Popular Principal of the Althea Scatliffe Primary School Marieta C. Flax-Headley has for the second year in a row copped the coveted accolade of Principal of the Year and modestly said she could not do it without the support of her teachers and parents. Photo: Provided

Mrs Flax-Headley said that education is ever evolving and as such, teachers must prepare themselves for this. “Education is ever evolving, even growing, it doesn’t stay [stationary]. My goal as a Principal is to ensure that teachers stay on top of the cutting edge; to ensure that they are on top; that whatever is happening in education that they are exposed to it,” she said. Photo: VINO/File

The Althea Scatliffe Primary School also won School of the Year. Photo: Facebook

Speaking with this news site over the weekend, Flax-Headley said she was indeed surprised when she heard at a gala ceremony on Saturday March 28, 2015 that she had won, knowing that she had won the coveted title last year.

“When I heard that I was nominated I said remember I won last year already so you all made a mistake. You all know no one can win two years in a row,” she said. It was then that someone confirmed to her that she was nominated again this year.

“I went out to the banquet but I got there late because of a previous engagement and I was going in support of other teachers who were nominated for different [categories]. When I got there somebody told me you’re late. I said ok. Then the person said but you’re Principal of the Year. I said me?” Mrs Flax-Headley recalled.

An honour

“For me personally it is an honour, not only to have been nominated but to actually have the title. I have the honour to see that my supervisors nominated me. It is like a surprise for me. I knew I was nominated, I knew I was interviewed but I never in my wildest dreams expected that I would have gotten it again, especially after having gotten it the year before,” she said.

“I just want to say that all the praise and all the thanks go to God first, because when he says yes nobody can say no and whatever is for me I will get,” she said. “I want to say that the teachers at my school are awesome. My school got School of the Year as well. We have our little ins and outs but at the end of the day I think they respect me. I have to say kudos to the parents who support me as well because most of the time they are in support of my initiatives. Most of the things we do in the school we might not get 100 percent participation but we get the majority and that in itself makes it easier as a Principal,” she said.

She said that come September 1, 2015 she begins her 30th year in education. “And out of those 29 plus years I have been a Principal now for 11. It is interesting to know that I started my teaching career at Althea Scatliffe Primary School as a teacher. I then moved up the ranks as teacher to Assistant Principal and then I was moved to Leonora Delville Primary School where I was Principal for seven years. Now I am back at Althea Scatliffe where it all began and I have been there now for the past five years,” she said.

Education evolving

Mrs Flax-Headley said that education is ever evolving and as such, teachers must prepare themselves for this. “Education is ever evolving, even growing, it doesn’t stay [stationary]. My goal as a Principal is to ensure that teachers stay on top of the cutting edge; to ensure that they are on top; that whatever is happening in education that they are exposed to it,” she said.

“Once my teachers are on top it makes the job easier because the students now will be recipients of whatever the teachers get. One of my goals at Althea Scatliffe is to ensure that reading and handwriting [are given attention]. There is something going on out there with reading and handwriting and presentation of work and I want to [focus on this],” she said. She said that short hand texting is now being transferred to writing.

“It’s not really a problem in the primary school per se, but the children are hearing it, seeing it and may want to emulate it,” she said. “The goal is to let them know that even if you’re using it in your text language you have to be able to know when to use it and when not to use it,” she said.

Mrs Flax-Headley said that while she enjoys being a Principal she does at times like to go back to her teaching roots and would assist the class teachers in delivery of lectures at times. She would also like to thank the Teaching Department of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) which gives her the opportunity every now and again to lecture in the Teacher Education Programme.

Mrs Flax-Headley attained a Bachelor of Science in education from Morgan State University Baltimore Maryland in 1986 and a Master’s in Education Administration from the University of the Virgin Islands in 2004. She is currently one of the Principals being certified by the Team for National College of Educational Leaders in Jamaica, an initiative from the Ministry of Education and Culture.