New campus dedicated for Sadie Vernon High
The school moved to its present location on Morning Glory and Partridge Streets in September, but it was not until today that the nation’s newest secondary school campus was officially dedicated. News 5’s Jose Sanchez reports.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
From the time it was known as Continuation School, Sadie Vernon High has catered to girls from challenging academic and socioeconomic backgrounds. A construction cost over a million dollars and Deborah Domingo, the school’s principal, plans to make full use of the new facilities.
Deborah Domingo, Principal, Sadie Vernon High School
“The original building we moved into had eleven rooms and that includes the computer lab and the office. The other three buildings that we have recently acquired through the government of Belize, have added to our campus fourteen new classrooms. So now we have a home economic center, sewing room, counselor’s office, an office for the vice principal, a staff room, a science lab, other bathrooms and three additional classrooms. One room that we hope will be filled with books as we set up our library/reading room come September.”
The students who now have an environment designed for learning, can still recall what life was like in the crammed confines of the former factory on Dean Street.
Tasha Rowland, student
“The ventilation wasn’t very good, the flooring was all cracked up. There were animals all around. And being here in the Lake Independence area shows a big difference. The place that we have is very spacious and we have the opportunity to walk around and we have better classrooms to sit in and learn in.”
Vanessa Livingston, student
“We didn’t have a big space, it was small. We didn’t have the basketball court like here now. No place to have P.E. (physical education). When it rains it leaks, water dripping on your head and the holes in the building it was very terrible. At this place it is spacious, it’s clean, we have a fan, it’s not so hot like first. It’s a wide open area so it’s cooler and better.”
Students were not the only ones suffering inside the dilapidated building; the staff also had an equally difficult time.
James Neely, Teacher, Sadie Vernon High School
“The whole building creaked like it was about to fall down. So it was very hard to teach there. It’s very dark, very cramped building. Very few of the students wanted to be there, very few of the staff wanted to be there.”
Jose Sanchez
“So what is it like now? What has been their response?”
James Neely
“Oh totally different. The improvement in the facilities we have had made teaching easier, it’s made the students approach the school better, it’s uplifted the staff. The staff had a lot of energy to begin with, but it was like we had a weight tied on to us, the whole time last year. It was one big weight on the educational process.”
Deborah Domingo
“The physical conditions alone will do much to enhance the quality of the teaching here and hopefully the quality of the learning. And I can tell you it has done a lot for the morale of the staff and of the students. School spirit is very high and we are proud to have a place we can call home finally.”
Reporting for News 5, Jose Sanchez.
Sadie Vernon High survived the wrath of Hurricane Keith with only a few minor leaks. Its use as a shelter during the storm, however, left the new buildings in need of a good cleanup.
