St Winifred’s School marks milestone

In celebration of its 100th anniversary, the St. Winifred School continued their week of fun activities with the hosting of an Open Day on Tuesday.

Under the theme The Legacy Lives, the school opened its gates to past students and parents as they showcased the institution and how it has changed over the years.

During an interview with Barbados TODAY, Deputy Principal Valerie Routely and Principal Kim Lewis said despite the delay in celebrations because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were happy to see the turnout.

“We turned 100 years old last year, but we weren’t able to celebrate like we wanted to due to COVID-19, but this year we decided to have the celebration. With the help of a group of parents, teachers and students who have dedicated their time to the planning of this week of celebrations since January, I think everything came together perfectly,” the principal said.

Deputy Principal Routely shared these sentiments, stating, “This week of activities took two years of planning and the feedback has been good so far. Our alumni are enjoying seeing the changes and it has been lovely to see students interacting with the visitors.”

Some of those visitors included the President of Barbados, Dame Sandra Mason and Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer, who both received student-guided tours of the school and its faculties.

Tejae Brewster, one of the students who conducted the tour, said while it was nerve-wracking, he enjoyed getting to showcase his school. “I am glad that I got to show what St. Winifred’s has to offer and I think it is great that I got to give my school some exposure, especially to someone like the President,” said Brewster.

In addition to the many displays on show around the school, one area that was buzzing with activity was the school hall, which was home to the pantomime exhibits, an alumni signature board, 50-year-old costumes, life-size animal creations and the school’s decade display.

While showcasing some exhibits, former drama teacher Anna Adamira, who began teaching at the school in 1969, said they were her pride and joy and she hoped to revamp the school hall to its former glory. “I did the first pantomime Mother Goose in 1969 and from then on it just turned into this display that we have now and that is what has helped to keep the school running,” she said.

Noting that the funds from the shows helped to construct the buildings on the school grounds, current drama teacher AnneMarie McConey said she hoped that the week of activities helps to raise funds to renovate the school’s hall. “We are doing this celebration because we want to raise funds to fix the hall.

The hall has stood for a long time and has remained the same for the past 60 years, and there is still a lot to be done. There are cracks in the roof and walls, and we need to renovate the lights and the sound systems,” she stressed.

The drama teachers also encouraged business owners, parents, and past students of the school to donate what they can to help with the renovations. Adamira said, “If you are a past student if you have children at the school if you are interested in helping the school to survive, we would be most grateful for your donation to keep this tradition in this hall going.”

The school’s week of activities kicked off with a family fun day this past Saturday, followed by a church service on Sunday.

As for the rest of the week, the school will hold an East Coast Hike, a tea and a tour at Sunbury Plantation House and the week will culminate with a gala where staff and former teachers will be honoured.

brittanybrewster@barbadostoday.bb