On Friday, February 16th, the San Pedro Roman Catholic Primary School (SPRCS) joined the 112 Catholic institutions across Belize for the second annual Lighthouse Walk. The parade started shortly after 9AM under the theme “I love my Catholic School” and was a fundraiser for the Belize Catholic Schools’ management.
Dressed in red t-shirts displaying the event’s theme, the island students, accompanied by teachers and parents, paraded through downtown San Pedro to show their support for Belize’s Catholic mission. The children carried signs and sang songs along the way. A highlight of the parade was the SPRCS marching band, who filled the streets with the beats of drums and delighted the crowd with their synchronized dance performance.
In an interview with the media in Belize City, Catholic Schools’ general manager, Celia Usher, explained the importance of the Lighthouse Walk. “The Catholic School Management is the largest in the country with 112 schools. We have close to 30,000 children, and the financial aspect of managing schools is challenging. We do want to give our children the best. So, we realized we had to begin doing some active fundraising. It’s important for us to get support from the community so we can continue providing a proper education to the children as best as possible,” said Usher on the fundraising aspect of the event. “But, equally as importantly, this is a way for us to be together, to celebrate who we are. To have the children have a little fun while they’re shouting out, I love my Catholic school. They’re in good spirits. If you notice, we want to keep our children happy. We also want them to understand who they are and be a part of the community that they belong to when they come to a Catholic school.” Usher said that Catholic School Management is committed to educating Belize’s children and to the mission of being educators.
The SPRCS is one of the largest schools on the island, educating children between the ages of four to 15. While the school receives partial Government financial aid, most of the expenses are covered by the Catholic School Management, which owns the institution. The school only charges a small yearly registration fee for enrolment and is considered one of the most financially accessible schools on the island.
