It was a proud day for staff and students of the Willard Wheatley Primary School (WWPS) after the great grandson of the late legislator Honourable Willard Wheatley, Mr. Khaaliq Pickering, cut the ribbon to open the school’s new administration building.

The WWPS student cut the ribbon while Minister for Education and Culture, Honourable Myron V. Walwyn and Junior Minister for Trade, Investment Promotion and Consumer Affairs, and Representative for the Eight District, Honourable Marlon Penn stood nearby.

The building houses the principal’s office, general staff room, conference room, guidance counselor’s office, sick bay, bathroom facilities, information technology room and storage room. 

Honourable Walwyn said, “Since 2011, [the administration] has worked on every school in the Territory…we have been doing the things that we needed to do to improve the quality of education.”

The education minister said the building is very important because of all the offices it houses and emphasised it was built to accommodate another level, if there is a need to add another floor in the future.

Minister Walwyn also told the gathering that Honourable Willard Wheatley made a significant contribution to the Virgin Islands, stating, “Sometimes when we look for heroes…we look beyond the shores of the Virgin Islands…to different parts of the world. We often forget that right here in the Virgin Islands, we have had, and still have persons who have made meaningful contributions to the development of this country. The examples of their lives…can be a benefit to all of us here in the Virgin Islands.”

He then encouraged the staff and students to honour the legacy of Honourable Wheatley, a past Chief Minister and Minister of Education.

Honourable Walwyn also thanked those persons integral to the completion of the project.

Honourable Penn highlighted that he heard of plans to build the administration building since he was a student at WWPS some 30 years ago and was thankful to Minister Walwyn and the project team for getting it done.

The WWPS Administration Building was coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Culture under the direction of Assistant Secretary (Projects), Ms. Lorna Stevens. It was designed by Mr. Devin George of DDG Studio and managed by Mr. Steven Augustine of SAArchitect.  The project commenced on June 7, 2014 by Mr. Lansdell Potter of Tarris Hill Construction. Construction of the building was completed in February 2015, and later outfitted.  

The Ministry of Education and Culture is committed to creating a “Culture of Excellence”.  

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Photo Captions:

1. The ribbon cutting for the Official Handover of the Willard Wheatley Primary School Administration Building on Thursday, November 17, 2016. (Photo credit: GIS/ April Glasgow)
2. Honourable Walwyn, Honourable Penn and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Culture tour the new Willard Wheatley Primary School Administration Building. (Photo credit: GIS/ April Glasgow)