Clarendon principals lauded on World Teachers’ Day

Four Clarendon principals were among educators awarded in a virtual ceremony on World Teachers’ Day. The initiative, a collaborative effort of the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) and LASCO, was held under the theme ‘Our teachers – our heroes, leading in a crisis, reimagining the future.’

The education sector is one that has been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, forcing educators to tap into their resilience and find creative ways to facilitate the teaching and learning process.

Principals Dr Marsha Smalling of Glenmuir High School, Janice Julal of Denbigh High School, Nadine Little of Buelah All-Age School, Sunbury Primary School’s Fitroy Abbott, and other teachers across the parish were named heroes of education.

According to Smalling, the award signifies courage, commitment and collaboration, adding, “I feel honoured yet humbled to be recognised for outstanding leadership during the pandemic. I receive it graciously on behalf of my very hard-working staff and other key stakeholders who play significant roles in ensuring we create healthy, productive experiences; especially for our students.” Julal, recipient of the 2011 JTC Teacher of Excellence Award, also asserted the commendation as a team effort. “It is never a one-man show for me as a servant leader, it is always about the team and how we pool our individual strengths to enable the growth of Denbigh High and, by extension, Jamaica.”

“When schools closed in March, the entire ‘Aqua Nation’ sprang into action. We decided to balance the academics with a Maslow-before-Bloom approach, so our IT team created a Denbigh family check-in survey which enabled us to ascertain the status of our students and parents. From that [we] organised care packages, and our teachers sourced sponsors for devices and data. I feel humbled and grateful that the JTC and LASCO would have seen the work done by the team at Denbigh High and thought it worthy of recognition,” said Julal.

Buelah All-Age’s principal, Nadine Little, shared, “From the onset of virtual instruction, we sat down and crafted a plan of action which involved making the learning space enticing, engaging and effective. I am extremely happy to be the team leader at Beulah All-Age. I share this award with every member of the team and, by extension, the students and parents, our most valuable clients.”

She lauded her staff, describing them as “hard-working, collaborative and most supportive of the vision and mission”.

LIMITED RESOURCES

Abbott, who has been at the helm of his school since September 2018, cited limited resources as a challenge in the early days of his tenure. “Like the pothole-filled roads in some rural areas of our country, my journey as principal started out with me having to navigate some very challenging situations. Some school resources were very limited, and absent in some cases.” He told The Gleaner, however, that partnerships with the business community has helped to alleviate some of the woes.

“While there are still more hurdles to overcome, I am very much nearing travel on the smooth toll roads. With the continued hard work of the staff at Sunbury Primary School, I can see that better days are ahead.”

Describing the award as an honour, the educator added, “It reminds me that the value placed on education, especially during critical times, must be consistent. The teaching-learning experience is not confined to the four walls of a classroom space, and as a leader, I was compelled to find ways and means to ensure that the process was and is still being facilitated in a meaningful way.”