teaching general subjects to Year six students for two years, she moved to the French department where she taught Years six and seven for almost a decade.

The French programme at BHS was then terminated. But Mrs. Smith was happy to make a change. "You don't want to become stale in one position,'' she said.

"The change is good to keep me moving and motivated.'' She transferred to what was then the lower primary department and taught Year one students. But Mrs. Smith lost her voice three years later and was required to undergo voice therapy. "Twenty-six Primary one students was a bit of a strain on my voice,'' she noted. "So I gave my voice a rest and took a year off.'' During that time, she set up a gift basket service which catered to all occasions. As well, she served as a substitute teacher for Years one through 12 at BHS.

"Substitute teaching was really exciting because I was able to catch up with all of my old students. And I considered it a privilege to be able to teach such a wide expanse of ages,'' she said. Mrs. Smith then returned to BHS as a full-time teacher in 1989 where she taught Primary fours for two years, followed by Primary fives for two-and-a-half years. Working with two other teachers in a programme she referred to as team teaching, Mrs. Smith said: "We shared ideas and co-operated with each other for a very united programme.

And when our P4s moved up to P5, we moved up with them in order to continue on with the same students. "It was a team approach to ensure continuity -- especially for those students with special needs,'' she said. After instructing Year five students for three months last year, Mrs. Smith launched a brand new special needs programme in January 1995. Proposed by Mrs. Smith and implemented by primary school department head Mrs. Lorna Andersen, the programme seeks to help students with specific needs. "I found some of the girls in P4 that moved up to P5 needed special attention; some had real learning disabilities,'' said Mrs. Smith, adding that the special needs programme helps bridge the learning gap. "It allows students to remain in school and move up with their class while their needs are being met,'' she said. Class teachers liaise with Director of Studies Mrs. Teresa Sousa and together they assign special needs students to the programme. "The girls come to me for math and English classes,'' said Mrs. Smith. "And they join the rest of their year for general subjects.'' This year, seven girls from Year six and ten girls in Year seven are enrolled in the programme. As well, eight students from Year eight see Mrs. Smith for English reinforcement. She also works with a deaf student in Year 10. Specially trained to work with the deaf by the Clarke School for the Deaf in Massachusetts, Mrs. Smith co-ordinates with senior staff members as to what the student's needs are. As well, she helps one Year 11 student improve her study skill strategies and prepare for SAT examinations. Thrilled with the new programme, Mrs. Smith is eager to get it off to a solid start. "I love what I'm doing. It's challenging and new.

And there's no room for stagnancy.'' Outside of BHS, aside from tutoring students around the Island after school and on Saturdays for the past 14 years, Mrs. Smith recently finished her Masters degree in Human Resource Development and Management. She graduates this month. PHOTO SPECIAL NEEDS TEACHER --Mrs. Judy Smith