Dear Brothers, Lasallian Colleagues and Friends,
The very compact campus we occupy here in Bull Savannah, Jamaica is brown and parched. The surrounding farmers who usually have small fields carpeted in green with scallions, onions, tomatoes, and other garden vegetables struggle to keep their crops alive with trucked-in water for irrigation. We are suffering through a long drought; there has not been significant rain here in many months.
Despite this fact, when you walk through the gate to the school property you hear the sounds of school; desks scraping on the classroom floor, the shuffle of feet, the quick shout of laughter from a classroom, and sometimes the stern words of a teacher in correction mode! Sounds that indicate life and learning. School opened on August 31st with our usual Orientation Program for new students and their parents.
Our total enrollment has increased by over 10% since our opening last September. We were fortunate enough to receive a gift of 100 new desks from the agency Food For The Poor. The incredible generosity of the Brothers of the Eastern North American District helped us purchase additional computers, portable white boards and a “smart board” like system for some of our classrooms. In addition, our fledgling soccer, netball and drama programs benefit from the Brothers’ largess. Our pass rate on the national exams was over 75%.
Our many poorer students have received financial assistance for lunch, transportation, and school fees from the generous support of Bishop Neil Tiedemann, C.P., as well as from the Brothers of the home District.
Look at the pictures in this publication: the Jamaican Flag flying outside the school, the eager faces of parents and students at Orientation, the induction of Prefects from the student body, students receiving academic recognition at our St Vincent Strambi Day assembly; all of these are indications of a school that “provides a human and Christian education to the young, especially the children of the working class and the poor.”
May God continue to bless you. We ask that you continue to remember us, especially in prayer.
Fraternally,
Brother James
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- The St. Vincent Strambi Community gathers outside the church prior to the opening of school for a community picture: Jim Dries, John McDonnell, Jerry Cox and Anthony Nguyen.
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- Students and parents pray together at the beginning of School Orientation.
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- Students and parents visit the Form Class to learn from the Form Teachers more about the expectations for the new academic year.
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- Rashelle Robb, Head Girl, Ameish Blair, Deputy Head Boy, Abigail Myers, Deputy Head Girl, Michael Rochester, Head Boy and Brother James, Principal. The responsibilities of these school leaaders include regular meeting with the principal as well as supervising the prefects.
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- The Prefects with Brother James: Wian Walters, Dannicka Francis, Corsea Wright, Celine Barrant, Orthneil Plummer and Kenell Murray.
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- The school community celebrated the feast of St. Vincent Strambi (September 25) with with a presentation on the life of our Patron Saint by Fr. Jim Price, CP, parish priest, followed by the Annual Awards Ceremony. After the ceremony, Brother James, dismissed the students for the rest of the day, a welcome half-day session.
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- Michael Rochester, Form 4 and Head Boy, raises the flag every morning before morning Devotion.
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- Certificates of Achievement were awarded in every subject in every Form Class and a special Principal’s Award for the Most Improved Student. Brother James and Mrs. Morgan-Jones present Annesha Smith, Form 2, with a certificate in English.
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- Alex Parchment, Form 3, receives his certificate in Mathematics from Brother James and Ms. Raddish.
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- St. Vincent Strambi welcomed three new teachers this year to the staff: Ms. Jessica Bent, Spanish and Visual Arts Departments, Mrs. Sandra Bennett, English Department and Ms. Sonia Fairman, Science Department. They join fourteen other professional staff in providing a Lasallian education to 160 students in 8 different classes across 5 grade levels.