Cayman Current (https://www.caymancurrent.org/tag/carol-bennett/)
Staff at the specialist Lighthouse School have found creative ways during the pandemic to serve their students, all of whom have moderate to profound Special Education Needs and/or Disabilities. However, the additional workload related to COVID has left staff feeling ‘beyond exhausted’, a school inspector said.
Most students at West End Primary School continued to make academic progress during the pandemic, an inspector said. However, some staff said they were ‘overwhelmed and disheartened’ by the rapid pace in which changes and new initiatives were being introduced at the Cayman Brac school.
The family atmosphere fostered by leaders at Cayman Academy helped staff to stay optimistic despite the additional pressures caused by COVID-19.
First Baptist Christian School has adapted to COVID by supplementing staff, introducing flexibility and adopting new technology, an inspector said.
The small size of Cayman Learning Centre has been an asset in regard to dealing with issues caused by the COVID, but staff absences sometimes meant students in isolation did not always receive ‘live’ learning sessions.
Leaders at Edna M. Moyle Primary School have focussed on the mental well-being of students and staff through the pandemic, while maintaining a positive and familial atmosphere in the school.
Leadership and staff at Red Bay Primary School have taken on extra duties during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure continuing progress by students. Educators said they were ‘exhausted’ and that the current demands were not sustainable.
Attendance has remained high at Village Montessori and students have continued to make progress. However, school leaders said recruiting staff is difficult and questioned if government officials took education into account when creating national policies.
Joanna Clark Primary School leadership and staff had excellent attitudes and communication. However, COVID-19 has taken a toll on educators and diminished student achievement.