The campus of the Jonathan Grant High School was transformed into a funeral dirge on Thursday as news circulated that the school’s vice principal Rosella Shepherd-Boxter had passed away.

Shepherd-Boxter died after battling cancer. She had taken a leave of absence in December 2023 and did not return to the institution before her untimely death.

There was nary a dry eye among students and educators as the occasion was made all the more sombre as it was also the final day at the institution for principal Dr O’Neil Ankle.

“She is a quintessential educator and a mathematics teacher par excellence. Mrs Boxter was a mother and inspiration to many. She was the kind of person who many students confided in. Personally, she was more than my VP. She was my friend, someone I believed in. She had my back every day of the week. She was loved by all ancillary, parents, students, everyone,” Dr Ankle told Observer Online.

“I cried yesterday, everything came home to me forcefully to know that she was gone forever. She was more than an educator, she was a friend who had my back as a vice principal. We all cried, ancillary, staff, students, it was a really sad moment, she will be greatly missed.”

Dr Ankle worked as a journalist at the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) for several years before engaging in pedagogical pursuits full-time. In addition to serving as principal; he has also taught at the secondary and tertiary levels. His academic journey has taken him to a Doctoral Degree.

He will be migrating to spend time with his family. Kevin Whittick will serve as the interim principal.

The school’s administration decided for Shift B students, for whom Shepherd-Boxter served as vice principal, to remain at home to allow for grief counselling for the staff.

The school will be closed for both shifts ( A & B) today, March 1, in order to facilitate necessary meetings and ensure a smooth transition. The school will resume normal operations on Monday, March 4.

Shepherd-Boxter was reportedly in her mid-50s so her death has come as a shock to her associates and friends.

“Several young teachers under the age of 40 have died suddenly in recent years. You hear that they have gone to the hospital and then two days later, they are dead. I don’t know what is causing it, maybe it is the stress, no one knows. The media has not been reporting it consistently but in the space I occupy, a lot of cases keep popping up,” Dr Ankle said.

-Claude Mills