When Eulalie Rivera Elementary School first-grade teacher Verlyn Martin-James was tasked with helping prepare for the school’s culture day, she didn’t just limit herself to her 18 first-graders. As she put it, she got the entire school involved by building awareness.
With St. Croix being such a “melting pot,” its children the products of many countries from all over the world, it only made sense to task each class with picking a different country for the focus of its research. The learning didn’t stop with students just learning the languages, customs and culture of their respective country either. Martin-James helped put on a quiz bowl for the entire student body and also got parents involved by having them make foods from the various countries. The school then made a day of it and an entire exhibit put together in the school’s cafeteria.
For her passion and that sort of dedication, on Friday, Martin-James was presented with the 2013 Virgin Islands Humanities Council Heath Award, which consisted of a certificate of congratulations and a $1,000 cash prize, which could also be matched by the National Endowment for the Humanities bringing the total award to $2,000. On Thursday, Charlotte Amalie High School teacher Antis Angelica Birmingham was presented with the St. Thomas/St. John district award.
Started in 2003 by Dr. Alfred Heath and his late wife Geraldine, who was a former teacher with a passion for the humanities, the award each year grants a teacher from both districts with the cash reward and honor.
“It feels awesome, great, invigorating,” Martin-James said. “The great thing about this is I just do it from the heart. I had no clue that I would be nominated for this. It’s good to see that when you do something willingly, you can be rewarded for it.”
Martin-James has been a St. Croix teacher for 11 years and previously taught at Evelyn Williams Elementary School. She tells her students, “Don’t let the work scare you. You scare the work.”
Martin-James said she thinks she was nominated for the Heath Award because she doesn’t just limit herself to the classroom. She seeks out ways to engage her students from outside the class and, as was exhibited with culture day, tries to get the entire school involved.
On her appreciation for the humanities and incorporating them into her lessons, she said, “I love that it varies. The humanities can be found through dance, through art, through music, through theatre and drama, and it can bring a whole culture alive. And our children need that more today than ever. They need to know their history and where they come from.”
Interim Executive Director of the V.I. Humanities Council Barbara Petersen said it wasn’t common for an elementary school teacher to win the award and that Martin-James’ application stood out because she works primarily with first-graders.
“We love the work she was doing with her students, especially the fact that they were young students,” Petersen said. “So often teachers aren’t recognized and it’s one of the noblest professions in the world. We have to keep remembering that these teachers are the ones making a big impact on our youth. They’re the ones spending more time than anyone with these young people. “
Eulalie Rivera Principal Joanna Brown said Martin-James brings a certain spirit and motivation with her to school, and that when she arrived from Evelyn Williams she just dove right into her new school by helping to revive its quadrille program.
“I’m very proud of you as your administrator,” Brown said. “You give me something else in the morning to keep me going and I just love how your students gravitate towards you. “
Program Chair of the VI Humanities Council Mervelle Sage said six teachers were nominated for the Heath award this year and that they’re trying to build awareness of the program with public school teachers across the territory to get more nominations next year. She noted that teachers don’t just have to be nominated by their principal’s either. They can also be nominated by their peers.
In presenting Martin-James with her award Sage said, “We appreciate what you’re doing for the humanities. You were chosen for your excellence and hard work and we need great teachers like you to continue teaching and educating our children.”
As for her chosen calling and being honored for her teaching skills, Martin-James said she was humbled and that she’d continue to work just as hard at what she loved doing.
“The best part about teaching is when you know that you’ve turned that child’s light on in their eyes and their brain as well,” she said. “It’s not just about coming to receive a paycheck. It’s the reward at the end when you see progress in the student’s academic performance.”
As for what she and her husband Henry James are planning to do with the cash reward, the civil air patrol commander and director of school safety patrols had an idea.
With a big smile on his face as he filmed his wife receiving her award, James quietly said, “Disney World?”
