Grace Campbell, the new principal of Bishop Anstey Junior School, was aptly described by Wendy Pierre-Rocke, an alumnae of the school as "the teacher the infants love to fear but as they grow older she is the teacher they love to love."
Thirty years ago at the start of the new school year in September 1972, parents like myself wanted to know "who is this Grace Campbell." After all she was coming to teach mathematics to our little darlings who would sit the Common Entrance examination the following year. We had known Mrs Eileen Davis for many years and now at this crucial time, we were being introduced to Miss Campbell, a former student of St Joseph Convent and fresh from a teaching assignment in Tobago.
In the 30 years that have elapsed, no questions remain about this disciplinarian who has brought first class C.E., and now SEA, results to the junior school. So dedicated is "Miss Campbell" to her common entrance "children" as she calls them, that she refused to accept the position of principal for more than ten years because of her great love of teaching. Finally, last September , love of the school became the overriding factor which led to her accepting the appointment. "There had been too many changes of principals which was not really good for the school" she explained.
Gracie Campbell is a progressive woman who chooses the alumnae of the junior school to address her Form Five students, and like at last Tuesday's Prize Giving and Concert, to distribute the prizes. Jaime Stoute and Wendy Pierre-Rocke were the chosen two.
For me there were many emotional moments over this school which had nurtured the formative years of first my three children and now my five grandchildren. One such moment came when the Challenge Trophy for Good Citizenship which I had been wanting to give for the past three years, and finally got around to so doing (beautifully designed by Gillian Bishop of Signature Collection) was handed to Zachary Georges. A dyslexic, whose mother Carmen had given up her job as a Senior Lab Technician at Angostura three years ago to see that her son, not only passed the SEA examination, but for a seven year school - Trinity College.
The Angela Pidduck Challenge Trophy, I had specified, was not for those who were always in winners row at prize-giving functions. It was for the student who had started and ended junior school at BAJS, who loved the school with a passion, showed love and caring to the younger students, had a good sense of humour, and must never have won a prize.
And although Zachary did walk away last Tuesday with the Form 5 Geography and Social Studies prize, and also the Glenda Harris Trophy for the male student who best displays the invaluable attributes of leadership, responsibility and sensitivity, I am now convinced that there was no better student the 13 year old for the Good Citizenship Trophy.
Carmen and John Georges had suspected something was wrong with their only son, but it was at age nine that he was tested. "His grades went down although he was dealing with the work, but the slow decline was there so we had him tested and decided either we pay now or pay later" explains Carmen, now a full time teacher at BAJS.
She took a leave of absence, joined the Dyslexic Association and did the course so that she could help her son. And then also did a London Montessori Course. "I was at home with Zachary for the three years to SEA. And between his teachers for support, which makes a difference, and myself, added to which he was not considered overly dyslexic, the problem was addressed."
Initially, Zachary may have felt ahow but since his parents were always open with him and up front about his problems which they can now joke about at home, he is now a proud student at Trinity College. His love of life is amazing as he loves to cook and has a cake icing certificate from Tara Bobart who took him in her cake decorating class at age 12 when nobody would take him in a cooking class.
Says his swimming coach, Lorraine van Drouten, who also taught him in KG: "Zachary is helpful and polite. He was very slow in swimming but always made a special effort. He said to me "Miss you really think I should swim for the school." So I told him "not everyone can come first but we must never give up, and must always go on until we succeed." When he pointed out "but I came last" she explained: "You are representing the school and it does not matter. After that he swam every race for the school, even the relay, got licks but never gave up the struggle and did what he could for the school. I admired that. We cannot always come first but you can try and try until you succeed. I was so happy on Tuesday as there was no better person for the Good Citizenship Trophy than Zachary."