A True Unfinished Story

Chapter 3- Primary School Days (Part II)

During my primary school years, I was dubbed as the 'brightest' child attending the Alps Primary & Infant School. This was due to me making sure that I was the best at everything I could possibly learn. Academically, I strived to be the best at Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Religious Education and Communication Task. There were both high and low points where I was either accepted for my determination to be the best or rejected because it was said that my capabilities were above those of a child my age and it shouldn't be so.

From Infant 1 to Grade 1, my teacher was Mrs. Vilma Bryan. I remembered that she used to come to school with broccoli and offer her students, but I wasn't used to it so I never wanted it. She was a good teacher, but I still remembered when I was a student of hers and in the class, there was a little boy who used bother and tease me, just to get me in trouble. I don't remember exactly what happened, but he provoked me, calling me names which I reciprocated, used the duster to get chalk dust on my uniform and with all the provocation, I snapped. It so happened that I stabbed the boy with a pencil point. The boy started to cry and the teacher immediately took his side without listening to mine and reported me to the principal. There was big cylindrically shaped water tank made of iron, placed horizontally, to the side of the school. The principal at the time took me to there and used a belt to slap me a few times in the palm of my hand, while the boy was present. I never liked the boy after that or the children who were laughing and jeering me for getting punished.

In Grade 1 upwards, we had reading and spelling tests, to test what level we were at, so the government could get those records. In Grade 1, I read up to Grade 3 level, in Grade 2, up to Grade 6 level and in Grade 3, up to Grade 9 level. The teachers administering these tests, said that they no more material for me to read further, so I couldn't go further than Grade 9 level there.

I used to clash heads with fellow students sometimes, but it only turned into fights a few times. I was always smaller than others, just taller, but the other students used that to underestimate me, thinking they had the better advantage as I was slim. I proved them wrong, unless, they ganged up on me and even then, I still got some good hits in.

I remember being the one kids came to get help with their homework or explanations for topics that were taught during the day. I remember being the one who parents sent their children to help them with homework or for me to teach them something, whether they were older or younger than I was.

I remember that I was a member of a portable library, which is a library in a bus which traveled from the Albert Town Library or the Duncans Library in Trelawny, Jamaica. These libraries are a part of the Jamaica Library Service (JLS), an organization which funds all activities and initiatives put on by the libraries. These initiatives include reading competitions and quizzes for all age groups and school groups. I always loved reading and writing and was great at them.

Spelling was another love of mine and after a spell down competition at our primary school, it was down to the best of us to enter the Spelling Bee Competition and perform to the best of our ability. I was one of two of us who were to perform. Our principal had a bit of trouble finding the location of the first round and we ended up getting there late. Our principal went in to enquire if we could still enter and was told that we were too late and the third round had already started, so it was a no. We returned to school disappointed, as we had practiced hard and hadn't gotten the chance to prove ourselves.

Another opportunity to prove ourselves presented itself in the form of a quiz, that was put on by the JLS, I was in Grade 6 at the time. The first round was played at the Albert Town Branch Library, against the Albert Town Primary & Infant School. I was a part of the Alps Primary & Infant Quiz team and we won the first round. We advanced to the second round and we traveled to the Clark's Town Branch Library, where we were defeated by the other team (I do not remember the name of the other school team).