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St. John’s Anglican School in Placencia Village has exploded in student enrollment over the last ten years. The original school building that many grown Placencians attended as children simply did not provide the space needed. Several years ago a second building was constructed to house four more classrooms. Space was sufficient with class sizes of approximately 15 to 20 students. In that last 3 years class sizes have ranged from 28 to 35 students and again the school just could not comfortably seat them all.
The idea had always been to add a second floor onto the new building and in 2008 it seemed as if the time was right to get started. Several businesses and individuals in the community came together and provided materials, finance, labor and other support towards expansion of the building. Two stairways and exterior walls had already been set in place. In 2009 the project was put on hold due to the lack of funds to continue. Times were hard for everyone and the community that had given so freely did not have the resources.
It now seems as if new life has been breathed into the expansion project. The project will recommence in the next few weeks with the generous donation from Wild Orchid Properties of $50,000, as well as $25,000 from the Placencia Land Reclamation Project. Red Moon Development is also coming on board to assist with some of the logistics of the expansion. This will give the project the jump start needed to get going and completed!
We thank everyone for the support given to this project! Look out for updates in future issues of the Breeze!
From Wild Orchid Properties
It is important to us to express how honored and privileged we feel to have the opportunity to call Placencia our home. We have, from the very beginning, felt very welcome here, by everyone we have encountered. From business relations to true and lasting friendships, we have been blessed with so much positivity, and cherished learning experiences.
We are so happy, as entrepreneurs in Belize, to be able to contribute to the growth, evolution, and progress of the beautiful village of Placencia. It is with great pleasure that we are giving back to this community, which has been so generous, welcoming, and friendly towards us. We strongly believe that the future resides in our children, and this is the reason why we have chosen to play a role in the expansion project of the St-John Memorial School. We trust that these improvements will allow the children to learn, grow, and thrive in a more productive and comfortable environment, therefore enhancing the quality of the education they are receiving. These positive changes will also benefit the hardworking teachers and school staff, allowing them to be happier, more contented in their profession, and demonstrating an even greater excellence in their teachings.
We are looking forward to getting this great project back on its feet, and seeing the new face of the school unfold day by day. We are committed to seeing it get completed. On behalf of the school body, and the children and parents of Placencia, we are encouraging everyone from the community to contribute, volunteer, and participate in this exciting and very necessary endeavor.
Sincerely,
Paul Habib & Aline Habib
Wild Orchid Properties
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