In an extraordinary display of resilience, multiple educational institutions in St James Parish, Jamaica, are proceeding with full class resumptions today despite sustaining catastrophic damage from Hurricane Melissa two months prior. Among the most severely impacted schools reopening are Maldon High and Catherine Hall Primary, whose administrators acknowledge operating far from ideal conditions while implementing comprehensive contingency measures.
Maldon High Principal Janet Manning confirmed the school remains substantially below full operational capacity but emphasized their commitment to creating a safe learning environment. “We are nowhere near 100 percent readiness, but we’re addressing critical priorities,” Manning stated, detailing extensive roof damage from the Category 5 hurricane that struck October 28. The institution has implemented temporary roofing solutions using tarpaulins and conducted intensive sanitization campaigns to ensure health standards despite ongoing infrastructure challenges.
The school faces additional complications including complete power outage throughout the region, necessitating reliance on donated generators for electricity. Accessibility presents another significant hurdle as the primary access road collapsed during the storm, requiring coordinated transportation alternatives through the rural school bus system to ensure student attendance.
Meanwhile, Catherine Hall Primary School, located in one of the most devastated communities, will receive crucial psychosocial support from UNICEF representatives who will remain on campus for four to six weeks. Principal Kay-Esther Malcolm highlighted the traumatic impact on students, many of whom lost uniforms, textbooks, and home structures during the disaster. “Many children arrive with nothing except their home structures intact,” Malcolm noted, emphasizing the urgency of educational continuity particularly with impending Primary Exit Profile examinations.
The school endured catastrophic flooding that left classrooms buried under mud deposits, with kindergarten facilities and the cafeteria suffering particularly severe damage. Despite these challenges, staff conducted extensive cleanup operations throughout the weekend, with final deep-sanitization procedures completed last Friday in preparation for today’s reopening. Malcolm acknowledged the critical assistance received from Barracks Road Primary School in Montego Bay, which temporarily accommodated their sixth-grade students during the worst of the recovery period.