Puzzled and traumatised is how Jessie Ripoll Head Girl Jessica Rachel McLaren described her schoolmates Tuesday morning, their first day back at school following the death of Principal O’Neil Stevens and his wife Camesha in a road mishap in the United States last Friday.

“My classmates, many of them are sad. Many of them are traumatised, and they don’t know what to feel. They don’t know what emotions; they’re just, how do I say this? They’re puzzled about what happened,” she told the
Jamaica Observer.

Some of those students carried floral tributes — roses and orchids — as they gathered at the South Camp Road school for devotion, ushered in by sombre parents.

Large pictures of the late principal greeted them at the gate. Some students placed the flowers there. A condolence book at the same spot was quickly filled.

Arriving alongside the students were more than 40 guidance counsellors from different schools and six nurses, all there at the behest of the Ministry of Education to offer support and medical assistance if necessary.

Teachers tried to keep the devotion exercise lively, bringing out an eight-foot tall robot, named Captain I Can, to energise students. It worked for a while, eliciting laughter and excitement. However, when mention was made of Stevens and especially his younger daughter, who still attends the school, some students had to be discreetly led out by teachers, others clutched each other, crying.

As the morning went on, the crowd swelled, with parents gathering at the back of the assembly in what one mother described as unusually large numbers. As a teacher prayed for Stevens’ orphaned daughters, therte was an impromptu praise session with open crying.

Nearly all the parents who spoke to Observer said their children had cried upon hearing the news of the principal’s death, but had now had time to process the loss.

“I know for my son, initially he cried, but then he went on and played. For myself, there are no words. He was a friend,” Shareeka Swaby said, wiping tears from her face.

A father, O’Neil Henry, said it had taken an explanation that his principal had “gone to heaven” to soothe his young son’s crying.

Head Girl Jessica, who was observing her birthday amidst the tragedy, said, “I’m slowly recovering from my principal’s passing. But everything that God is doing is for a purpose… we’re going to comfort each other through.”

Head Boy Joel Bennett said: “I can say that some of my classmates are saddened, some feel okay, and some don’t know how they’re feeling.”

The students lit up when given the opportunity to talk about their favourite memories of Stevens.

“A few years back, probably when I was in grade four, we were playing football, right over there, and we didn’t expect him to join,” Joel said, pointing at the spot. “Everybody was running away, but he came to us and he even kicked the ball and scored for our team. We ended up winning.”

In the midst of directing dozens of guidance counsellors to different classrooms for grief sessions, Vice-Principal Marsha Moodie-Benbow said the day would be dedicated to allowing the children to process their emotions.

“Right now, it is really to get that sense of calmness. I think that is our main aim; it’s really to get everyone settled and get everyone to get out as much as they can, and then we take it from there,” she explained.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education Dr Kasan Troupe described Stevens’ death as a crushing blow for the school and the ministry.

“It’s a great loss, believe me. Mr Stevens was exemplary, he was a visionary. He worked with the ministry, he understood the mission, and he was committed to excellence. This school couldn’t fail under his stewardship. He has left an indelible mark in the Ministry of Education,” she said.

Stevens, who transitioned from a high school position to teach at Jessie Ripoll, was heralded as a true leader by Dr Troupe.

“What was exceptional about it is what he was willing to share; he would lead the QEC (quality education circle) with presentations; he would share ideas — how can you build a good school, how can you get great — because Jessie is known for that, and so people look to him for guidance and for support. That’s the loss we have,” she said.