The Vivien Vanterpool Primary School, at Island Harbour, was the scene of much activity on Wednesday, July 22, when there was a twinned handing over ceremony for the new Gazebo and Music Room.
The event was chaired by Ms. Sandra Fahie, Acting Chief Education Officer, who delivered the welcome address in which she recognised the presence of Governor Tim Foy, OBE, whose office assisted with the funding of the Music Room; Premier Dr. Ellis Webster; Leader of the Opposition and former Minister of Education, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge; representatives of the Rotary Club of Anguilla who were involved in the building of the gazebo; and other persons in the public and private sectors.
In speaking about the project, Ms. Fahie said: “This project, which was in two phases, started sometime in 2019. The construction of the new Music Block was necessitated by the lack of adequate space for teaching and learning of some subjects; and the Gazebo provides an additional space for different purposes.”
She added: “The entire project was a collaborative effort and was jointly funded by the United Kingdom’s Government -through a grant under the Anguilla Programme, represented by the Governor’s Office. Funding also came from the Rotary Club of Anguilla.”
Governor Foy said it was great to see the current administration recognising how hard the previous administration worked, knowing that the current administration would be in office when the task is completed.
The Governor continued: “This is the first of the primary schools to come to fruition – in terms of the reconstruction and redevelopment – following Hurricane Irma. It is a very special school in lots of ways. We spend a lot of time thinking about the infrastructure of a school, quite rightly, as children and teachers need a proper place to work in – and we quite rightly spend a lot of time thanking our teachers for their hard work. But what makes a school is the community. At the risk of being a little bit controversial, I think it would be harder to find anywhere in Anguilla where there was a stronger link between the school and the community than here in Island Harbour.”
Mr. Foy expressed thanks to the Principal, Mrs. Mavis Fleming Drakes, for driving the project forward; and a number of other officials as well as several others, including the contractors, their workers and the Rotary Club, for their involvement in the project.
Mr. Merrick Richardson, the Ministerial Assistant in the Ministry of Education and Social Development, spoke on behalf of Minister Dee-Ann Rogers-Kentish. He was pleased that the project involved the collaboration of a number of agencies and the partnership of various stakeholders. “Today’s event is possible as a result of the contributions of our funding partners – the United Kingdom’s Government represented by Governor Tim Foy, and the Rotary Club of Anguilla,” he acknowledged.
Other speakers were: the newly-elected President of the Rotary Club of Anguilla, Ms. Shameica Hodge; Ms. Jeritza Samuel, Past President of the Club; and Mr. Seymour Hodge, Assistant District Governor. They were all delighted over their organisation’s contribution to the school.
The Principal of the school, Mrs. Fleming-Drakes, thanked the funding partners, builders and other persons who were involved in the project. She stressed the importance of the new facilities for the school and the positive impact they will have on the students and teachers.
The ribbon-cutting project was dedicated by Bishop Evan Brooks of the Church of God of Prophecy. Reverend Menes Hodge of the Anglican Church, also shared in the dedication.
