By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL

Freeport News Reporter

The Kiwanis Club of Freeport held an awards ceremony on Wednesday, January 17 for the participants of their newest initiative, the Bring Up Grades (BUG) Program.

The program was launched last year with students of the Grades 5 and 6 classes at the Freeport Primary School. The aim was to reward students who raised their grades by at least one letter grade from one period to the next.

"This is the first semester we have had the program. So far it is going well, we have about 60 kids participating," said Kiwanis Club President Erica Sturrup. "We are trying to motivate these students by providing incentives in the form of parties and gift certificates, movie passes and other giveaways."

At the end of the school year, the student raising the most number of grades and accumulating the highest number of points will be named a SUERBUG and will receive a laptop computer, with the second and third runners-up receiving an IPOD and an MP3 player.

Sturrup said that Freeport Primary was chosen as the pilot school since many of the Kiwanis Club members worked at that school and that made it easier to facilitate. However, plans are under way to expand the program to other government schools in the near future.

The awardees in Wednes-day's ceremony were the top boys in the program, Clayton Newton, Demetri Rhodrigue, Larry Artillus and Walter Hanna and the top girls, Sharlone Ramsey, Verlendra Rolle, Tamara Higgs and Leajiana Carnegie.

AWARDS PROGRAM – At the awards ceremony held on Wednesday, January 17 for the participants of the Kiwanis Club of Freeport Bring Up Grades (BUG) Program from left to right are Deena Williamson, vice president Kiwanis Club of Freeport; Erica Sturrup, president, Kiwanis Club of Freeport; Mildred Roberts, prinicipal, Freeport Primary; Williams, Kiwanis member; Willis, Kiwanis member.