By Shamar Blunt
Sheila Worrell, will always be remembered as a dedicated educator, who for over 40 years has remained passionate about young people in the classroom or in the community.
Now, as she approaches her 76th birthday on Christmas Day, her friends, colleagues and students on Thursday hosted a surprise celebration, honouring her commitment to the teaching profession. The dedication service was held at the All Saints Primary School in St Peter where she was principal until she retired in 2006.
A former co-worker at All Saints Primary, Andrea Jordan, described Worrell as a selfless individual, who not only cared about the academic prowess of her students, but also went out of her way to take care of their mental needs as well.
Ms Sheila Worrell receives a bouquet of flowers from Mrs Pamela Forde at the event.
“I remember as a young teacher I would see Ms Worrell wrap things in brown paper bags and call a child and say ‘put this in your bag and carry it home to your mother’. I wondered what was going on, only to learn later that they were children who were needy, and Ms Worrell would always look out for them.”
Since her start in education back in 1965, the veteran educator has held several positions in schools around the island. She started at the Indian Ground Mixed School in 1965, where she later acted as Senior Teacher for several years until she was appointed Headteacher in 1981 at the renamed Indian Ground Primary.
In 1999 when there was an amalgamation of three schools – the Indian Ground Primary, All Saint’s Girls’ and the All Saint’s Boys’ into the present All Saints Primary – she became the first Principal at the new institution from 1999 until her retirement in January 2006.
Some of the friends and family members at Mrs Worrell’s surprise party last night at All Saint’s Primary School.
Deputy Chief Education Officer Dr Roderick Rudder one of Worrell’s past students, also took part in the evening’s celebrations, and thanked her for her dedication over the many years.
“Ms Worrell, I want to congratulate you for reaching this milestone in your life. I met her 30 something years ago, but in my capacity as the Deputy Chief Education Officer now, I want, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, to officially say a big thank you for your years’ of service.
“You’ve heard the compliments that were given by your former teachers, those who have been elevated to the level of principal and others who have held you in high esteem.”
Worrell’s only daughter, Nicole Willoughby, aso thanked her co-workers and former students for coming out to pay tribute, and said that despite her mother’s strict nature during her teaching years, she is still a very quiet and peaceful individual.
“You have to offset my mother in order to hear her voice. Another thing about my mother is that she does not take on anybody’s firesticks. If you and somebody don’t agree, that ain’t nothing to do with my mother. She deals with everyone accordingly, and she loves peace.”
She added: “Every morning she wakes up, she would say ‘God give me grace for another day’. She took it one day at a time.. I am not saying that she would not have had stress or we did not cause her stress, but she took it one day at a time… Mummy I want to say thank you, a job well done, and we just want to say we love you.”
