Left to right: Diana Maharaj, President-Elect, Rotary Club of Felicity/ Charlieville, Renuka Ragoo, Team Lead-Corporate Social responsibility, Ramps Logistics; Alicia Paponette, Executive Administrator, Caribbean Eye Institute; Melissa Senhouse, Director, Rotary Club of St. Augustine; Tanya Western, President, Rotary Club of Central Port of Spain; Maria Mohammed-Maharaj, Rotary District 7030 Advocate, Empowering Girls; Team of Local Investigator: Dr. Stephanie Mohammed, Researcher, Department of Physics and Pre-clinical Sciences; Dr. Venkatesan Sundaram, Head,  Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Dr. Brian Cockburn, Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rotary Clubs of St Augustine, San Fernando South and Willowdale (Ontario, Canada), along with Dr Paulson Skerrit, Lecturer - Reading Education, School of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Education, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus (UWISTA), recently held an information session for Rotary Clubs, on the recently launched Psychoeducational Diagnostic and Intervention Clinic (PEDIC). 

     PEDIC, based at the School of Education, UWISTA, was formed to address challenges that exist in Trinidad and Tobago, where there is limited access to assessment and intervention that result in barriers to learning not being identified and addressed for many learners. 

    This includes issues specific to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Reading Challenges, which will be highlighted as it relates to the need for the PEDIC project in 89 primary schools across the country. 

     The PEDIC is spearheaded by Professor Jerome De Lisle, Team Leader, Principal Investigator, PEDIC and Director, School of Education and the rest of his team, Dr. Korinne Louison, Manager; Dr. Elna Carrington-Blaides, Inclusive Education Specialist and Dr. Paulson Skerrit, Reading Specialist, PEDIC.

     Highlights of this multi-phase research project include:

 

·      Surveying the ADHD/Reading context within the primary school system of Trinidad and Tobago;

·      Ascertaining the prevalence of ADHD in school-aged children and student attitudes toward reading;

·      Conducting clinical interviews and administering parent/teacher behaviourial rating scales

·      Screening for Dyslexia and Tier I and II assessment of reading challenges, that will drive evidence-based interventions.                                                                    

    PEDIC envisages that in Phase IV of the project, the support of the Rotary Clubs will provide the resources for the screening, diagnostic assessments and interventions specific to reading challenges on a scale that will fit with PEDIC’s social entrepreneurship business model.

 

 

 

To culminate the 50th year of the Rotary Club of St Augustine, a Joint Celebration was held together with the Club's Annual Handing Over Ceremony recently at Jaffa Restaurant in Port of Spain. Ten year old Ella Elizabeth Pollard, Charter President of the first EarlyAct™ Club in Trinidad & Tobago (of the University School) delivered the Opening Remarks.  The Club was honoured to have Charter Member and Past Rotary District 6600 (US) Governor John Brodbeck - now with the Rotary Club of Springdale - come in from Arkansas, US to deliver the Feature Address. 

 

 

Additionally, seven Honourary Members were inducted including: Charter Members: Nath Sharma who celebrated 51 years as a Rotarian on 26th June 2019; Dr John Bharath and John Brodbeck who will now be both an Honourary Member with the Rotary Club of St Augustine while still being an active member of the Rotary Club of Springvale in Arkansas, US.  

Honourary Membership was also conferred for Meritorious Community Service to Past Presidents, Dr Bishnu Balbirsingh and Rashide Tallim Mohammed; while Dr Ferdinand Penco and Dr Sateesh Ramphal received same for their contribution to Heartbeat International Trinidad & Tobago (HBITT), a project that was started by the Club over thirty years ago.

Outgoing President Maria Mohammed-Maharaj, handed over the Presidential Chain to 2019 to 2020 President Indar Ramnath.

Other attendees included:  Mr. Joseph FitzGerald, Political Section Chief of the U.S. Embassy, Mr Aniruddha Das, Second Secretary, High Commission of India, Joe Ramkissoon, Past Rotary District 7030 Governor, Principal and Vice Principal of the University School, Rotarians from St Augustine and other Rotary Clubs, Rotaract Club of St Augustine, Inner Wheel Club of Trinidad & Tobago and other guests.

 

 

Ten year old Ella Pollard, Charter President of the EarlyAct™ Club of the University School receives the Club's official gavel from Vishnu Balroop, Past President and EarlyAct™ Co-ordinator, Rotary Club of St Augustine.  The EarlyAct™ Club of the University School is the first to be formed in Trinidad & Tobago, sponsored by the Rotary Club of St Augustine.  EarlyAct™ is  a school-wide service club of children aged 5 to 13 years old.

 

 

 

The Rotary Club of St Augustine sponsored Trinidad and Tobago's first EarlyAct™ Club of The University School on Monday 6th May at a Charter Ceremony held at the School's Auditorium

 

 

 

 

The Rotary Clubs of St Augustine and Sangre Grande recently held a Joint Induction Ceremony at The University Inn & Conference Centre.  Presidents Maria Mohammed-Maharaj (St Augustine) and Mervyn Ali (Sangre Grande) together inducted a total of thirteen (13) new Rotarians; ten (10) into the Rotary Club of St Augustine and three (3) into the Rotary Club of Sangre Grande.  Feature Speaker was Roger Bose, Past Rotary District 7030 Governor.