Hemmingay’s 50th anniversary celebrations in limbo
... but school stands true to its core values
Published:Saturday | January 24, 2026 | 12:06 AM
WESTERN BUREAU:
The Hemmingay Preparatory and Kindergarten School in Norwood, St James, which was in the middle of planning this year’s 50th anniversary celebrations when Hurricane Melissa impacted the island last October, is contemplating putting the celebrations on hold.
The school, which was founded in 1976 and currently has more than 120 students enrolled and a staff complement of 16, suffered significant structural damage to one of its buildings during the passage of the Category 5 hurricane.
Dr Heather Piccott-Bryan, the current principal of the school, who is also a past student, expressed disappointment that the celebration has had to be postponed, especially because of the momentum that remains following the school’s 48th anniversary celebration in 2024.
“Right now, because of Hurricane Melissa, everything has to be put aside and we have to try to rebuild, because we have lost the roof of the school, and we’re trying to rebuild it right now, so the celebration has to be put on hold,” said Piccott-Bryan.
“I started teaching here around 1993, and our main building would be at least that old or older than that.”
“We had a celebration the year before last, in 2024, to celebrate 48 years of existence. We have teachers on staff who have been with us for over 30 years, who we recognised at that time, and we had that award ceremony for the 48 years’ existence. But now we are not doing anything for the 50-year anniversary, because Melissa really put us in a bind,” Piccott-Bryan continued.
SIGNIFICANT SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Hemmingay Prep is of significant sentimental value to Piccott-Bryan, as it was founded by her mother, Pansey Piccott, an educator who strongly believed that all children must be afforded the opportunity to learn, inspired by the institution’s strong family-inspired historical foundation.
“Hemmingay Prep was developed on the premise of learning, because I was not able to read back in the 1970s, when I was going to a government school. My mother was teaching at another school, Highland Preparatory School at Albion Road, and that school was closing down, so in order to assist me, she rented a house in the Paradise community, bought school supplies, and opened her own institution that became Hemmingay Prep,” said Piccott-Bryan.
The school’s personal history runs even deeper for Piccott-Bryan, as its name is derived from the names of two different families, the Hemmings and the Gayles. Piccott-Bryan herself is connected to both families through her step-grandmother, Josephine Hemmings, and her grandfather Solomon Hemmings, an adopted child of the Gayles.
“Mrs Josephine Hemmings, who was the first teacher at Bethtephil Basic School in Chatham, St James, was my mother’s stepmother. Her husband and my grandfather, Solomon Hemmings, was adopted by the Gayle family, and then when he found out that he was from the Hemmings family, he started changing over all his children’s names to Hemmings, but my mother named the school Hemmingay Prep to embrace both families’ names,” said Piccott-Bryan.
“This school’s strong family foundation and rich history are like anchors, holding it steady despite the turbulence we have faced. These elements foster a sense of belonging and unity, helping the community rally around the students and staff during challenging times.”