Over the past two years of the RCI Schools Essay Competition, students were required to state within their essays, reasons their school should, above all others, be given the competition’s top prize of a school Christmas party. This year was different.

This time around in the competition sponsored by Paradise Springs and Pine Hill Dairy though distributor Peter and Company, students were required to write an essay that began with the line, If I were Santa Claus I would…

Last year’s competition winner was Aliyah Charles from Pierrot Combined with “a really touching essay,” according to organizers, where she simply asked for happiness at her school following a tragedy involving a school-mate. The year before a humorous entry from a Carmen Rene student, Kydon Tibrune, won the competition. This year the winner of the competition is a grade six student, Jamaiq Charles from the Dame Pearlette Louisy Primary School.

Jamaiq’s win was not without controversy. After the essay was read on Radio Caribbean International, some callers to the station said they found it hard to believe that a grade six student had written such a great essay. Nevertheless, Jamaiq earned his school a spectacular Christmas party that was attended by RCI and Peter and Company staff, including RCI announcer Mac Naughton McLean and Pine Hill’s brand manager Dahlia Guard. Below is Jamaiq’s winning essay:

“If I were Santa Claus I would stay in the North Pole and not go anywhere this Christmas. There would be no gifts, no toys and no candy canes for anyone this year. Now most people would think I am being selfish, but if you look at things my way, you will realize that I have very good reasons.

First of all staying home would mean keeping my reindeers and elves safe. I am sure you must have seen the news and heard of all these aircrafts falling from the skies, the increased number of road accidents, robberies and muggings. Call me scaredy-cat Santa, but I cannot take that chance with my prized family.

Not only that, but the cost of fuel keeps rising and falling. Do you have any idea how much it would cost to fuel my sled to travel around the world? Even I have heard about the world economic crisis. So this year I am cutting costs by cutting back traveling.

I am really frightened these days. I imagine my little elves coming to St Lucia, with their big bags of toys on their backs and then being robbed at knife-point. Uh Uh. That won’t do. I’m giving my elves a break and keeping them safe.

But it’s not all bad you know. I’ve been thinking about all the stuff I send out every year, lots of games, toys, and sweets. But I heard on the news, (yes on North Pole TV) that St Lucia has the highest rate of diabetes per capita in the world. And I wondered how much of that was caused by me! I also heard that the boys don’t do as well as the girls in their Common Entrance Exams. I went over my list and realized that I had been giving these boys all the games and toys they wanted. No wonder they were not focused. So this year, my gift to the children of St Lucia will be no toys, no games and no sweets! Stay healthy and focused. And for the parents, given the hard times they are experiencing they will save some money. My little elves did not do much work this year, so there will be less for the parents to spend their money on.

Though I will miss my annual trip around the world, guess who else will be happy? Mrs Claus! You know I have never spent a Christmas with her?

Merry Christmas everyone! HO! HO! HO! With a little sniff! Sniff! Sniff!”