Month: April 2022

Pick Your Side: Firefighting or Fire Prevention

Jabneh Christian Academy

Fire Prevention or fire Fighting

Have you ever thought about the whole matter of firefighting and fire prevention? Well, as my icons (students) and  were discussing the concepts, we realised that it is more meaningful for us to focus intently on fire prevention as the only persons who are trained and equipped to fight fires are the firefighters who on several instances are no match for some fires. It seems, therefore, that we stand to lose if we take the fight against fire if we attempt to take on such a fate.

Fire Prevention is Everybody’s Business!

Fires that will need fighting are destructive. At the end of a fire battle so much can be lost including lives. Since we are aiming at development, giving attention to this matter of fire prevention seems pertinent. Development gives the sense of building on or increasing what you already have. The things you and your children possess are necessary if you intend to achieve the goals within a specific time frame.

Think about loosing your house, or even a part of it, the icons tools and clothes and other things to fire. What do you see? I see setbacks.

Every member of the family should be involved in the fire prevention process.

How Can Fires be Prevented?

There are a number of ways fires can be prevented. this post may not contain them all. However, you may find enough content here that can change the trajectory for you.

First, I would suggest a family meeting to discuss the terms- firefighting and fire prevention. Do emphasize how powerless you all are against fires should one occur. You will have to seek safety, leaving everything behind.

In this meeting establish a fire escape plan, just in case. Identify an assemble area. This is the area where the person will go when he or she makes it out of the fire. This is a lifesaving mechanism that is worth emphasis. Not being able to account for all the occupants of a house in the event of a fire, makes others, especially parent want to re-enter the building that is on fire to retrieve the missing person. Did you know that many times the person who re-enters the build do not make out alive? What is sad is the fact that the person they might have gone for was already outside.

Here are some other things that you can do.

  • keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children.
  • plug out chargers and extension wire when they are not in use.
  • avoid using defective electric wire/cords/ extension cords.
  • avoid leaving computers on beds and surface where the air flow of the laptops becomes blocked and so can overheat and cause fires.
  • ensure that a match is properly put out before it is discarded.
  • Smoking is already a bad idea, but if you or those around you are so inclined, pay attention to where what is being smoked is place and ensure that the fire is complete put out before it is thrown away.
  • do remember the pots on the stove.
  • tie hair back or cover it to prevent it from getting caught in fire while cooking.
  • be careful with those false nails when cooking- this should not be a point since nails should be short and free of polish when preparing food. False nails are more easily ignited that natural fingernails without polish.
  • Avoid unattended and careless use of candles.
  • keep kerosene lamps and candles away from curtains and children.
  • Place candles on a material that will not be ignited in the case it is forgotten.

It could be especially useful to install smoke detectors in the home.

Listen Up, Ladies!

Jabneh Christian Academy

Greetings Amazing Ladies!

Yes, April 24th – 30th is declared Pap Smear Week by the

 Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, MP. Just in case you missed it, April is observed as Cervical Cancer Awareness month. 

This certainly should have our attention, ladies. We are the ones blessed with the cervix. Let us be. Fear is not allowed in this matter. Knowledge is power.

Did you know that cervical cancer can be prevented, treated and cured?

Did you know that cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Jamaican women? This is incredibly sad. No woman should die from cervical cancer. This includes you. 

Be proactive and get your pap smear done this week.  Here is a bit more information that we should keep in mind. Pap smears are not 100% full proof though necessary.  Ask your doctor about the HPV test which is done every five years.

3 John 1:2

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in good health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Rev. Dr. Natasha R. Francis-Campbell

Complaints Policy

Jabneh Christian Academy , , , , , ,

There is a clear mechanism for responding to complaints. Complaints are documented with information on the person making complaint, nature of complaint, investigation of complaint and outcome.

Introduction

It is the aim of Jabneh Christian Academy Early Stimulation Unit to provide a good education for all our icons, and that the principal and other staff work very hard to build positive relationships with all stakeholders in order to work harmoniously as a school family. However, conflicts may arise and can lead to misunderstandings and concerns that may escalate. Hence, the school is required by the Early Childhood Act to have procedures in place to deal with complaints by parents, icons or other community members. As such, the institution will give careful consideration to all complaints and deal with them as swiftly as possible. The institution also pledges to be fair, open and honest when dealing with all complaints and aims to resolve complaints through dialogue and mutual understanding. Hence, we will provide sufficient opportunity for all complaints to be fully discussed, and then resolved where we will ensure that the interest of the icon above all other issues is taken into full consideration.

