The Orealia Kelly Primary School and The Valley Primary School in Valley North and Valley South, respectively, have a student roll of almost 400 students, but with the latter having a higher count.
The two neighbouring schools are among six Government-owned primary schools in Anguilla and the two of them simultaneously held special ceremonies on Tuesday, September 8, to welcome back the students in particular.
The Valley Primary School held its mass ceremony outside one of the original buildings where all the students were welcomed by the Principal, Mr. Michael Skellekie, who spoke to them about some of the school’s rules, among other matters. The Chaplain, Pastor David Christmas, of Faith Baptist Church, on the White Hill, Mount Fortune, stressed the importance of obedience to the rules of the school and respect for teachers.
In contrast, in terms of location, the Orealia Kelly School held its welcome ceremony at the nearby Church of God (Holiness). It is a convenient venue for major activities as the school’s auditorium, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Irma, is now under repair.
The children were addressed by the Principal, Ms. Marcia Brooks, and Pastor Philip Gumbs. One of the matters on which the Pastor spoke was the privilege whereby Anguillian schoolchildren, unlike many of their peers in the region, are attending school in Anguilla where there are no known cases of the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, both The Valley Primary and the Orealia Kelly Primary Schools have additional classrooms under construction. This is also the case at the Adrian T. Hazell Primary School, where additional classrooms are being constructed. At the same time, a completely new Primary School is being built at East End to replace the original Morris Vanterpool School, now in rented accommodation. A new Campus complex for the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, the largest of the UK Government-funded projects, is also under construction.
