Mrs. Trica Richardson of West End taught for a number of years at the Alwyn Allison Richardson Primary School. From there she was transferred as Deputy Principal at the Orealia Kelly Primary School at Stoney Ground. She returned to West End later on as Deputy Principal and has now assumed the post of Principal.
With the reopening of the schools on Monday, this week, September 3, Mrs. Richardson, a calm and gentle person, now has a Deputy Principal and a new Management Team. She is among a number of other senior educators who have been appointed Principals of other primary schools along with their Deputies and Management Teams.
At Monday’s, reopening of her school, Mrs. Richardson held a special welcome ceremony when she extended warm greetings to the teaching staff and made a number of introductions to parents and guardians.
“I am very touched, and a bit emotional, as I am standing before you not as a Deputy Principal like last year, but as the new Principal of the Alywn Allison Primary School,” Mrs. Richardson said, attracting prolonged applause. “This has been a dream and I remember when I was transferred to the Alwyn Allison in 2009, I was all excited because I had married someone from the community. Coming to the Alwyn Allison was one of my joys to work in the community where I lived. But, that same year, I found out that my husband was sick and in two years time, I lost him… and this school has a lot of memories for me. I can remember in grade one that many days I would come to class crying, and there were a number of teachers who showed me all their love. I used to teach Reading Recovery and that room was where I shed most of my tears and would go there by myself. This school means a lot to me because I always said I would like to become its Principal and serve no other school. That is because, as I have said, I have lots of memories here – and I want to make my husband proud that I am serving his community today. So it is really touching to me to be part of Alwyn Allison Primary School.”
She was grateful to the former Principal, Ms. Marcia Richardson. “Teacher Marcia has moved on,” Mrs. Richardson observed. “She is now the Principal at Orealia Kelly Primary School and I wish her all success in her new journey.”
The new Principal at the Alwyn Allison School told her listeners: “I am depending on you – the students, teachers and parents for us to work together as a team to make Alwyn Allison a school that is recognised in our nation. I wish all of you every success for the new school year. To the students, in particular, I say: ‘work hard for the new school year. There is no difference between top and bottom. Everyone can succeed. I left high school with one subject. Today, I have a Master’s. It is what you want, that you go after. All of you just do what you have to do in your class.”’
Mrs. Richardson was congratulated on her appointment by Mr. Cardigan Connor, the Elected Representative for the West End/Long Bay Constituency. “There is something special at the start of every academic year,” he observed. “All the youngsters are very keen to come back to school, and I have always been very proud of the support of the parents. Without you, the job of the teachers would be so much difficult so together we can make things work.”
He continued: “It is not a secret that I was born in this district and went to the West End School, and I am honoured to be the representative of this district. I will continue to do everything I can to make the school better – and life easier for Teacher Tricia and the rest of the teachers, the students and the parents. I wish you all the best for a very good year.”
