented its previous execution.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws, in her address said that the aim of the Ministry of Health was to improve the general health of the people of the Federation and as a result the Ministry endorsed the Event which would assist in sharing information about proper dental hygiene, raising awareness and highlighting the importance of integrating good dental care habits into daily routine. She noted that the Ministry explored all opportunities and health education was one of the tools used.
Mr. W. Vincent Hodge, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, in his remarks stated that the Quiz was very important and that as a result of the Quiz teachers were able not only to teach about dental hygiene but to influence attitudes and values and create awareness. The Dental Unit was also congratulated on coming up with the idea of conducting the Quiz.
All participants in the Quiz received certificates of participation and medals which were distributed by Drs. Da Vinci Carty and Trevor Christmas respectively (Dental Unit Staff). Gift baskets donated by Ram’s Trading Ltd, agents for Colgate Palmolive, were also distributed to all participants by Brand Manager, Mrs. Shirley Julius.
Trophies awarded for first and second places were donated by the Dental Unit. The second place trophy was awarded to Maurice Hillier Primary and presented by Miss Phillips. The champion trophy presentation was done by Mr. Hodge, who congratulated all the schools with special congratulations for Tucker Clarke Primary.
In presenting the vote of thanks Dr. Liburd, thanked all the sponsors and contributors for their kind support, all the Competition officials including Rotarians for their time and expertise, and the media houses for coverage. He extended an invitation to other schools to participate next year, as effort is made not only in the competitive aspect of the learning but also for the children to have fun while competing.
The theme for this year’s Dental Week was “Gums plus Care equal Smiles: Everyone Smiles in the Same Language”.