Joanne Shurland leads Hilarians

In 1964, Shurland’s cousin, Stephanie, was the first local principal of the now 96-year-old school, which was founded in 1921 by Arthur Henry Anstey – Anglican Bishop of Trinidad and Tobago - with a student body of 48 girls. Bishop Anstey believed that girls of all ethnic, religious and social backgrounds deserved access to the knowledge, skills and values to compete, thrive and contribute positively in a rapidly changing world.

Shurland is 11th in the line of principals at this school in which the Anglican church retains its involvement.

Although the school is financially assisted by the government, it is run by a Board of management appointed and chaired by the Bishop. The first three headmistresses were foreigners – Amelia .M. Stephens (1921-1938), Dorothy Shrewsbury (1938- 1950) and Christina Sutherland (1950- 1964). The new principal, herself a mother of two adult children, was busy settling into her new office in the Abercromby Street School in this the last week of the school year, but found time to share her aspirations for “Bishop’s”, where the student body is now approximately 700.

She comes with a wealth of experience from Diego Martin North Secondary School, where she has been vice principal for the past seven years. Prior to that, she was Dean of Discipline, responsible for ensuring that students are functioning successfully; academically and behaviorally; and also ensuring the safety and good health of students.

As dean, she was also responsible for preparing schemes of work, lesson plans, classroom delivery.

She also functioned in the capacity of Head of Department and was the teacher representative on the Local School Board.

“I did not know I wanted to be a teacher but I always took charge of my three siblings, grooming and talking to them when my parents were not around,” the new principal said.

Shurland was encouraged to follow her ‘fashionista’ dream by her deceased mother, and obtained a Bachelor of Fine Art in Fashion Design with a minor in Art Education at Pratt Institute in New York.

She lived abroad for 12 years, travelling the world working in the fashion industry, but always knew “I wanted to come back home,” which she did.

“I was moving up in education having started as a qualified teacher, but I always wanted to be a principal.” She did a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, followed by a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Education – International Education and is now working towards a Doctor of Philosophy – Psychology – Counselling Psychology, which should be completed in 2018.

“Seeing a lot of behavioural issues in the classroom I knew that is what I want to do, pursue this course so that after teaching this would be my area of interest. Children and families, that is what I am focusing on now through field work at the Child Guidance Clinic, which is only for children three to 18.

There are a lot of mental health concerns in Trinidad and Tobago, also a lot of hurting parents.” She is also affiliated to several other church and educational organisations, including recently being appointed treasurer of the Alzheimer’s Association of Trinidad and Tobago.

How is she going to personally achieve all that she wants in readiness for postretirement from the teaching service in the next three years, and at the same time manage this school where the motto, “Non Sine Pulvere Palmam” – not without dust the palm – has guided many exceptional women in their work in or on behalf of the wider national and regional communities in the country? Her reply was: “I have always been very active and am able to balance my time as am a very well organised and meticulous person.

“My tenure here as principal is not going to be long but I am going to do as much as I can to bring Bishop’s back to a place where people respect the accomplishments of the girls. We have a lot to offer. It has always been a school of excellence. Above all I wanted to do this for what Auntie Stephanie represented as a past principal and for what my late mother instilled in her three girls. She had a staunch, Victorian background and was always there to push us.”