Aims and objectives of the policy

This complaints policy aims to:

  1. Encourage the resolution of problems by informal means wherever possible.
  2. Ensure that concerns are dealt with quickly, fully and fairly and within clearly defined time limits.
  3. Provide effective responses and appropriate redress.
  4. Maintain good working relationships between all people involved with the school.

The Early Childhood Act states that schools must have in place a procedure to deal with complaints relating to the school or services that it provides. Outlined below are the guiding principles for the Jabneh Christian Academy Early Stimulation Unit complaints procedure: 

  1. Encourage resolution of problems by informal means wherever possible, including making use of mediation services where necessary or appropriate.
  2. Be impartial and non-adversarial.
  3. Allow swift handling with established time limits for action and keeping people informed of the progress.
  4. Ensure a full and fair investigation by an independent person where necessary.
  5. Respect people’s desire for confidentiality.
  6. Address all the points at issue and provide an effective response and an  appropriate redress, where necessary
  7. Provide information to the Early Childhood Commission so that services can be improved, and the matter resolved at a higher level.

The complaints procedure

The institution is clear about the difference between a concern and a complaint. As such, the institution will always try to handle and bring any concerns to successful resolutions without the need for any formal complaint to be made. However, all concerns and complaints will be documented and kept for future reference.

  • The school expects that in significant cases, the class teacher or individual directly employed by the school will initiate the first approach to make every effort to resolve the issue. If an informal complaint fails to resolve the matter, a formal complaint will be made to the management body or Board by the person making the complaint. This complaint must be made in writing, stating the nature of the complaint and how the school has handled it so far.
  • The management body must consider all written complaints within three weeks of receipt. The Board is required to arrange a meeting to discuss the complaint. The person making the complaint and all other persons involved will be invited to attend the meeting and explain the complaint in more detail. The school is also required to give the complainant at least three days’ notice of the meeting.
  • After hearing all the evidence, the Board should consider their decision and make an informed decision in writing to the person making the complaint and the school.
  • However, the institution also recognise that further steps will need to be invoked when all initial attempts to resolve issues are unsuccessful and the person raising the concern remains dissatisfied and wishes to take the matter further. It is then recommended that a formal complaint be made to the Early Childhood Commission in writing if a person has reason to believe that the early childhood institution has contravened any provision of the Early Childhood Act or if an icon at the early childhood institution has been abused or has suffered injury or harm as a result of the act or negligence of the operator, a person acting as an agent, or any person employed in the operation, of the early childhood institution.

The Complaints Procedure, according to the Early Childhood Act, is outlined below:

  1. Upon receiving a complaint, the Commission shall refer the complaint to an inspector who shall, with a view to preparing the report, make such inquiries as he thinks fit and conduct discussions with the complaining party, the operator of the early childhood institution and, where appropriate, any employee of the early childhood institution involved in the complaint.
  2. The inspector shall submit to the Commission a report containing the following information:

(a) the grounds of the complaint, noting any facts in dispute between the relevant parties.

(b) whether, in the opinion of the inspector, the matter can be remedied.

(c) if the inspector is of the opinion that the matter can be remedied, the measures recommended by the inspector to effect the remedy; and

(d) the time period that the inspector considers to be reasonably sufficient to effect the remedy.

  • Upon receiving a report under subsection (3), the Commission shall:
  • give notice in writing of its intention to consider the report, to:

(i) the operator of the early childhood institution and any employee of such institution who is involved in the complaint, together with a copy of the complaint and a copy of the report.

(ii) the complaining party, together with a copy of the report.

  • in such notice, specify a period, being not less than seven days, during which any of the persons referred to in paragraph (a) shall be entitled to attend before the Commission, to make representations concerning the complaint.
  • After the expiry of the period, the Commission may:

(a) Dismiss the complaint; or

(b) Confirm the complaint and direct the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report, subject to such variations (if any) as the Commission thinks fit.

  • A person who attends before the Commission under subsection (4) shall be entitled to be accompanied by his attorney-at-law.
  • This section is without prejudice to any other proceedings that may be brought in relation to the complaint by virtue of any other law.

Click on the link to complete the complaint form.

https://forms.gle/nnqeqQWWErXEJGfQ9