A newly painted mural is set to welcome JESS students.
Many St. Johnians view the closure of the Guy H. Benjamin Elementary School in Coral Bay as a sign of the historic diaspora of an important but isolated native community which once supported three “neighborhood” schools in the East End, Emmaus and John’s Folly communities.
St. Johnian educator and Coral Bay native Principal Dionne Wells is entitled to have bittersweet feelings.
After splitting her time between the Julius E. Sprauve School and her first school principalship at GBS, St. Johnian educator and Coral Bay native Wells is responsible as JESS absorbs the final 55 students from GBS — which also was her “first” school and located across the street from her childhood home.
“I’m looking forward to a great year,” Principal Wells said matter-of-factly before leading a tour of the latest artwork adorning the colorful light blue walls of the “island-urban” school on Friday, August 22.
JESS is scheduled to open with 351 students — up from 287 last year, including new students from St. Thomas and from the mainland, according to the principal.
“We have two of everything,” Ms. Wells said — grades kindergarten through eight.
“The department (Department of Education) was very good at filling vacancies,” Principal Wells said. “We have a full complement of teachers and they (DOE) said they are looking for an assistant principal.”
“We’re trying to keep it St. John,” the St. John Principal confided.
Until then, Principal Wells can savor her stewardship over the entire St. John public school population.
The consolidation of the island’s public school primary grades in one location, albeit noisy and dusty Cruz Bay, someday could be seen as the first real step in the creation of a new St. John public education complex.
As the deJongh Administration prepares to leave office, Government House has pushed for progress on a long-promised new “mid-island” k-12 school, culminating in several public meetings resulting in a conceptual artist’s rendering a facility on a potential site.
Until a new St. John educational center is more than a concept, Principal Wells has a succinct goal:
“Making sure my students receive the best education and that staff and students are confident,” the St. Johnian educator said as she prepared for the opening of another school year.