Claxton Bay Junior Anglican School

Name of School: Claxton Bay Junior Anglican School

District: Victoria

Name of Principal: Ms. Avion Alexander

Manager: Bishop Calvin Bess

Address: #1 Cedar Hill Road, Claxton Bay

Phone Number: 659-3279

Email address: claxtonbayjrac@gmail.com

School Website: http://cbjas.webng.com

Facebook Page: Claxton Bay Junior Anglican School

Brief History: In 1937 a school called Claxton Bay Jr. Anglican School overlooking the Gulf of Paria, as known today wasn’t always as such. The original school known then as Claxton Bay Anglican School was broken down and the construction of a new school building started in 1940.  During the period that the school was being constructed; classes were held at the lodge on the Southern Main Road in Claxton Bay.

Claxton Bay Anglican School, a one storey building which accommodated infants to standard seven was reopened at its present location in 1942. The new building had pipe borne water but there was no modern sewer system. There were six out houses- two for boys, two for girls, and two for teachers-one male and one female.

The manager was Canon Gill who came quite often to conduct worship.  The principal was Mr. Norman Bartholomew and Miss Ashby, a senior teacher was in charge of the female teachers.  There were about seven teachers and monitor teachers. The monitor teachers’ names were Mr.Surju Sankar and Mr. Rupert Lawson.  Some of the first students were Roy Joseph, Alexander Humphrey and Haynes Lawson.

The pupils had various activities such as sewing and crochet for the girls where as the boys participated in cricket and gardening. The boys competed against other schools in the area such as Tortuga E.C .and Union Presbyterian School. The school also competed against other schools for best garden and won on many occasions because the principal had a special interest in agricultural science and encouraged his pupils to give of their best at all times, especially in the former regard. In those days it was a tradition to take the older boys for sea baths as a recreational activity.

It is said that the Claxton Bay Senior Anglican School was originally built to house the Claxton Bay Anglican Primary as the population grew too large to be accommodated in the original building.   The school at School Trace could not accommodate first year to standard seven either.  It was then decided to place first year to standard two at the original school and rename it Claxton Bay Junior Anglican School and standard three to seven remained in the newly built school at School Trace.  It was renamed Claxton Bay Senior Anglican School.  Claxton Bay Junior and Senior Anglican are the last of the schools with this unique arrangement.

In recent times the school had experienced success in Carnival celebrations where many band parades with the last winning performance in 2008 in the Couva and San Fernando competitions. The school has been a top performer in sports such as track and field which it has won many times in the Claxton bay and Tortuga zonal games.