Along with adjusting to their new environment, Clifton Hunter High School students have also had the privilege of showing off their new school to the members of the Legislative Assembly and senior government officials.  The Ministry of Education arranged the tours to allow the visitors to see the school and experience its engaging environment.

Tours of the school were held on September 21^st and October 3^rd with a third one to be planned so that all elected officials are able to see the school.  Minister for Education Hon. Rolston Anglin, JP, felt this was important and had this to say, “It was important for me to share the experience of the new Clifton Hunter Campus with my elected colleagues as well as His Excellency the Governor, the Hon. Deputy Governor and other senior civil servants.  My ministry worked exceptionally hard to complete the school over the past three years.  There were some very challenging times but we persevered.  I am delighted that we were able to deliver this school for the start of the school year, and can now celebrate the fact that such incredible facilities are now available for our children and community to enjoy.  Our next mission will be the completion of a new John Gray Campus!”

For many of the visitors, this was their first opportunity to be introduced to the new principal, Ms. Pauline Beckford. Minister Anglin expressed his delight at the excellent start made by the principal and her team. “Most important of all I am delighted that, under the leadership of Ms. Beckford, we are well on our way to setting the high standards and expectations and creating the kinds of learning experiences that will ensure our students excel.   Our job is to transform these wonderful facilities into a welcoming, caring and stimulating learning environment, with highly-skilled and passionate teachers. That is what we must always aspire towards in all of our schools,” Minister Anglin stated. He went on to thank the Premier and all of his colleagues for their unstinting support to deliver Clifton Hunter even in these very difficult economic times.

Chief Officer, Mrs. Mary Rodrigues, who also attended the tours, explained that the Ministry felt it important to provide this opportunity to the members of the Legislative Assembly before the official opening which is scheduled to occur later in November, 2012.  She and the other visitors thanked Principal Beckford, her staff and all the students at Clifton Hunter for a very professional and enthusiastic welcome, as under the expert guidance of student representatives, they toured classes and experienced how the campus works with students present.  “The students were engaged in their lessons, conducted themselves exceptionally well, and were most proud to offer us their opinions and experiences of their new surroundings,” Mrs Rodrigues noted.

The long awaited Clifton Hunter High School opened its doors to its first students in September 2012.  Principal Beckford explained that students simply love everything about the new campus, with the “wow” factors being around the sports facilities, landscape and “pod” chairs.  Students have shared with Ms. Beckford and their teachers comments such as “A new beginning,”, “Extraordinary”, “A new opportunity to excel academically”, “It means a brighter future and it is a great centre for learning”, when referring to their new school.

Ms. Beckford noted that during the first week of school the main focus was to establish a positive behavior code and for the teachers to support the students with the orientation process.

Going forward, Ms. Beckford outlined some of the main goals for the school which include: instilling a positive attitude to learning and behavior, students to feel proud of their school and uniform, to embed consistency in everything they do, to continue to improve on literacy and numeracy at both key stages, to involve the community through a vibrant PTA and to be a reflective community of learners always striving to improve to be the best.  She also said she is looking forward to working with the Ministry to develop Clifton Hunter High School as a centre of excellence for the performing arts, which would support students in all government schools, as the students are very talented and there is a commitment to ensure that every child succeeds to the best of their ability.

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