The journey began in a little old building on North Shore Road, in Shelly Bay. In September 2000, the Learning Express Academy opened its doors with just six eager students, in the building now occupied by Copy Fax.

It all started when my parents realised that "traditional" school wasn't working for me, because of my learning differences. Judy Smith, better known to everyone as "Aunt Judy", tutored me while I attended "regular school". My mom was always joking around about the idea of Aunt Judy opening her own school. Aunt Judy had already opened a nursery, so a school would be a new adventure. After a lot of thought and hard work, the idea of opening a school became a reality.

The first day of school was a rainy one. I don't remember how I felt that first day, but I'm sure I was a little nervous, and excited. It turned out that I was the youngest of the six students, but that didn't matter. We all got to know each other, and with Aunt Judy's guidance and tender loving care, we became a family.

Each year after that our "family" grew. People were always "popping in" and wondering what was going on in that building. Aunt Judy managed to squeeze a few more students and another teacher, Mr. B, into the building, but it soon became too small. We needed a bigger space. Word got out that the Learning Express Academy was the place to be!

I think we were there for three years, and then we moved to the Salvation Army Citadel, in town. We had expanded to 30 students, with another teacher in place. There was a lot more space at the Citadel. We continued to learn and work together. We were able to have gym class and "Sports Day" at Bernard Park. We also had Drama class added to the curriculum. Aunt Judy also introduced us to community service. We started to serve food to the seniors at the Seniors' Luncheons, at the Citadel, and we also went out with Mr. B to walk Jean Howes' dogs once a week.

It happened again… more students wanted to come to the Learning Express Academy, and we outgrew the Citadel. This time though, Aunt Judy and Uncle Evan had purchased a building, which we now call "home", on First Avenue in Devonshire. The Learning Express Academy expanded yet again, with five classrooms, five teachers and fifty students. We have been there for six years now and we have managed to continue with our community service at the Salvation Army and Jean Howes. We have gym at the Arboretum and sometimes at the National Stadium.

The great thing about Learning Express Academy is each student is allowed and encouraged to be the best they can be. We are taught to respect each other and ourselves, and to be positive about everything we do. We are all at different levels academically, with different learning styles, and we are taught accordingly. The teachers are all very nurturing and helpful. I hope the Learning Express Academy sticks around for a long time! I am honoured to have been such an important part of the Learning Express Academy, from the start, and I hope it continues to be "that school with a difference".