On 21 September, the Department of Education Services (DES) held a farewell luncheon in honour of education stalwart, Mrs. Gloria Bell upon her retirement after 31 years of dedicated service.

The afternoon was punctuated by heartfelt speeches and well wishes by DES and Ministry of Education team members and officials, including Acting Chief Officer Ms. Lyneth Monteith.

Ms. Monteith lauded Mrs. Bell’s willingness to go beyond the call of duty and the camaraderie she enjoyed with her colleagues.

DES Director Mr. Mark Ray commented, “Mrs. Bell has contributed 31 years to the local education system, and we are a much better place for it. Her contributions have been many, but most significant among these are the many lives she has touched. That is the mark of a work-life well spent. Thank you very much, Mrs. Bell. Enjoy your retirement thoroughly.”

In response to the warm wishes, Mrs. Bell responded, “The journey has been long, fruitful and fulfilling. Together, we have done a lot of work with our students here in the Cayman Islands and have seen growth and improvement. As I leave, I know you will continue to gain greater heights.

I thank you all for the years of friendship, camaraderie, the hard work. I wish you all continued success.”

Trained as a Literacy Specialist in her native Trinidad, Mrs. Bell arrived in the Cayman Islands in 1991.

She was a teacher at the Alternative Education Centre for six years before moving to the Department of Education Services in 1997 as an Assistant Education Officer responsible for Literacy.

Ms. Bell was appointed as an Education Officer in 1999.

As Education Officer, Mrs. Bell was a founding member of the Cayman Islands Reading Association. She was also instrumental in introducing several notable initiatives, including island-wide book fairs and the popular Spelling Bee competition.

In 2006, Mrs. Bell was appointed principal of the Prospect Primary School. While there, she played a significant role in establishing the International Baccalaureate programme.

She returned to the DES as a Senior School Improvement Officer in 2015 and took on the role of Customer Service Manager in 2020.

Mrs. Bell’s retirement took effect on 30 September.