Staff and students at West Terrace Primary School, along with education officials and specially invited guests, witnessed the burial of a time capsule last Friday, on its grounds, at West Terrace, St. James.

This event was part of the school’s 40th anniversary celebrations, and was held under the theme Sealing the Past, Securing the Future.

Minister of Training and Tertiary Education, Sandra Husbands, congratulated the principal, staff, and students on this initiative, hailing it as a demonstration of “laying hold of our national anthem, our motto and the cultural values of Barbadians”. 

 “Our national anthem says we write our name on history’s page …. Today, West Terrace, in its 40th year, is now capturing what it has written on history’s page, and we are placing it in a capsule for a future generation of West Terrace school children and teachers to understand what this moment meant for us, and West Terrace has been blazing a trail.

“You are living it out in what you are doing every single day when you come to school.  You’re taking advantage of our free education to give yourselves an admirable start.  Each and every one of you can be a star, a star for Barbados, and I want to encourage all of you to continue on this path, to work with your teachers, to work with your parents so that you can become the best that you can be,” she said.

Principal Charmain Jones, stated that the anniversary is testimony to 40 years of dreams realised, challenges overcome, and [the] future shaped. She said she believes that “the best is yet to come”.

“Today, we bury this capsule. We do so in a time of transformation. Education is changing, not only in technology, but in purpose. The Ministry of Educational Transformation is inviting us to see schools not just as places of learning, but as places of becoming. We are learning how to teach the whole child, mind, heart and spirit. It is not always easy, but it is necessary,” she stated.

Principal Jones read a letter, which she penned to the future principal and members of the school. “I write this with a heavy heart, knowing that I may never meet you. The principal who will open this letter, our paths may never cross, yet our hearts are linked by the shared calling. We are both a part of this long, beautiful legacy of service, leadership and hope. I wonder, what does your world look like? What do your students dream of? How have we grown? What have we held on to? What have we let go of? Whatever the answers, I hope this remains true that this school is a place of light and love, a place where children are seen, where joy is loud, and where every teacher remembers why they chose this path.”

She advised the future principal to lead gently and bravely. “Some days will stretch you, others will lift you up, but every day you will be part of something sacred.

“And so I send you this blessing from one principal to another. May you have wisdom when the road is unclear, courage when the road is steep, compassion in every decision and joy in the journey… Take care of this place we love. Add your chapter to the story. Know that across the years, you are not alone. We are with you, cheering you on and believing in you.”

In his remarks, former student, community leader, and founder/CEO of Jackman Professional Accounting Inc., Barry Jackman, acknowledged that his success was a direct result of the dedication, love, and the work instilled by the teachers at the West Terrace Primary school.

“West Terrace Primary School has given so much to many of my friends, my family, my brother, Brandon … and many more friends and family you know, all the way from Haynesville to Cave Hill…. West Terrace has played a crucial role in educating this entire community, of which I was very blessed to attend,” he said.

Mr.  Jackman reminded the students that anything is possible because they are at the right institution, and have the right support, structure, teachers. He encouraged them to always dream big and aim for the stars.

“We never thought that we could achieve the things we could achieve, but we had a dream. I must stress, though, that none of it comes without hard work, sacrifice, dedication, diligence and discipline. So, if you’re going to be exceptional, you cannot expect to give out an ordinary effort and receive an extraordinary result, right?

“So, be prepared to work a little harder, practise a little more. If you’re playing sports, study a little longer, train a little more, put in a little extra at a time. It seems painful, but I can assure you, it will all be worth it at the end,” he encouraged. 

Student council representatives at the school, Nyah Williams and Skylar Yearwood, revealed the contents of the capsule, which include pictures of the school, its athletic teams, staff, awards, trophies, certificates, newspaper articles showcasing the school’s successes for 2025, letters to future students, books read, and examples of the schools uniforms and school crest.  (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Training and Tertiary Education, Sandra Husbands (second from right) poses with (from left to right)Headboy and Headgirl of the West Terrace Primary School, Ethan Small and Rhema Jae-Greene; former student and community leader, Barry Jackman; and Principal, Charmain Jones, before the burial of the time capsule.