Destination 1: Evolutions in the administration, curriculum and school culture

Monk Administration Team in the early days

The high school experience at SAC makes up some of the best memories we have as SAC alumni. As a SAC teacher, who had once attended SAC, you view the students in a different perspective as you remember the times when you were in their shoes. Consequently, you begin to make comparisons with campus life when you were in high school to what is happening now.

John Todd as a student in SAC

John Alexander Todd’s, who had attended SAC in 1962-1965, after receiving a scholarship, SAC high school experience was not much like it is today. He attended school during the time of the monks when SAC was an all-boys school. Mr. Todd stated that back then “they normally taught persons to become priests”. Also, being authoritative in nature, authority figures were highly respected and many of the ceremonies that they had were more of the religious nature. School was not a time for socialization then, but a time for business. Starting at 8 A.M. to 6 P.M., SAC not only had longer days but their management was dissimilar to what is viewed now and even what it was like when I was in high school. Even before the 21^st century, school was more relaxed than it was back then and it allowed students to explore different avenues in their area of expertise.

Dawn Johnson as a student at SAC

The late 
Deacon Leviticus (Uncle Lou) Adderley

 Dawn Michelle Woodside-Johnson, who attended SAC during the era of Principal Deacon Leviticus Adderley, a legend in SAC’s history, remembers going to softball practice on the first day of school and having a keen relationship with administration and teachers, her favorite being her business math teacher. In grade 10 – 12, she went into “the Business stream”, as she called it, and took subjects like Business Math, Typing, Short hand, Civics and Sociology to name a few. Today, SAC offers business, science, computer and religion courses but those that Mrs. Johnson spoke of are no longer there. However, Asheka Culmer, a 2001 graduate of SAC and current Math teacher at the school, who loved Math, Art, Physical Education and Food and Nutrition, studied some of the recent subjects that are still available at the school today.

Asheka Culmer's 
    senior yearbook photo

 Additionally, during Mrs. Johnson’s time, unlike Mr. Todd’s experience, Thanksgiving service, Bahamian day, Sports with both private and government schools, Big Brother/Sister Program and SAC-A-RAMA, were some of the activities SAC had to offer. In Ms. Culmer’s time, the same activities were offered as well at the school with the exception that the private institutions only competed against other private institutions in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) events and then on occasion they would compete at a Scotia Bank High School National’s Meet with both private and government schools. (Click here to watch a video of SAC at BAISS Track and Field Meet in 2012) As it stands today, SAC-A-RAMA has been discontinued for approximately 5 years. However, most of the same special days still remain in SAC inclusive of Flag Day and Ash Wednesday that had not been previously mentioned.