Notes from the Editor
We are barreling through the year and the months are quickly slipping by. We are already in the middle of the second quarter of the year and can’t seem to put the brakes on everything happening around us – work, family, play. I hope that we all are taking the time to slow it down a bit and literally smell the freshness of springtime. Give blessings for the rain showers, enjoy the blooming of the flowers that represent renewed life and take time to reach out to family and friends every day to show we care.
This issue will give information on the newly revived 6th Form, meet and greet session, contribution to the hockey team and much more.
Tek a break and read nuh man…nuff, nuff tings fi catch up pan
6th Form at XLCR is back!
Hooray!! The hard work of Winsome Halliman and her group of lobbyists has paid off. Thanks to over two thousand past students that signed the petition to the Minister of Education. The 6th form will become a reality in September 2007. Those of us who are old enough to remember know how positive it was to have the 6th form students on the same campus with us. These students exuded maturity and were excellent role models for us. Memories of 6th form students such as GregoryHazel and Angela Chaplin are floating in my mind…fear, respect, discipline and love abound…always cautious not to make them see us doing anything wrong.
Mi did ‘fraid a dem…
The reinstitution of the 6th form is not without its challenges and will require help from all of us. More than J$1M in monetary
support is needed at this time as books, equipment and resources must be purchased to get the program successfully underway. We are calling on your support as we must make the 6th form a center for excellence. We must lure back our 5th formers to XCLR as they look to other high schools for 6th form. We are asking that you donate to this cause. Think how quickly we could reach the monetary goal if each of the more than 3K of us committed a one time donation of just US$10. We are counting on you to contact any of the Alumni Associations or the principal to make your donation.
Go inna di tread bag fi a good cause…
2007 Donation repurposed
The Florida Alumni Board has voted to donate the US1500.00 originally earmarked for the Florida Hassle-Free Scholarship Program to the newly formed 6th Form to help with books and equipment needed for September 2007. This decision came after not receiving any candidates that qualified for the criterion of our scholarship program by the deadline. We were very discouraged but felt that we should not “water down” the stringent rules of the scholarship program. The board will be offering the scholarships again in the school year 2008 to 2009. We believe that it is important that the scholarships and the criterion be properly published and advertised to the students and parents. We will be collaborating with the Principal, teachers and Parent Teacher’s Association to get the word out about the scholarships. Information about the scholarships will be sent home with report cards, circulated at orientation of new students and frequently during the weekly assembly.
The Alumni board will be working directly with the Principal to identify the specific items that will be purchased for the 6th Form with the donated US$1500.00. We will keep you posted on how the money was spent.
Florida Alumni Meet & Greet Session
Come on out to the Meet and Greet session on Sunday evening, June 3, 2007 at the Clubhouse at the Foxcroft Condominium complex located at 3494 Foxcroft Road, Miramar, Fl 33025.
The session will begin at 5 pm and end at 8 pm.
There will be lots to eat and drink as we tell you everything that’s being planned by the Association. We really look forward to seeing you as your input and contribution is vital to the Association.
Alumni T-shirts available
The Alumni Board has secured T-shirts with the XLCR alumni of Florida insignia. The polo shirts come in 4 colors – White, Black, Green and Yellow. The price of each shirt is US$20.00. Call us today to get yours. We have all sizes!
Get your Membership today
Membership letters are on the way to you all. For those we cannot get by postal mail we will send via email. The annual membership fee is US$25.00. As a member of the Association, you are extended the privilege to vote in the election of officers, be elected as an officer of the board, enjoy 10% discount off the tickets for all our events, and obtain a membership card.
A nuff tings dat…
For the membership year - 2007 to 2008, the $25.00 fee will include receipt of a FL XLCR Alumni polo shirt. Please respond to the mailing so we can secure your shirts.
XLCR License Plate holders coming…
Let us proclaim our appreciation for our alma mater! Let us tell everyone as we drive around what makes us special…what unites us…what experience we all share and love…Be ready to purchase a license plate holder with XLCR and our motto – Age Animo imprinted on it.
The Florida Alumni board will be securing license plate holders and making them available to any Excelsorian anywhere in the world! The design is being finalized. They will be on sale very soon. This is another way for us to create revenue to fund the many needs of the XLCR community and keep the spirit of XLCR alive.
Yes…a dat wi a sey…Tek off the dealer license plate holder offa yuh car…
Florida Alumni delivers hockey gears to XLCR
“No man is an island, no man stands alone”…What a blessing to have past students that so willingly and unselfishly give!
