![Police Officer Roberto Hodge helps his grandchildren during an arts-and-crafts activity at the St. Eustatius Seventh-day Adventist Primary School in the Northern Caribbean islands. The activity was part of the school’s annual event celebrating national Grandparents Day, where 35 grandparents were honored for their dedication as caregivers on September 12, 2021. [Photo: Courtesy of St. Eustatius Adventist School]](https://images.hopesoftware.org/resize/L3c6MTkyMCxxOjc1L2hvcGUtaW1hZ2VzLzY1ZTcxMzAxZjY1NTI4MWE1MzhlZDM3My9jSDYxNzEzODgxMjM2NzYzLmpwZw/w:1920,q:75/hope-images/65e71301f655281a538ed373/cH61713881236763.jpg)
As more and more grandparents have become primary caregivers for their grandchildren in society today, the Seventh-day Adventist Primary School in the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius hosted a program on September 10, 2021, to honor their dedication. It was an event that saw more than 35 grandparents visit their grandchildren’s classrooms and engage in arts and crafts.
“We wanted to use the opportunity to honor grandparents and encourage students to show love, compassion, and care,” said La Verne David-Duggins, principal of the school. The day corresponded with National Grandparent’s Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday in September. It was a time of enjoyment for the children and an occasion for bonding, she added.
“The staff at our school recognizes that many of our students are registered due to their grandparents’ encouragement, so the team wanted to show special attention to them and appreciation to them,” said David-Duggins. The school likes to extend its events to families because it’s a great opportunity to see what the children are doing in school, she added.
To accommodate these families, the grandparents were allowed to choose a classroom with one grandchild, and the remaining grandchildren joined that classroom, explained David-Duggins.
It was priceless to see each of the student’s faces as they had their grandparents next to them, said David-Duggins. “The grandparents were delighted and remained longer than the scheduled time with their grandchildren.”
Nia’Jaye Carty wore a big smile while she made a pair of sandals with her grandfather, Roberto Hodge, who is the chief of police for St. Eustatius. Similarly, Carol Jack, director of the Department of Health, helped her granddaughter design a greeting card.
School leaders are planning to hold the special event annually, said David-Duggins.
St. Eustatius Seventh-day Adventist Primary School is the only elementary school operated by the church among four schools on the island. The school was established in 1997 and enrolls approximately 80 students from preschool through sixth grade every year.
La Verne David-Duggins contributed to this article.
This article was originally published on the Inter-American Division’s website
![Ilsa Duggins (right) enjoys her grandchild while Aqeel Duggins makes paper sandals during an arts-and-crafts activity. [Photo: Courtesy of St. Eustatius Adventist School]](https://images.hopesoftware.org/resize/L3c6MTkyMCxxOjc1L2hvcGUtaW1hZ2VzLzY1ZTcxMzAxZjY1NTI4MWE1MzhlZDM3My84ODUxNzEzODgxMjI1MzEyLmpwZw/w:1920,q:75/hope-images/65e71301f655281a538ed373/8851713881225312.jpg)