Sadie Comrie, new JTA president.

The thirty-fifth President of the JTA and the ninth female is Sadie Esmin Comrie. A daughter of St. James, she also has very close connections in Hanover, hence her claim o both parishes. She grew up in a closely-knit happy childhood. She is from a large family, eight sisters and six brothers, she being the last of them. Her father was a farmer, and mother a dressmaker. Three of her sisters migrated to England and they decided to take extra special care of her so she felt very special from an early age.

It was not surprising that teaching was her chosen career as from a very early age Sadie started 'playing school'. She loved to teach and she emulated her teachers while she was at home. She pointed out that her teachers including her aunts motivated her. One of the things that is striking about Sadie is her 'prim and proper walk'. Those who know her Aunt Gen know where Sadie got those strides. She described Aunt Gen as one of her role models. She saw her as the ideal teacher. She feels that she was fortunate to have had two aunts who were teachers.

Mrs. Comrie received her early education at Lethe and Roehampton All Age Schools. She received a half scholarship to a government high school but went to St. Benedicts (a Private) High School instead. This did not deter her as she enrolled as a student at the St. Elizabeth Technical High school evening institute where she completed her secondary education. After secondary school she entered the teacher education programme at Sam Sharpe Teachers' College where she gained the Teachers' Certificate and later did the diploma programme at Bethlehem Teachers College. She did under-graduate studies at the University of the West Indies where she majored in Educational Administration. She graduated with a B.Ed. (Hons) degree.
Her quest for knowledge and continuous educational and professional upgrading led her to pursue the M.Ed. degree Programme in Adult Education offered by the Mount St. Vincent University, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Mrs. Comrie has been the Guidance Counsellor at the Lewisville High School, New Market, St. Elizabeth since 1992. Prior to that she taught Language and Communication for many years, including the time spent at the Lacovia High School.

Mrs. Comrie has been a very active member of the JTA since 1980. She was a Contact Teacher for ten years, delegate to annual Conference, St. Elizabeth Parish Association representative of the parish to General Council, Chairman, International Relations Committee, member of the Central Executive and Study circle Parish Trainer. She was awarded a prize trip to London in 1993 for completing the most "circles" in the JTA's/Lararforbundet Study Circle Programme. She was also one of the LASCO Teachers of the Month under the LASCO salute to Teachers Award Programme. Although she was very involved in the activities and programmes of the JTA and school, she still found time to participate in a variety of community activities.

Mrs. Comrie is a member of the Governor General Achievement Award Selection Committee for St. Elizabeth; Member of the choir and Drama Group at the Sharon Baptist Church; Adjudicator/Trainer for speech and drama for the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission. She is Past President of the Guidance Counsellors Association (Central Region) and Executive Member of the National Guidance Counsellors Association.

She is also the recipient of numerous awards including the J.T.A's R.C. Tavares Award, J.T.A's, W.B.C (Ben) Hawthorne Award for outstanding leadership in the J.T.A; Rotary Club of Santa Cruz award for service to education and the JCDC award for outstanding contribution to that organization.

And what can our teachers expect form her? "My colleagues can count on me to take on challenging issues to better their quality of life while maintaining professional standards," she says. The goals for 2002-2003 are to:

• Continue to advocate for minimum standards in schools
• Establish State of The Art Teacher Resource Centres (Regional)
• Continue to agitate for the appointment of Guidance Counsellors in all Primary and All Age schools that are currently without
• Work for the implementation of compulsory attendance at the primary level
• Ensure continued professional development of teachers through seminars, workshops and short courses.
• Lobby for the reduction of tuition fees paid by teachers at recognized tertiary institutions
• Continue to advocate for the employment of clerical assistants in all primary and all age schools
• Continue to advocate for improved security in schools
• Ensure that legal representation is provided for teachers.

She is married to Arthur and they have four children. She has been able to balance home, family, job, church and the activities of the association because of the support she has received form her family and very close friends.

Mrs. Comrie is thankful to her family for their encouragement and to her colleagues
forgiving her the opportunity to serve.