Iona High - A Solid Foundation Built On Hard Work Orantes Moore, Gleaner Writer As the head of Iona High School in St Mary, Melva Humes-Johnson has the privilege of heading one of the countrys finest educational institutions. According to a list of Jamaican high school rankings, published last year by independent think tank Educate Jamaica, in terms of the number of students passing CSEC in core subjects, Iona is the third-best school in the parish. Humes-Johnson, who was born in Guys Hill, St Catherine, close to the parishs border with St Mary, believes the schools success is due mostly to the hard work of the founders and staff. She told Rural Xpress: Iona was founded in 1949 by Reverend Dr Herbert Swaby and his wife Gwendoline, who ran the prep and high schools. But the groundwork for the high school was set by my predecessors, Miss Verlaine Henry and Mrs Vilma Lawes-Munroe. I embraced what they did and understood that with some things, you dont see the immediate effects; you have to sow the seed and water it continuously. What we do is try and motivate our students and get them to understand there is a lot of competition for jobs, so they have to ensure they are on the cutting edge. Career change Before becoming a teacher, Humes-Johnson worked extensively in the cooperative movement but opted for a career change in the late 1990s after noticing that an increasing number of the young men she came in contact with appeared to be underdeveloped. She explained: Those I interacted with were less confident in their work and unable to fill out forms properly. I became really concerned and decided to become a teacher with a focus on the boys. I think, because of their makeup, they are misunderstood. Ive had some real troublesome ones, but quite early on, I decided to be firm, friendly, and fair. Eventually, they understood what I stood for, and Ive seen quite a lot of success with them since then. After graduating from Moneague College in 2000, Humes-Johnson acquired a post at Iona and rose up the ranks to be appointed principal 10 years later. During that time, she observed how the schools image was transformed to be more inclusive. There was a time when this school was private and only affluent people would send their children here, said Humes-Johnson. And when it became government-grant-aided in 1998, parents rushed to move their children to other schools. They did not want them to be part of the building process, and that impacted the quality of students we received. But whatever you get to work with, you have to say to yourself: This is what I have and there are positives. You have to build the students confidence, and that can only happen because you want it to. This is when good staff comes into play because they will not be able to give of themselves if they are demotivated. Iona is located in the picturesque district of Tower Isle and is run by the United Church of Jamaica and The Cayman Islands in conjunction with the Ministry of Education. This unique combination ensures that both students and faculty enjoy an entirely holistic experience while on the compound. Humes-Johnson said: I love everything about the school - the staff, the friendliness, the students we mould, and the environment. There is a godly spirit that permeates this place. It has an ambience; its a place youre happy to come to every morning. Nevertheless, there is one change the principal would make if offered the opportunity. Id love more space to make my children more comfortable, she explained. Right now, there are 300 people trying to get their kids into this school, and I would like to be in a position to offer our services to them, especially those from the surrounding areas. rural@gleanerjm
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 14:06:44 +0000
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