New Day Primary mourns

Teachers and students at New Day Primary and Junior High School in St Andrew returned to classes yesterday trying to come to grips with the tragic death of one of their own.

Keniji Boyd, a ninth-grade student who many described as friendly and humorous, was one of the first reported casualties of the heavy rains associated with Tropical Storm Nicole.

Boyd was killed after his family's two-bedroom house collapsed into the Sandy Gully last Wednesday.

News of his death, which was announced during yesterday's devotional exercise, cast a sombre mood over the Barbican-area school, which was closed last week because of the rains.

To help students cope, the school's guidance counsellor, Sadie Muirhead, said she would be having individual sessions with them.

"We spoke to the students in his class and they are sad," said Muirhead.

One of the students having a tough time dealing with Boyd's death is Kemano Williams, who also lost his brother, four-year-old Kevani Bailey, in the tragedy.

"Me feel 'fraid. Every time me shut me eyes is like me can see dem. Is like dem a go dung (in the water) an a bawl ... dem jus a bawl," said Williams, who was very close to Boyd.

Always singing

Williams said he and Boyd, who is affectionately called 'Buju' because he is always singing in class, would get into frequent altercations "but by the next two days we a friend again".

News of Boyd's death also stunned his class teacher, Glorine Morris.

"To be frank, when I heard it was him, I said to myself, 'How am I going to open my register Monday morning'," Morris told The Gleaner.

"His name is second on the list and I could hear his voice coming up behind me singing something," she added.

Dean of discipline, Cleveland Streete, described Boyd as a typical teenager, and said he did not have any major disciplinary problems with him.

"He didn't do anything that any other 14-year-old wouldn't do," said Streete.

- Livern Barrett