ABERDEEN, St Elizabeth — When the ferocious winds of last year’s Hurricane Melissa howled across this parish they left behind a trail of heartbreak at Aberdeen High. The school’s beloved tuck shop — a vibrant hub of campus daily life and a vital source of institutional funding — was decimated.

“The extent of the damage was colossal,” recalled the school’s principal, Audley Feare. “We lost 100 per cent of the tuck shop. There was nothing left. Literally, all that remained was the concrete floor. If you walked onto the compound and didn’t know it used to be there, you would pass right by and never guess. It was virtually, literally, nothing at all.”

Work being done on Aberdeen High School’s tuck shop.

The loss triggered an immediate, chaotic domino effect. School operations were severely disrupted as the administration scrambled, ultimately forcing a section of the library to be repurposed to host a temporary tuck shop.

“Just imagine, the library is right on the block behind my office,” Feare explained. “Students, teachers, visitors, everyone had to walk right past my office to get there. Tuck shops naturally carry more audible sounds than other parts of a school compound! It wasn’t conducive for smooth lines or efficient serving, and getting deliveries from distributors to the library was a nightmare. Worst of all, it impeded our funds. The profit from that tuck shop provides breakfast for our students on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.”

Proud principal of Aberdeen High, Audley Feare on the school’s campus.

With the school lacking the immediate funds to hire commercial contractors, a middle managers’ meeting of senior staff, heads of departments, and grade supervisors was called to solve the crisis. That was when technical vocational (TV) teacher Derrick Wint came up with a brilliant idea. Why not have the grades 10 and 11 TV students rebuild the tuck shop themselves, utilising the project to fulfil their CXC work experience requirements?

The school administration jumped at the chance. Benefactor Zethroy Pennicott magnanimously stepped forward, providing more than three quarters of the funding for raw materials. The stage was set, but the true test lay with the students.

Visual arts students of Aberdeen High School paint the newly built tuck shop, the work of 10th and 11th grade technical vocational students. 

To say they rose to the challenge would be an understatement.

“When they were told about the project, the students were extremely happy,” Feare stated. “They were so grateful they could use it as their work experience instead of going into nearby communities. To be frank, in the beginning, I was a little curious. But they showed incredible commitment. They were never late. Every day, they were up early and ready to work.”

Aberdeen High School’s tuck shop, built by students, with three-quarters of the funding for raw material donated by benefactor Zethroy Pennicott. 

For the students, stepping onto that bare concrete slab was a moment of stark reality.

“At first I was shocked by how much damage had been done, and it was bad to see,” said Nahiem Stewart. “But I also started thinking of ways in which we could resolve the issue efficiently.”

Technical vocational (TV) teacher Derrick Wint who came up with the idea to have senior TV students rebuild the tuck shop to fulfil their CXC work experience requirements.

Under Wint’s expert guidance, the student workforce organised itself like a professional construction crew.

Work being done on Aberdeen High School’s tuck shop.

“Our teacher told us how we would rebuild our own tuck shop,” Deshaun Smith told the Jamaica Observer. “The work was in groups. We distributed some on the roof, some bringing the ply and resources, some measuring, and some cutting boards. I did the screwing and nailing of the ply.”

Schoolmate Nahiem enthusiastically chimed in.

Work being done on Aberdeen High School’s tuck shop.

“I contributed to the electrical part of it, mainly the wiring, helping with circuits, and fitting out sockets. Others helped with building back the structure and the roof, and then we had the art students who came along and helped with the painting,” he said.

The project allowed students to cover areas such as construction and carpentry (measuring, cutting, nailing ply and board), electrical engineering (wiring, circuits and sockets) and creative arts (painting and aesthetics).

Work being done on Aberdeen High School’s tuck shop.

The journey was far from easy. They had to overcome immense obstacles, from their varying skill levels to the punishing Jamaican sun. Eleven students were a part of the team, six from grade 10 and the others from the 11th grade.

“The biggest challenge we had was that some students were slow and some were fast,” Deshaun admitted. “For some of us, it was the first time doing something like this. But those with experience from previous practicals helped the ones who didn’t know. So, we overcame it.”

Aberdeen High School’s tuck shop during the construction phase.

For Nahiem, the weather was the biggest hurdle the team had to conquer.

“The main thing that made all of us want to give up was the heat. The heat was the biggest problem,” he reflected. “But what kept us going was the fact that the school needed a new tuck shop, and the kids would benefit from it. It’s also something we can leave at the school as a footprint that others can see.”

The 11-student construction crew gets moral support from classmates and school staff as they rebuild Aberdeen High School’s tuck shop. 

Beyond the physical structure, the project engineered a profound shift in student character and self-esteem.

“Take, for example, [one student],” TV teacher Wint shared with the Sunday Observer. “He was extremely shy, with very low self-esteem. After this project, I can tell you he is the most accurate person in making any cut on any piece of material right now.