May 30, 2008 — The Parent Teacher Student Association of the St. Croix Educational Complex presented the school's art, math and science teachers with $6,500 Friday at a ceremony in Principal Kurt Vialet's office.
Richard Muhammad and Sandra Setorie, president and secretary of the Educational Complex PTSA, joined Vialet in presenting a large, photo-worthy check for $500 to art teacher John Jones and a $6,000 check to Harold Francis, the science department chair, and Jeffrey Whelan, math chair.
"They have many uses for this, and I'm certain they will find a way to spend the money in an instant," Vialet said, thanking the PTSA for its help.
The money was raised recently at the third annual St. Croix Educational Complex Image Awards, the PTSA's annual fund-raising gala. The first year, the gala raised $5,000 and has been more successful each time. (See "School Volunteers Get Red Carpet Treatment at Image Awards.")
"The award gala has a two-fold purpose," Muhammad said. "It is a fund raiser, but also a chance to acknowledge and honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the school."
The honorees at the fund raiser received a miniature replica of the distinctive abstract metal sculpture that graces the Educational Complex grounds. The sculpture symbolizes the Middle Passage, the journey of Africans to the Caribbean and the Americas as enslaved people, which brought the ancestors of most Virgin Islanders to the region.
Among those honored with awards at the fund raiser were:
— Valrica Bryson, chair of the fine arts department and band director;
— Kendall K.C. Henry, who volunteers and helps train students in quadrille dancing;
— Orville Armstrong, volunteer assistant track coach;
— Jim Brennan, a retired teacher who dedicated many years to the students; and
— Yvette Browne, a past PTSA president and parent volunteer.
Corporate sponsors were a major reason for the success of the fund raiser, Muhammad and Setorie said. Especially vital and due some special recognition were Mamarus, Hovensa, Professional Holding and the West Indian Company, Muhammad said.
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