It was a big day turned bad for teacher Cherice Henry Grant, of St Ann.
Last week Thursday, December 17, Mrs Henry Grant, a teacher at Village All Age, had taken yet another step in her steady march up the education ladder. She had reached the final round to achieving the National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL), a Ministry of Education course that is a crucial qualification for those aspiring to become principals.
Mrs Grant had gone to Montego Bay, St James to make her final presentation of her NCEL project/ portfolio before a panel.
She was headed back alone to her home in St Ann’s Bay when the Suzuki Vitara she was driving was involved in a terrible crash with a coaster bus in Discovery Bay. She had been driving only a month after acquiring the vehicle in November.
Reports are that the Suzuki Mrs Grant was driving drifted into the right lane along the North Coast Highway and was hit by the bus. The front of the Suzuki was crushed. It took fire brigade personnel more than an hour to cut her body free.
The death of Mrs Grant hit teachers hard at the Village All Age where she taught for nearly 18 years. She was a grade six teacher, responsible for the GSAT class for several years.
Head of the school, H Greaves Hall, who is on leave, said she had known Mrs Henry Grant for years as a solid person who had been improving herself. She said she was shocked to get the news but referred The Times to acting principal Nadine Atkinson Walker.
Mrs Walker said Mrs Grant often rode home with her as they went the same direction from school until Mrs Grant acquired her own vehicle last month. “She is proactive; you don’t have to ask her to do anything. She is always a bubbly person,” Mrs Walker said. School had closed for the term but teachers had been expected to come in Friday for a get together and reflection. Instead the news came Thursday night of the loss of one of their member. “We have lost a stalwart in education. She went beyond herself to help. The staff members are taking it really hard.”
Mrs Henry Grant was the mother of a three year old girl and active in the JTA which eulogized her as a “rising star” in education.
