Like other schools elsewhere, the current school year began in Anguilla in September 2014. However, with the dawn of the New Year, 2015, the island’s seven public schools have provided an insight into what they will be embarking on in terms of education, and other related programmes, during the year.
The brief bits of information were gleaned by The Anguillian in interviews, this week, with the various principals following the reopening and assembly sessions of the schools.
First off, was the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School where secondary education helps students to actually decide what they wish to do – whether to further their studies or enter the job market.
Speaking at Campus A, the Principal, Mrs Ingrid Lake, said the emphasis at the school was always about “the necessity to be prepared and the importance to organise and manage the limited time students have for learning”. She hoped that as the students go through this term, and in fact the entire school year, “that they will exercise the discipline required to achieve at a higher level.”
Mrs Lake continued: “Irrespective of what band you are in, you can function. Everybody can learn, but everybody must be prepared to maximize his or her ability and the time that they have. This is a term where Year 5 students have to complete their school-based assignments to meet the deadlines. During the month of January, the students, writing the CXC exams, have to register and everybody has to work within that timeframe and I trust they will take note. Then there are the Year 6 students who are in their last term, who will be basically finished in April.
“It is therefore important for them to use the limited time that they have so that we can complete the course work in all the different subjects we offer. If they do that, they will have a greater chance of succeeding. They must complete the syllabus, but they can do it better if they do the preparation because this is not only for the teachers alone. Students have a part to play and we keep saying to them: ‘you need to read, you need to be organised; you need to be prepared’. If they read, and are really organised, we could have some very interesting discussions in classes at the 6th Form level – so that’s why we are enforcing using time wisely and to be productive.”
This is Mrs Lake’s last January at the school as she will be retiring in November coming, after extending her services for an extra five years.
Campus B is headed by Deputy Principal, Mrs Melsadis Fleming, where the students in forms 1 and 2 have transitioned from the various public and private primary schools. For her, and staff, it is an important task to tutor and lead them at the start of their secondary education.
Mrs Fleming commented: “During this year, we plan to continue to encourage more parental involvement in an attempt to assist students to develop their learning. We expect students to be respectful one to another, to respect their teachers and the school’s authority. We also expect them to display higher levels of commitment, dedication and purposefulness, as we aim for excellence in all areas of learning.”
The Valley Primary School has the largest student population – of the six public primary schools – a roll of 442. Its Principal is Mrs Jasmine Thomas. “A lot of the programmes at the school are department initiatives and Valley Primary is embarking on being a child-friendly school,” she said. “We will be focussing on putting up signs to establish our presence as a child-friendly school, to let the public know about this, and we expect all stakeholders to be on board with all of our child-friendly practices.”
A main lacking facility at the school is an auditorium. “This is the primary school with the largest student population in Anguilla, but there is no auditorium,” she complained. “The general assembly is held on Mondays in the yard because of the lack of this important facility, and we hope to have such a multi-purpose auditorium in due course.”
The Orealia Kelly Primary School, at Stoney Ground, is the second largest primary school with a student population of 323. The Principal is Ms Paula Etienne. “I was telling the students at the assembly about making a new start in life, and what better time to do so but at the beginning of the New Year,” she told The Anguillian. “I asked them to make new resolutions – that the things they used to do will be put aside, as they try to improve their school work, behaviour and attitude. If they can do that at the beginning of the year, in this our second term, it would be good.”
She continued: “I said to the students: ‘If you behave like a clown of the class, you can change that now. If you used to bully others, you can stop that now. If you were coming to school late, you can make up your mind to be here early enough to get all your work completed. You are not doing it for your teachers or your moms and dads; you are doing it for yourselves. You can make one resolution which could be: I am going to improve on my school work so that if I used to get two out of four answers right, then I am now going to make it three.’”
Ms Etienne added: “I am very proud to say that our students have improved in their behaviour. When we look at good manners and discipline, they are certainly improving. Our goal at this term is on academics as we continue to mould the students to improve on their past work and really make a good decision on completing their work on time. If they do that, overall, at the end of the school year, we will have good results. This would not just be in the Standardised Test, but individually each child will accomplish and do very well – and that’s what I want for my boys and girls.”
Mrs Tracelyn Hamilton is the Principal at the Adrian T Hazell Primary School which experienced much delay in reopening in September 2014 due to the need for urgent refurbishing to solve leaks and rat infestation problems. She had this to say: “September was a challenging time for us, so we are behind in terms of the number of sessions that we have had with our students in comparison with those of the other schools. It is therefore make-up time. We don’t have a dull moment. We have to just teach and teach and get our programmes up and running.
“These include the normal Test of Standards for Grade 6 and outside of that is the usual class tests and other exams. We want to continue to raise our standards in reading because it is only by practice that we can do so. In our Test of Standards (in all schools) last year, the results were poor so we want to improve mathematics and that is our focus.”
The Principal was pleased that classes at the school had now settled down after the refurbishing work. “We are still trying to improve the appearance of the school while we await the construction of our new buildings, so we have to make do with what we have until then,” she added.
At the Alwyn Allison Richardson Primary School, at West End, the Principal, Ms Marcia Brooks, said she and her staff were working hard to keep the school up to date. “Along with the professional development of ourselves, we are encouraging all students to do their best,” she told The Anguillian.
Ms Brooks went on: “Our focus for this year is to continue to raise standards in all areas especially Reading and Mathematics. We will also continue to encourage our children to excel in sports and to be good citizens/role models. During this term, we also have the Art Egel Award Ceremony to celebrate our children’s academic achievements.
“We are making this request to parents: support your children in all aspects of school life. Make sure you look at their books daily, and give them as much support as you can. Please feel free to visit the school when possible to find out about your child’s/children’s progress.
“To the students, we want you to keep the Motto (Never Give Up) and the Vision Statement of your school in mind. Let us continue to work together to achieve our best in everything we do.
“It is our hope that we will succeed in our aspirations for the school year.”
The only male Principal in the public school system in Anguilla is Mr Michael Skellekie, who is at the Morris Vanterpool Primary School. “This term, and next term, in particular, there are lots of tests and exams coming up, and I want the students to start early on their classwork and homework – and to ensure that they are ready for their tests and exams,” he explained. “There is a reading test coming up perhaps in April; the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment in May for Grade 6; and the Test of Standards for Grades 3-6 in June. The SBA for Grade 6 is going on right now, where students are doing their in-class assignments, and there has been a continuous focus on this since last year.”
Mr Skellekie reported that the school now had a new chaplain in the person of Pastor Trent Berg. “He is going to come in and help with religious and counselling services for most of the students. He will also be available to teachers, if they require those services also,” he said.
Finally, Mrs Mavis Fleming-Drakes, Principal at the Vivien Vanterpool Primary School, at Island Harbour: “Our goal this year is to really increase the reading scores among the students,” she told The Anguillian. “One of the things I told the teachers is to allow them to see where they are. Go over their report cards and test results with them individually, and ask them what their goal, is and how they are to get there.
“All the schools have the new remediation programme that was implemented this year, and it is doing wonders. Then we have the SRA kits for a reading, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension-type of programme where children start where they are and see themselves progressing, thus being able to set personal goals. We also have events which bring out these goals. Last term we had a literacy fair for second and third grades. Parents came and were able to get involved in some of the activities that covered all those areas of literacy that children need to work on. We want to continue with reading, improve behaviour, and see how our children can continue to excel in the Spelling B and the Anguilla Day Quiz.”
The Principal is pleased with the school lunch programme, where meals are being prepared for a number of children under a special community-based arrangement. That is seen as a continuing important and unique programme at the school.
