Going Back to School

This week many children will return to the classroom after a lengthy summer break. Most schools in The Commonwealth of The Bahamas opened last week. In Montserrat we would say ‘their free paper burn,” which means their leisure time was now limited to the rigor of school. In  Montserrat as it with most of the Eastern Caribbean school starts today  the 6^th of September. When I was younger and a child was slow in learning (slow) we would say they went to August school. So, needless to say we did not want to go back to school in August.

Recently, after much debate and an apprehension to enroll my daughter in a certain school, I conceded and registered her at the school. At this point Uncle Gerald would have had a good laugh as he ragged me before now that my daughter would not go to school because I would have to go with her and that was not possible. Monday morning all the children were well clad, every pleat in line, everything was new; uniforms, ,bags, lunch boxes, shoes. The returning students seemed to beam with joy. I must admit I had a different level of respect for the school just walking through. Parents of first time attendees showed up with a  joyful expectancy. Of course for the younger ones (pre-school age) there were in tears they wanted to go back home – they wanted their mothers.

As I entered my child’s class room the teacher was enthusiastic  and had a certain degree of dignity  in her attitude and by the way she carried herself. Later in the evening my three year old daughter came home with a schedule of subjects for each day, something I did not see until I was in High School. Also there were two letters one from her class teacher and the other from her assistant introducing themselves. As I said before I was not sure I would let my daughter attend so I did not attend Parents teacher’s conferences held in June. To my surprise, I learned that her teacher, whose deportment was that of a first time teacher keen to exercise the knowledge she had garnered, was a seasoned teacher of sixteen years. I was taken aback, I breathed a sigh of relief and was reassured then that my child was in capable hands because she took pride in her appearance and strove to develop her field. So far my daughter likes it and now I see why this school has one of the best reputations on the island.

As our children, grandchildren, friend’s children, niece’s, nephew’s, sisters,  brothers, cousins God children return to the classrooms let us support the teachers whom we have entrusted with our children. They too have taken the time to be experts in their fields so that they can groom our children when they are away from us. Let us encourage and support them by putting in those additional hours outside school so that their loads may be a little lighter.

Travel Memoir

Photographed by Brenda L. McCartney

According to the Oxford dictionary history is defined as a continuous, usually chronological record of important or public events.

I visited Cat Island a few weeks ago and am still drawn back to the recent experience I had. Cat Island is one of the island of Bahamas 700 islands and Cays. The highest hill in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas of 206 feet can be found on this island. History records Columbus landfall in the Bahamas was in San Salvador. I learned that the island now called Cat Island was so named in the twenty first century; Cat island was called Guanima, Columba or San Salvador

We spent the day with a group of teenagers. A teenage girl who travelled with us was born in Cat Island recounted her grandmother’s stories who is now 96 and has never left Cat Island. She said that her Grandmother’s birth certificate states she was born in the district of San Salvador. The Cat Islanders further highlighted that the description of San Salvador that Columbus gave was characteristically that of Cat Island. I have never been to the island that is now called San Salvador but I plan to visit the island to get a firsthand glimpse of its geographical layout of the rolling hills.

I smiled hearing the natives claim but can it be that history sometimes can be defined as someone’s view point verified by others documented for posterity.

Freedom …

Today the Commonwealth of the Bahamas celebrates its thirty sixth year of independence from England. Today is a national holiday, and as it is a national holiday the people of the Bahamas celebrate. To paraphrase Carlene Brise in the book ‘Walk Tall.’ If our minds are free of self defeating thoughts we are free. If we refuse to treat ourselves as second classed citizens we are free. Let Independence stand for independence of mind heart and spirit. Let the fireworks the cookouts and the beach parties commemorate our regard ourselves and for all people. Today I celebrate with my husband and my daughter as Bahamian citizens. I am proud of my adoptive home country. Have a Happy Birthday Bahamas.