BARRETT TOWN, St James — Retired principal of John Rollins Success Primary and Infant School in St James, Yvonne Miller-Wisdom, was given her flowers on Monday.

She was touched to be on the receiving end of such adulation.

“Today I feel so, so elated. I wasn’t expecting this, and to see parents, students, staff, ministry representatives, and the community on a whole present here to give me a send-off, I am so proud,” she declared.

“I hope and pray that the foundation that I have laid will continue and that they will move beyond it,” she continued.

Teachers, past and present; students; political representatives; and members of the school family gathered to recognise the role she played as the school’s first-ever principal and conceptualiser of the Yvonne Miller-Wisdom Intelligences Room, named in her honour.

She stepped down from her post as principal in January after 21 years leading the institution. Admirers credit her for making it a sought-after place of learning for students at the primary level and for the role she played in shaping thousands of lives.

“Today I honour Mrs Wisdom for her dedication, her passionate and exemplary service,” said councillor for the Rose Hall Division, Anthony Murray, who is himself a school principal.

Murray was part of the first cohort of teachers who worked alongside Miller-Wisdom when John Rollins Success first opened its doors to students.

“She took us in as young teachers, fresh from college with little or no prior experience. However, once you’re willing, she provided the necessary encouragement and guidance,” he said.

“Her belief in me, in my potential, was instrumental in shaping my journey and success… She was more than a leader, she was a mother to me,” Murray added.

The Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) spoke of Miller-Wisdom’s foresight.

“Since 2004, Mrs Miller-Wisdom has served our school with vision, compassion, and unwavering dedication; she has been more than a leader,” said PTA President Tiffany Grayson.

“She has been a builder, a mentor, a champion for education and a faithful partner to staff and parents alike. She has nurtured minds, shaped values and created an environment where children are encouraged to grow with confidence, integrity, and purpose,” she added.

The PTA head lauded the retired principal for leading from the front.

“She could be seen early in the morning ringing the school bell, ushering in the start of the new day, encouraging punctuality, and guiding students to devotion and to their classes,” said Grayson.

“This simple but powerful act was just one of the many ways she demonstrated what true leadership looked like: hands on, present, and intentional,” she continued.

Also praising the long-standing educator was Member of Parliament for St James East Central Edmund Bartlett, who sent a message in recognition of her achievements.

“In that space she has imprinted her class, her quality of leadership. But more importantly, she has implanted deep principles of respect, deep principles of citizenship, and a deep sense of commitment to learning,” he said.

That commitment was evident in the work Miller-Wisdom did in establishing the school’s Intelligences Room. It is based on Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, which suggests that individuals have different learning styles. The theory is that intelligence is not a single ability but a pool of eight: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic.

At John Rollins Success, the Intelligences Room contains items and objects — for example those related to music and maths — linked to the eight intelligences.

“She was one of the first persons who inspired the multiple intelligences room. This was a resource room that was here before but was underutilised during COVID-19. So we wanted to revamp it and have it installed again for the teachers and students to access,” explained provisional Principal Rowena Blackwood-Elliston who worked with staff to rejuvenate and rehabilitate the space over the last few months.