Sunday 27th November dawned comparatively clear compared to recent mornings, and by the time we got to school around 8 a.m., the day was already starting to warm up a lot. Just about all of the preparation had been done the day before, so really all that had to be done was set up the registration desks, hang the banner and set up the refreshments tables. Contrary to their promise, the registration tent was not in place, and in fact only arrived after the 9 a.m. start. So we had to set up on the walkway at first, then shift over to the tent later. As every previous time, we had a few early birds roll up before 9, but most people arrived between the start and about 11:30. After that it started to ease off, with just ones and twos signing up. The event went very smoothly, the students did their jobs extremely well and gained invaluable experience in interacting with the public, as well as having fun doing so. When taken in conjunction with the Public Health Department Noord Salina event of a couple of weeks ago, at which all the health screening was carried out by our SJSM students, a significant proportion of the Kralendijk population been screened. The vast majority got the reassuring news that they are healthy, at least as far as the tests we could carry out indicated, while a few were been given an early warning of potential problems which they will need to see their doctor about. This SJSM Health Fair has become a regular, annual event and will continue to appear on the calendar as long as it still serves a purpose for both the public and our students.
Bruce Davidson.
28th November 2011.
