St. David, Grenada, 27th September 2011. Following the destruction of a section of the school by fire in August, St. Dominic’s RC School reopened its doors for the new school term on September 5th 2011. The school caters for students from Kindergarten to school leaving, with ages ranging 3 to 16 years.
The fire, the cause of which remains uncertain, resulted in the loss of the pre-school and two Grade 6 classrooms. Another block of the school also suffered extensive damage as a result of the intense heat and smoke. Approximately one hundred (100) students were displaced and had to be relocated to other sections of the school, making conditions very cramped.
CIBC FirstCaribbean rallied to the schools’ plea for assistance. With its strong belief in education, and giving back to communities in which it operates, the bank was determined to ensure seamless continuation of education to the students.
Since the preschool department was the area that was mainly affected, CIBC FirstCaribbean decided to replace most of the resource material and teaching aids. These included items like Play-Dough, toys, puzzles, crayons, storage bins, paper, charts, craft items, paints and brushes, among others. In addition, the section of the school in which the students are presently housed is without electricity and a contribution towards the purchase of the electrical cable, transformers and surge protectors, as well as the fees to be paid for its installation were also provided by the bank.
Mr. Geoffrey Gabriel, CIBC FirstCaribbean Corporate Credit Manager, a past pupil of the school, reiterated the bank’s commitment to its corporate social responsibility. He stated “This initiative falls under the banks’ Adopt-A-Cause programme where staff are involved in identifying these needy circumstances and partaking in activities that would improve and enhance the wellbeing of the recipients.”
Mr. Cephas Ettienne, Principal of the School for two and a half years, thanked CIBC FirstCaribbean for their generous and continued contribution, during a hand over ceremony at the school, which was witnessed by a number of CIBC FirstCaribbean employees as well as teachers and the preschoolers.
The school also received assistance from the local community with clearance of debris. Other agencies supporting the refurbishment included NADMA and LIME.
