Sunbeam Preschool
“You have to be strong for them.”
DECEMBER 13, 2018
“Irma and Maria really devastated us. I don’t have a word in the dictionary to describe these [hurricanes].”
THE OLD SUNBEAM PRESCHOOL
Hurricanes Irma and Maria pummeled the Caribbean in the Summer of 2017. After the storms passed, a local community in St. Thomas went to Sunbeam Preschool to see how it held up.
The school’s metal foundation was all that remained.
THE PRINCIPAL’S PERSPECTIVE
Youville Leatham has been working in the educational system for 26 years. Starting as a custodial worker, she moved her way up to teaching assistant, then became a US History teacher for 11 and 12 graders at Galactus Abraham School, which was damaged by the hurricanes. She obtained her master’s degree and became a counselor at Lockhart Elementary School, and the principal of Sunbeam Preschool where she currently resides.
“Irma and Maria really devastated us. I don’t have a word in the dictionary to describe these storms. Many adults can handle it, but it really affected the children academically and mentally. Many cannot explain it or understand it- why certain things have been taken from them. They are still traumatized by the rainfall and cry even ten months later about their parents not having homes or jobs. It’s a domino effect. If parents aren’t okay, their children aren’t okay. If one is affected, the whole community is affected.
“I believe in a ‘help one teach one’ mentality. If it’s only one child you can save, it’s very important to do so. We work in individual groups to develop students’ academic, personal, and social development. We also assist parents in developing their children’s minds academically.”
The administrators of Sunbeam were able to find a new building for their preschool. However, the work was far from over. That’s when All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response got involved.
The new site of Sunbeam, prior to rebuild.
Volunteers completed the mucking and gutting, re-tiling, painting, and installation of ceiling panels, lights and fans. The goal was to create a space large enough for about six classes to be taught simultaneously .
WORDS FROM A TEACHER
Heather George has been teaching at Sunbeam for over 20 years. Her children go to school on St. Thomas as well.
“Our children suffered the most. We as adults could adapt and move on. It takes children a while to adapt and move on. Especially since they saw and experienced what happened; Irma itself, the wind, the storm, and the aftermath. We endured.
Everything we build and accomplished at Sunbeam was destroyed. When I saw the devastation, when the children saw the devastation, that took a toll on me. Mrs. Leatham built a school where children were safe, and people were employed. After the storms, people were out of work, children were out of school. Parents wanted to go to work, but there was no place for the children to go. At my son’s school it was almost the same. He was out of school for two, three months because his school was also destroyed.
We move on but we still haven’t moved on. It’s still there, the destruction is still there, the hurt and pain is still there.
But we have to move on, because we have children to take care of, and families to take care of. The aftermath was even worse than the storm itself. We have to adapt to no electricity, finding food, mosquitoes, the extreme heat, people going through personal struggles, getting in line for supplies, and also extended families. My parents also lost their home. Six of us in our family trying to cope with our own struggles, while being there for each other. My sister couldn’t go back to her house because the roof was gone and the downstairs was moldy.
“We lost a lot of people after the storms.
You have to be strong for them.
Be strong for the community.
And be strong for your own family.
While being strong for yourself.”
I love teaching preschool because that is where a child’s foundation is built. If you don’t have a good foundation, the house crumbles. They are our future, so I’m very excited in being involved with developing young minds.
You have children from so many backgrounds. But you have to leave your own struggles in the parking lot, so they know it’s ok, so they always want to come back. Even if it’s 20 years later, you want them to remember preschool because of how fun it was, and how well they were treated. That’s what you want to leave with them. When they leave, they always want to come back.
I love my job, I love what I do. I love interacting with the public, especially with the children. My main jobs are keeping the students and parents happy. When the parents drop them at the school they don’t have to worry when they go to their workplace. They know that they have a safe environment, that they have people who are friendly. They know that here there are teachers who love students, and are trying to help children to learn. That is what I do. That is what Sunbeam teachers do.
Hearing these things really affects you. Some can deal with the aftermath, but some can’t. Some go through depression, and some just lose it. We need people, public officials, to come talk to the students. Nobody was sent here to talk to the children after the storms. We as teachers have to be counselors, teachers, doctors, nurses. Just having the children express themselves so they know it’s ok is needed. All we can do is say it’s going to be ok, we are here. Those are the things I think the community, government, and agencies should look into.
Being able to go back to work was a positive change for me. We need to find a place so the children have safe minds, a place where they wouldn’t have to worry about what was going to happen to them. They are safe. So they know they are taken care of and everything will be ok. Let people know we are here, people can drop their kids off at Sunbeam. It’s safe, it’s comfortable.
When children come in on the first day of school, they can barely speak, they mumble. And in a week’s time, they can speak in sentences. You make a difference in their lives by teaching them, letting them know the right from the wrong. Making a difference in a child’s life, letting them feel safe. They see new faces, a new environment, and they cry at first. But as a teacher, you have to make them feel safe. Hug them, so they know they can hug you and that you’re there for them. Tears go away after a few days. When they want to come, you know it because they are running. If all teachers could be like that the world would be a better place.”
FROM BENEFICIARY TO VOLUNTEER
The process of rebuilding Sunbeam Preschool included long term renovations to the ceilings, tiled floors, walls, and thorough sanitation. The volunteers involved in this project came from various locations and backgrounds, including a homeowner that All Hands and Hearts helped earlier in the St. Thomas project.
“I’ve always wanted to do something like this. After All Hands and Hearts helped me with my home I knew who to turn to. They’re also helping me learn to use the proper tools to help my grandparents and friends too. It’s nice to be able to help out my community through AHAH the same way they helped me.”
Charmaine is a resident of St. Thomas. Her home was damaged during Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and was mucked and gutted by All Hands and Hearts in July. After all debris was removed from her home, Charmaine decided she wanted to join All Hands and Hearts as a day volunteer in order to assist fellow members of her community in the process of recovery.
“I came back to St. Thomas from NYC in October when airports were reopened. There was a metal beam from the roof that went through my mother’s bed, thank God she wasn’t in there or she wouldn’t have survived.”
THE NEW SUNBEAM
Sunbeam Preschool is the fourth educational rebuild project completed by the All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response St. Thomas team. With the power of local volunteers and beneficiaries, combined with the strength of volunteers from around the world, we’re getting kids back into school.
FOOTNOTES
Story and Photography by Miles Phillips for All Hands and Hearts
