Tamez Cole, a teacher at the Seventh-day Baptist Early Childhood Institution in St Catherine, shows off a trumpet tree leaf. - Photo by Rasbert Turner

During the recent heritage celebrations, a St Catherine school took steps to educate students on the benefits of herbs and spices.

The Sunday Gleaner was shown a wide variety of spices and herbs on display at the Seventh-day Baptist Institution at Job Lane in St Catherine.

Cerassee, Vervine (for colds), comfrey (for constipation), chicken weed (for internal bleeding), Jack-in-the-bush and marigold, dandelion (for poor circulation) and quaco bush (for removing rashes) were some of the herbs on display.

According to Adassa Scarlette, a grade-two teacher at the school, the bushes are dear to her heart as they helped her as a child growing in the hills of St Catherine.

"I have also used the Jack-in-the-bush along with marigold to give my children and it worked very well for them when I gave them the tea from these bushes," Scarlette told The Sunday Gleaner.

celebrating our heritage

Her views were echoed by principal of the institution, Millicent Smith, who said the concept came about as part of efforts to teach the students about their history.

"If we are truly celebrating our heritage, then the children must be aware of how things were in earlier times. This will help to build their awareness," Smith said.

The school held its Heritage Open Day on October 14 under the theme, 'Moving Forward While Embracing Our Past'.

A number of the visitors told The Sunday Gleaner they were impressed with the effort shown by the school to showcase partly the history of Jamaican lifestyle.

"It is good that the teachers are trying to let us know where they are coming from. I did not know that bushes were so very good," said Brittley Gayle, a grade-two student.