Blockorama, Blockorama

By J’Nascia Charles

It’s all going down at the Princess Margaret School. After days of pure PANdemonium for Pan Week, prepare to be serenaded by the PMS serenaders tonight! In celebration of 70 years of the Princess Margaret School, come on down and indulge in our vast amount of acts. There’ll be performances by Green Bay Primary School, Clare Hall Secondary, Christ the King High School, All Saints Secondary, Antigua Girls’ High School, St. Joseph’s Academy and of course the PMS Serenaders! With special guest performances by Hell’s Gate and Pandemonium Steel Orchestra, the music will be sweet on the street! Just 20 EC gets you in at the gate, starting from 6pm. Food and drinks will be on sale. It’ll be a night of legendary performances.

SEE YOU THERE!!!

We’re just warming up to cool you down.

Alma Mater Day: Repping PMS with Pride

At the Princess Margaret School, we believe that “The World is in Need of Good Men and Women”. Therefore, on this Alma Mater Day, we especially celebrate our proud alumni, who are indeed good men and women all around the world! Today, across Antigua and Barbuda, schools are being celebrated for doing what schools do best, providing a home away from home, a place we can always come back to because, that’s just what “alma mater” means. It’s Latin for “nourishing mother”, referring to the school that shaped you, fed you, challenged you, and, let’s be honest, taught you those lessons you didn’t always feel ready for. In time, you looked back however, and realized that just like a parent, your school was preparing you for a world yet to be imagined. Your Alma Mater isn’t just a building with classrooms; it’s a legacy, a foundation, and a lifelong connection.

So, we welcome you today to think about those moments in school that were so memorable. Was it the unforgettable sports meets, that time you showcased a talent on the performing stage, was it the friendships forged between classes, or the people who pushed you to be your best or helped when you were at your worst? Was it just a memory long forgotten about that time when you wore the pink or grey? Whatever makes your heart swell with pride to represent your school today, wear your uniform, share your memories and know that you are a part of a legacy of incomparable greatness.

Whether you are Sir Vivian Richards (cricket legend), Gaston Browne (Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda), Jamaica Kincaid (renowned author), a plumber, electrician, educator, doctor, clerk, entrepreneur or just a person who attended Princess Margaret School between 1955 and today; you are connected by the threads of the same tapestry. So what kind of alumni will you be? Will you be one who returns to mentor current students like Jamaine Semple (Filmmaker’s Club, anyone?). The one who brings pride to PMS through your achievements? The one who rocks your PMS shirt on Alma Mater Day, reminding the world that once a PMS student, always a PMS student? Will you be the one who comes back home to “mother” and gives thanks in any way that you can? Set the example for those still there, the “if I can make it, you can”, the “here’s how I’d like to help”?

In whatever way, represent your school. Show your pride. It’s Alma Mater Day.

The Princess Margaret School welcomes you always, proud to have raised such good men and women.

Alma Mater Day+ MIA SBA’s + Banging Belt

Hey, Cubs! Welcome back to another spicy edition of The Tea. Hold onto your hats because we’ve got some juicy updates. We’ve hit another milestone, and what better way to celebrate than with some sizzling gossip? Our beloved school is turning another year older, and let me tell you, it’s not just the history that’s getting a facelift. There are fresh coats of paint everywhere!

Annnnnnddd it’s Alma Mater Day! Are you repping your set?! The different departments of the school are showing off and showing out with a showcase of their talents. Rumors are rampant that the English Department is auctioning off Mr. Greene, the Music Department is hosting karaoke, there’s yoga and meditation at the Counselor’s Office and you already know Home Ec is cooking up a storm!!! There will also be sweets and goodies being sold by the Student Council. We here in the Pride lands sure know how to have a good time!

Differently, it’s that time of year again—goodbyes are in the air, and trust me, things are getting emotional! A bunch of our favorite students are packing up their things and heading off to CSEC and new adventures, and you know there’s some juicy gossip going on about it. Like the fact that many SBA’s seem to be MIA with the final deadline right around the corner. And the list of culprits could line our airstrip!

Everyone’s frustrated and over it with students feeling like they’ve “arrived”, school and class attendance are topsy turvy and the dress code “gone ah gwasa”. Reports are that the Principal has unretired his “banging belt”. So the corridors and canopies might not be a scudder’s paradise for very long.

Needless to say, Easter break can’t come soon enough. For those writing exams however, the pressure might just be too much. But stay positive, a little midnight oil might serve some of you well.

Until next time, I’ll keep the kettle on cause you know we like our tea hot!
Enjoy the weekend, cubs.