Staggered start for some St Elizabeth schools
JUNCTION, St Elizabeth — Classes at some schools affected by Hurricane Beryl, two months ago, were staggered on Monday to allow for the completion of construction works.
“We have the grade six students here Monday and Tuesday and on Wednesday and Thursday we will have the grade five students,” said principal at Bull Savannah Primary Colin Cameron.
“We are about 60 per cent ready right now. We had damage to all our classrooms, but the major classrooms have been re-roofed already and painting is being done now and electrical work. The deadline is for this Friday,” he added.
He said another building, which has extensive damage resulting from the category four storm, is expected to be ready in another two months.
“It will not be ready until November and I think that if they make it for November that is almost a miracle as far as I am concerned. The area will be boarded up, so that students won’t have access to it while it is being worked on,” Cameron said.
“We have relocated about three to four classes according to the plan now. We are utilising our library and computer lab and the other classrooms on the other side they are being worked on,” he added.
The school’s population, Cameron pointed out, has decreased with at least 50 fewer students being registered so far for this academic year.
“We have around 448 students at last count, but hopefully when other parents see that things are going up [the number will increase],” he said, while adding that the school normally has a population of about 500 students,” he said.
Acting principal at BB Coke High Liteashia Gallimore-Stoner said her institution will commence classes next Monday.
“We will be reopening fully Monday for teaching and learning. This entire week is orientation for all grades and registration,” he said.
“During the last two weeks we have had some parents come to pick up packages expressing challenges; as a school we continue to give support to them as it relates to payment of parental contribution. We would have made arrangements with quite a few parents who at the moment now are unable to make payment. We made an arrangement with them to pay what they can and pay later,” added Gallimore-Stoner.
“We weren’t badly affected by the hurricane because we have decked roofs. We didn’t have much damage to classrooms, just flooding and that was addressed. Our electrical structure was severely damaged but we were able to do the repairs and the electricity was restored in a timely manner,” she said.
She added: “A lot of our trees were downed. We are still clearing in order to have the environment in a safe and conducive manner. We will be doing that during the course of this week.”
Meanwhile, Patrick Brown, vice-principal at Prospect Primary, near the south Manchester/St Elizabeth border, said the school year started smoothly with 179 students.
“We have been registering since August and it has been smooth. Monday’s turnout has been wonderful so far and we are expected, as the week progresses, to do an even better job,” he said.
“Only just a few trees tumbled over but otherwise, the buildings were okay,” he added.