Class of 2018 Graduation Schedule (Revised)

Feature Story: October 28, 2017

The Entire Day That Just Went Well

A little over a month after the September 5th official start of school, the students at Leonard E. Dober Elementary School were welcomed back to their classrooms from summer vacation—a summer vacation heavily trafficked by 14 tropical storms, six of which became hurricanes.

Hurricanes Irma and Maria rummaged through the territory with Category 5 winds and torrential rain destroying many of the territory’s schools. Seven schools on St. Croix and two on St. Thomas were ordered condemned by Governor Kenneth E. Mapp and Commissioner of Education, Sharon Ann McCollum, Ph.D.

“I was so happy to see them, they looked so lovely and ready to start and everybody looked like they were happy,” she said. “I was hoping that nobody had sustained any major damages and now that we were back together again, we could move on.”

All of the students were dressed in uniforms, with their freshly combed, braided or trimmed hairstyles, brand new shoes and beautiful smiles beaming with hugs to share with everyone, especially the teachers, she recapped.

François’ day was nonstop. After the opening of the school gates, she placed her staff in position as planned, and gave a brief introduction to parents, family members, her faculty and staff. Next, she visited classrooms, monitored the process of providing lunch for the children, took an occasional phone call, did interviews like this one, and led a short visit and school tour for the Insular Superintendent of Schools, Dionne Wells-Hedrington. At the end of the school day, she ensured all the students were picked up and made their way home, which included calling some parents from her personal phone and lots of prayers against rain— the same prayer she kept repeating in her head the night before during her ‘non-peaceful sleep,’ as she would call it.

“I kept thinking about the next day, going over a mental list and questioning if everything was laid out and in place,” she said.

“I didn’t think that they would start school yet but wait until everybody and every school is ready, but I guess it’s okay and makes sense to go ahead and roll out whoever can be rolled out,” said Breedy.

She said it was good for kids to be back in school and into a routine.

Read More: “The Entire Day— That Just Went Well”