Special thanks to two past students Dr. GouldaDowner and Mr. William “Billy” Hylton that gave the Florida Alumni Association assistance in purchasing and shipping the hockey equipment to Jamaica.
Althea Brown Robinson the Vice President of the Florida Alumni Association presented 24 hockey balls, 22 hockey sticks and two sets of complete goal keeper gears to the female hockey team on March 23, 2007 at the weekly school assembly to a roar of appreciation from the students.
The allocated funds for the hockey team fell short as the board felt it was important to purchase not one but two goal keeper gears to facilitate training sessions. As the board pondered over the need and the funds for another set of goal keeper gears, we remembered past student, Dr Goulda Downer who had herself been an avid and skilled hockey player for XLCR and Jamaica. We reached out to Dr Downer for a donation and without hesitation she forwarded funds totaling US$200.00 for the purchase of the second set of goal keeper gears.
We extend our thanks and appreciation to Dr. Goulda Downer – nutritionist extraordinaire, CEO of the Metroplex Health & Nutrition Services Center in Washington DC.
With the hockey gears in hand, the Alumni board now needed to find a way to get them to Jamaica. Again another Excelsorian – Mr. William “Billy” Hylton rose to the cause. Mr. Hylton – entrepreneur, business man is at the top of the game in the shipping business in South Florida and has been successfully operating for more than 20 years! We reached out to Billie and without a second thought; he packaged and shipped the equipment to Jamaica without any cost to the Association! I encourage those of us in South Florida to support Mr. Hylton’s shipping company – Jamaica International Freight located at 221 South State Road 7, Plantation, Florida 33317. The telephone number is 954-581-4422.
Thanks for all your support!
We keep on giving….
The Florida Alumni Board provided Vitamins for members of the Track Team. Mr. Honeycut reached out to our board member and Olympian Debra Byfield and we quickly responded. To date we have provided 20 bottles of vitamins and will be providing more as requested.
Class of 1977 30 year Reunion – October 2007
Mark your calendars!
October 24 - 28, 2007
It seems like just yesterday that I was excited about passing the Common Entrance exam and eager to start XLCR. I tried on my school uniform almost every day in the summer leading up to the start of school in September 1972. The excitement of things to come was overwhelming…the anticipation of meeting new friends and learning new things was making me want to fast forward the calendar…I just wanted the school year to get started…
Well fast forward it did and in no time it was graduation day in July of 1977 and I did not want it to end. I had gotten more than just an education…more that I had bargained for…lifelong friendships. What a deal!
Awright! Awright! Stop di reminiscing…
Rewind the tape to the time when…OK…Ok wait nuh man…nuh talk ‘bout it yet!
Friends of the class of 1977 get ready for this reunion. It is slated for October 24, 2007 to October 28, 2007. No excuses…just pack your bags and get ready to enjoy yourselves. The days will be jammed with activities and as we get closer to the time, you will hear more. Our base will be Kingston, so make your airline reservations. We are trying to secure a special rate with one of the hotels in New Kingston but it is difficult to do that without a head count.
Mek up u mind fast…we haffi start di planning
One-Bathroom-at-a-time project draws to a close
We are awaiting confirmation that the outstanding work for the 5th, 8th & 9th grade female bathrooms are complete. This is the last of the bathrooms for this project.
The Plant Manager, Mr. Collins will provide the invoices for this work so we can close out our books. This was a huge undertaking and had its challenges in monitoring the work and the tracking of the funds. The Alumni board deems this project a success as the bathrooms are much improved from the original deplorable conditions.
Thanks again for all your support as the funds for projects such as this is made possible through your support of our fundraising efforts.
.
Mark Your Calendars…
Meet & Greet Session will be held on Sunday, June 2, 2007 from 5:00 pm to 8 pm at Foxcroft Condominium Association Clubhouse.
2007 XMAS BASH – Saturday, December 15, 2007 at West Broward Hall
Dr. Marva McClean (Excelsorian) – Bridges to Memory - Book launch on Sunday, June 10, 2007, 1:30 pm at the Diaspora Vibe Arts Incubator
Holmwood’s Annual Banquet on Saturday, May 26, 2007 at the St. Benedicts Church Hall
CONTACT
To provide feedback, please call Althea Brown-Robinson 954-433-8875 or 954-914-0811. The email address is .