Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

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Meeting the Queen Brenton Tucker ' s essay on Why I would like to meet the Queen won an island-wide contest, and gave him the honour of presenting Her Majesty with a bouquet on her recent refuelling stop in Bermuda. On Tuesday afternoon Miss Wilkie called me into her office and asked me to read my essay to her. That evening I told my dad that I had won and he couldn ' t believe it. On Wednesday ZFB came to interview me and on the same night I had to go to the Royal Gazette to be in the paper. Then ZBM called me up to go and read my essay on TV. On Saturday we had to practice the Queen ' s visit. Instead of using the Queen ' s plane they used a small army aircraft, (in the pouring rain too!) As the lady acting as Queen came every body quickly got in their positions. After the lady saw everyone she then got in a horse carriage and rode off. On Sunday I was feeling most excited. After an hour ' s wait 1 rode in John Swan ' s car to the airport. Soon after we got to the landing spot the jet appeared. When it came to a stop the red carpet was rolled out. The Queen met everybody and I presented her with the flowers. It was all over very quickly. On Thursday I got a letter from the Queen saying she was upset because it was only a short slop. I also had a nole of thanks from Sir .John Sharpe. Hrciilon I iicker ,141, ( ' • iiuijcsfy! hy .lona Yoiiii 30

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' King of the castle! Now what? Perpetual Christmas Our major projects having been accomplished by February, to our delight, thereafter, followed a bonanza of gift-giving that made us think that Christmas had come to stay. Our thanks to parents and the many benefactors who remembered us during their business renovations. First the Class Mothers commissioned the construction and equipping of a small medical room, where, at last, we could lay the sick and dying , removed from nauseating class-room bustle. On the field, fathers erected long-awaited play equipment, purchased by the class Mothers, through the Saltus Association. At last the boys had a choice of activity on the field. D J Construction Co. made up 2 sets of portable football goals. At last we could move our pitches according to season and field conditions. Carpeting for office, staff room, library entrance and medical room arrived, courtesy of Sonesta Beach . At last the school was beginning to look more cheerful and homely, even opulent. A long overdue coat of paint was given to the outside of the school and to the staff room by Mr. Beard ' s touring teams; and to the office, entrance hall, bathroom and various classrooms by volunteer parents. At last we felt proud to identify with our alma mater. Storage space for each room, in the form of high and wide shelving, was provided by Bermuda General Agency, so, at last, mounds of classroom clutter could look like orderly piles of work-related supplies. Staff desks and leather (swivel, no less!) chairs arrived from Argus Insurance Com- pany. Ah! at last the staff cut imposing figures each enthroned in executive splendour. The final civilising touch, by D.E. Mortimer Co., in the interests of hygiene, was the installation of towel and soap dispensers in the bathrooms. At last — at long last — boys could be seen rushing into the bathrooms after play, zealously smothering their hands with soft, pink liquid lather — vying with each other to produce the best soft, pink BUBBLES?!! Education has always been the Cinderella profession. Traditionally expected to produce the greatest results with the least expenditure items requisitioned have to be proved to be of immediate and essential scholastic need, and not frivolous fancy. In private education, particularly in these expensive times, it is hard to justify the spending of money on non-academic items, knowing that each non-vital purchase could lead to the further raising of fees and the possible exclusion of some potential student of worth. However refinements do make a difference to the tone of a school — to the feeling of pride and well-being of those within, and to the initial impression on those without. Having worked for years under comparatively austere conditions, we staff, and thus our pupils would like our many recent benefactors to know how much we ap- preciate their thoughts, their deeds and their donations. Quiet study in our resources area

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ARTISTS CRAFTSMEN AND WRITERS Beginnings After a few weeks in J4Z we found that; ' The junior school is pretty good and the field is alright. ' ' When I first came I was very nervous but I got settled down fast. ' ' I thought that I would have a good time here — and I have. ' ' On the first day of school I was so mixed up I went into the wrong class. ' ' As the days went by I began to like it at my new school. We have monitors to take care of us. ' ' When I first went to school I was Nervous — but I came through it. ' ' I love the school rules — except the one about not talking. ' ' I Hke to swim in the Saltus pool and I like the iced pops. ' ' I like Friday because it ' s doughnut day. ' ' At recess time in the quad we can play marbles and cars and cards, but there is one thing that I don ' t like and this is that you can ' t run. ' ' We can wear soccer boots at lunchtime. ' (?jz) ' I keep getting blisters from my football boots. That ' s the last time I forget my football socks! Cinquains (by J4L) Summer, Hot, boiling. Sweaty on forehead. Dripping off hair tips, Heat. Jason Cook Spaghetti, Horrible sauce. Slippery and shmy, Looks like string. Embroidered Rope. Patrick Singleton Snakes by J. Young Rattlesnakes, Rainbow coloured. Slithers through grass, Shakes like baby ' s rattle, Scales. Jay Rewalt Ant, Small insect, Bothers me so. Kill it! Kill it! Bug. Simon Leighton Daydreamer, Doesn ' t follow. Looking at birds. Some boys don ' t hsten. Dozy. Jeffrey Shaw s.o.s. The year: — 1976, day: — Monday, time: — 3.45 p.m. Jose Rameirez an explorer was going to be the first man to deny Mother Nature ' s fury. He watched with bulging eyes as a polar bear emerged from the water to see a walrus chasing child. He was also fascinated by the beautiful scenery surrounding him. He looked up, and saw a large piece of ice looming over him. That ought to keep the cold out, he thought. As the day dragged on, he took out his harpoon to hunt for something to eat. He caught a fur seal and dagger fish. This day won ' t go to waste, he said to himself. I am sure of it. But Mother Nature could spoil that, he said. Well, back to the tent. He took out his not book and wrote the following, Good so far. Unhurt. Code No. 184192A He wrote down this information for safety, just in case he got kidnapped, or brought to the wrong place. Since the day was still young, he went out to do some exploring. He found the fossil of a whale, a seal, a dying octupus, a dead walrus, a lobster and a very rare fish. He put all these things in his boxing bag and wrote all the names of what he found in his note book. Evening came soon, and the clear sky turned misty with fog. The day ended somewhat boringly. But Mother Nature had some tricks up sleeves. He wrote, and wrote, until his fingers almost fell off. All of a sud- den, a storm arose. The howling winds almost blew Jose ' s tent off its props. He fell asleep in a few minutes. Above him creaked the giant iceblock. It swayed to and fro until it fell down, down, plummeting to its target. But Jose slept on. Crushed by the stunning blow, he died in a few minutes. Once more Mother Nature has proved that nobody could overcome her... Colwyn Burchall 5B 31