Orealia Kelly, a remarkable woman revered as a “pioneer in primary education”, who died recently aged 93, will be celebrated in Anguilla this weekend.
Staff and students at Orealia Kelly Primary School are hosting a farewell salute for ‘Teacher Orealia’ at the auditorium from 9am on Friday, 18 October.
Then a celebration honouring her life will then be held at 10am on Saturday, 19 October, at The Pro Cathedral of St Mary.
Viewings will take place on Friday from 6pm to 7.30pm at Ebenezer Methodist Church in The Valley and on Saturday at the Pro Cathedral from 9am until 9.45am.
Following her passing on 15 September, a post on the Orealia Kelly Primary School Facebook page said staff and students had been “proud and privileged” to have known the former headteacher.
“We thank her for her service, as she served with much pride when the then Stoney Ground Primary School opened in 1977,” the post continued.
“Even after that her genuine concern for the school and its pupils has always been appreciated. May her soul rest in peace.”
Ambition, discipline and commitment
The Department of Education also composed a touching tribute in which it extended heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, colleagues, and former students.
It continued: “Orealia embodied the following traits in equal portions – ambition, discipline and commitment to professional development and training.
“She began her career as a pupil teacher in 1948 at Valley Girls’ School.
“By 1952 she had become an assistant teacher and accepted a transfer to Nevis, where she gained experience, and taught at both primary and secondary level.
“Anguilla was then administratively part of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla.
“In 1955, she received a merit-based scholarship to attend the Leeward Islands Teachers’ Training College in Antigua and achieved full certified teacher status.
“Orealia was then transferred back to the Valley Girls’ School in Anguilla, which was eventually merged, with Valley Boys’ School to form Valley Primary School, the first co-ed, and largest primary school on island.
“There she taught across the grades but the ‘go-getter’ in her absolutely loved preparing students for the entrance exam required back then to get into secondary school.
“Armed with a refresher course in Management in Education, Orealia took up the reins at the new Stoney Ground Primary School in 1977. She was its first headteacher.
“Stoney Ground Primary School had been built to handle the increasing demands of a growing population at Valley Primary School.
“Students who lived in the zone stretching as far as Little Dix, Deep Waters, Bad Cox, Cauls Bottom, the Quarter, Farrington, the Forest and Rey Hill were relocated to the new school.
“As headteacher, Orealia was able to establish those things that she considered important for education and development of a brand new school.
“She also taught one of the most challenging grades – grade six – where students prepared for the entrance exams to secondary school.
“A disciplinarian and devout Methodist, she demanded good behaviour. Given her stern demeanour, founded on her caring nature, many of her past students think of her as a matriarchal figure.
“She believed in the importance of a solid foundation and focused on the ‘three Rs’ – reading, writing and ‘rithmetic’ – but also demonstrated vision, encouraging students to become involved in extracurricular activities.
“She loved music and singing; started a school choir, introduced the current school song – Lord and Saviour, True and Kind – and purchased a piano for the school that was eventually destroyed during Hurricane Irma.
“Recognising the value of a playground, Orealia had students pick stones from the surrounding area thus contributing to the upgrade of their own school environment.
“Moreover, in a move that has had nationwide impact, she instituted the wearing of a uniform for primary school students at Stoney Ground.
“At the surface, this underlined the importance of personal presentation, but also went a long way toward building school identity and a sense of common purpose.
“This was bolstered by Orealia’s introduction of the Stoney Ground school motto, ‘Together we aspire; together we achieve’.
“She also introduced a house system – with three houses – Oleander, Bougainvillea and Hibiscus.
“Orealia retired from education in 1985 at the age of 55 and unsurprisingly continued her hard work ethic in her church community and broader society.
“Her interest in pushing students that little bit extra continued, with Orealia offering tutoring and ‘extra classes’ for students.
“In 2015, she became an author, publishing her first book, ‘Memoirs of Grandpa’.
“In 2008, Orealia was honoured with the renaming of Stoney Ground Primary School to the Orealia Kelly Primary School.
“Orealia Kelly was assuredly a pioneer in the onward and upward journey of education in Anguilla.
“The Department of Education values her long, wide-ranging and lasting impact. Anguilla has lost one of its educational founders.”
