Excelsior mourns Shirley Pinnock

A high-level team from the Ministry of Education and Youth will be in place at the Excelsior Primary and Infant School, 5 Courtney Avenue, Kingston, today to provide grief counselling, especially to grade 5 students who will sit the Profile Exit Primary Profile (PEP) Ability Test on Wednesday and Thursday. This follows the sudden death of vice-principal Shirley Pinnock over the weekend, which has thrown the school into mourning.

When a Gleaner team visited on Monday, teachers were seen huddled in small groups discussing their loss and the likely impact on the school population. Students had been asked to stay home, following news of Pinnock’s death.

Principal Oliver Holness explained that in her role as vice-principal, Pinnock’s main focus was the area of instructional leadership, which would have taken her into close contact with teachers and students alike.

“Mrs Pinnock has an excellent relationship with the staff and like with the students,” he said, speaking of her in the present tense. “So she would have been doing a number of class visits and interacting with the staff,” Holness said.

He noted that news of the death of the vice-principal was particularly hard as after almost three decades as an educator, Pinnock was all set to embark on pre-retirement leave.

“The staff has really felt the loss. She is a stalwart just about to go on pre-retirement, so it comes as a surprise because up to Easter, she was with us, (and) since the start of the summer term she has been in and out of hospital.”

Holness said that when he joined the staff as principal Mrs Pinnock was always ready and willing to offer advice and guidance and so was integral in the decision-making process.

“We worked very well. We had an excellent relationship, and decisions that were made, she is always actively involved. We meet regularly to plan and to look at exactly what we are doing here because she is always offering advice. It is going to be a great loss. It took us by surprise, and life will not necessarily be the same,” Holness admitted.

“A team from the ministry is coming on Tuesday, and they will be doing a session with our grade 5 students to ensure that mentally, they are prepared.”

The teachers have recommitted to dig deep to help the students to overcome, Holness said.

“My staff, they have the students’ best interest at heart, so I know they will find that inner strength to ensure that the students are still given the best education that Excelsior Primary and Infant is known for.”