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| Roxani Kay
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It has been said
that to teach is to touch lives. Educators throughout the world strive to make a
difference in the lives of their students. Helping pupils reach their desired
goal is enough of a reward for these people we call teachers. Although teachers
play a crucial role in the lives of their students, proper supervision and
administration of a learning institution is imperative. It is with that in mind
that we are pleased to feature the principal of the San Pedro Roman Catholic
School - Mrs. Roxani Cruz Kay. On January
27th, 1970 Sonia Cruz and
Sotero Cruz celebrated the birth of the first of their five children whom they
named Roxani Cruz. Roxani was raised in the picturesque fishing village of
Sarteneja and attended the Sarteneja Roman Catholic School where both her
parents were teachers. It was this, she says that influenced her to become a
teacher from a very young age. After completing her primary education, Roxani
moved to Orange Walk and attended Muffles College. During her time at college,
Roxani's desire to become a teacher increased and soon after graduation, she
joined the Special Education Unit at Xavier School in Corozal. There, she worked
with fifteen "special" mentally and physically handicapped children for a period
of two years. She fondly recalls these teaching days as some of the best moments
of her life. Working with these children entailed instruction in the main
subjects such as math and English, as well as daily life skills. She enjoyed
this work so much that she decided to receive more training. To accomplish this
she moved to Belize City where she literally lived among handicapped children
for a period of three months at the Stella Marris School. Upon her return to
Corozal, with her newly acquired knowledge and experience she was promoted to
Supervisor of the Special Education Unit at Xavier School; a position she held
for one year. Following her childhood dream to
become a certified teacher, Roxani sat the First Class Teacher's Exam in 1989
and passed with flying colors. She then moved to Belize City where she attended
Teacher's College for two years before transferring to San Pedro to complete her
required one-year internship at San Pedro Roman Catholic School (SPRCS). The
time she spent in San Pedro was enough to convince Mrs. Kay that this was the
place she wanted to call home. After her graduation from Teacher's College she
permanently relocated to the island and was hired as a teacher at SPRCS. To
continue her education, Roxani Kay made it a point to attend educational
workshops and seminars every year. Her commitment to education did not go
unnoticed and after five years as a SPRCS teacher, she was promoted to Vice
Principal. Only two years later, Roxani Kay was promoted to principal. "I
accepted the post of principal because I felt I could make a difference in the
school. To be truthful, at the beginning I was not sure how I was going to
accomplish this, but by concentrating on the well-being of the children and the
future of the school, positive things started to happen naturally," stated
Principal Kay. Principal Kay has been presented with many
awards because of her dedication to promoting educational standards in San
Pedro. During her free time Mrs. Kay enjoys reading Steven King novels. She is
also the mother of two children (Josean and Deandra), a joyous result of her
marriage to George Kay on December 21 st, 1990. It has
been ten years since Mrs. Kay first stepped foot inside the SPRCS and through
her determination and hard work on behalf of the entire student body, she has
managed to bring this school to new heights. She has followed in her parents
footsteps and maintained a family tradition by "holding high the torch of
learning" in "Our Community."
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