St Thomas Technical starts school year without principal
ST THOMAS Technical High School last Monday began the new school year without its principal, Audrey Bryan-Webber.
Bryan-Webber, who served at the helm of the institution for two years, died on Saturday, September 3. She lost her battle with cancer.
The school’s board chairman, Bertram Anderson, described Bryan-Webber’s death as a tragic loss.
“The school is grieving the passing of our principal,” he said.
Anderson said a team from the Ministry of Education’s counselling unit visited students and staff, as well as members of the board, parents, and other stakeholders visited and gave their support.
“She was very meticulous; she was very determined to see through her vision. She was a visionary and she had so many plans that she would have worked with, worked through and developed with the vice principals. They too can tell you that she was a worker. She was very humble in my estimation, and she catered and cared for everyone. Her door was always open,” Anderson told the Jamaica Observer North and East.
“We were truly looking forward to having her continue with us for as long as she could, but it is what it is and we are now just trying to find a way forward for the school. She is missed and we’re very sad about what has happened. We’re hoping that we can pull things together for the school because at the end of the day it goes on,” he added.
Bryan-Webber served as principal at Dalvey Primary School in St Thomas for a year, before returning to St Thomas Technical at the helm, where she was a past student and taught for over 20 years.
“She implemented a number of changes at the school. When she came, she brought back the staff generally together because there was some separation and segregation that was happening prior to her taking over. And with her, we saw the staff working together as a whole,” he said.
She was also credited with implementing several changes at the school, including the operational plan, so that it was more “inclusive and student- centred and that teaching and learning would’ve improved over the years”.
“We were on a path to do greater here; she was on a path to build St Thomas Technical High School, and we are going to truly miss her,” he said.
Anderson said the board, in the meantime, has been identifying persons to “fill the gap” in the short term and is anticipating that things will “get back to normal soon”.
