Students at the Negril Primary School in Westmoreland were recently feted to a day of personal development on dining etiquette.

The developmental session was a part of the school’s girl’s day celebration, themed ‘Reignite the Village – Goal Inspired Role Models Creating Transformational Leadership’.

On hand to spearhead the developmental session on dining etiquette were representatives from Sandals Negril Beach Resort and Spa.

Restaurant Supervisor Keithia Duncan provided the girls with an in-depth understanding of the table settings for breakfast and dinner. 

This included the special utensils used for each, while differentiating between various glassware, their uses and the proper way to use knife, fork and spoons among other essential information on dining etiquette.

Gloria Gilpin, guidance counselor at the institution, shared that the day’s initiative was a success and it was well received by the students.

“The Sandals Negril team presented on fine dining, and I am sure the ladies have benefited tremendously from this session. Many would have now been exposed to new information and it is my hope that they will apply this in their everyday life,” Gilpin added.

Meanwhile, grade-four student De-raina Kara Gordon said she was not only excited for the activities that they were treated to on the day, but also the opportunity to have been a part of the demonstration by the Sandals Negril team.

“Today, for dining etiquette, I learnt that there are special utensils for breakfast and dinner, and I was happy to be able to sit at the dining table and participate in the role-playing exercise by the Sandals Negril team,” Gordon said.

Ending the day on a high with a question-and-answer session that gave students the opportunity to win prizes based on their recollection of what was taught, Duncan said: “I admire the students’ interest and the many questions they had and how well they associated the things they learnt with their daily experiences at school and home. It was a great day and opportunity to share this social skill with them.”

She continued: “Proper table setting sets the tone for a great dining experience and having this skill is an asset, as persons are able to avoid common mistakes, such as the wrong placement of silverware or using utensils set for someone else. Sessions such as these give youngsters a better understanding behind the positioning of these items at the dinner table and when it comes to etiquette, it is important to learn these as good table manners is a necessity both in your personal and professional development.”

Sandals Resorts says it is committed to the development of those in its surrounding communities and in keeping with this belief, this is one of the initiatives that promotes personal development, and the ladies of Negril Primary will be able to apply in life.