A core group of teachers at the Island's high schools have started the term with renewed vigour after attending a special leadership seminar in New York.

New CedarBridge Academy head Kalmar Richards and Berkeley Institute principal Michelle Gabisi led five teachers at this year's School Leadership Academy run by maverick New York public school principal Lorraine Monroe.

Some of the innovations and insights discussed during the two-day seminar held at Columbia University in August have already been put into effect at Berkeley and CedarBridge.

Mrs. Richards even had an opportunity to test out her maiden welcoming speech for her students, during which she told them what her principalship would be about.

Not only would everyone in the school -- yes, everyone including teachers and administrative staff -- wear picture ID tags, but teachers are expected to bring their classrooms up to a minimum standard found in a "model'' classroom.

And preliminary moves were made to mount an exchange programme with Dr.

Monroe's school, Fredrick Douglass Academy.

Dr. Monroe had an opportunity to see CedarBridge in February when she was giving a seminar to educators sponsored by the Ministry of Education.

At the academy, she was impressed by the Bermudian contingent's cohesiveness and preparation.

"People were impressed with the team in general,'' CedarBridge teacher Gina Saltus said this week. "They liked how we worked as a team.'' "The aim of the seminar was to increase the school's capacity to improve student achievement,'' Mrs. Richards explained.

"We had an opportunity to look at strategies for providing order and structure for our students,'' she said. "I was given the responsibility of identifying potential leaders within the CedarBridge staff. But I expect great things from all of them.'' Some of the innovations the team returned to their schools with include Black Board Configuration, or the standardisation of the information found on the boards in the classrooms.

"When I enter a classroom, I expect to see a BBC configuration on the board,'' Mrs. Richards said. "Students will have an idea of what they are involved in first hand. They must have order throughout the day.'' She said students will see on a BBC board the lesson agenda, activities they must complete at the beginning of class and what will be required for homework.

"The BBC configuration will be followed not only in the classroom, but also in the staff level meetings, workshops, executive and even the governing board meetings,'' Ms Saltus added.

"Young people need order and consistency in their lives,'' she said, explaining, that was one of Dr. Monroe's tenets, in addition to "teaching is holy work'' and "school should not reflect what society is but what society should be''.

Berkeley Institute deputy head Levyette Robinson said she, Mrs. Gabisi, and English teacher Tiannia Lowe had found the academy "invigorating''.

"I would recommend it for every teacher,'' Ms Robinson said. "It really got us fired up for the start of the year.'' Social studies teacher Anthony Wade said the academy taught him "the clock is running on children's lives'' and he should leave nothing to chance in educating them.

When asked CedarBridge's approach to the literacy of its students, Ms Saltus said literacy should be taught "across the curriculum'' because reading is the most fundamental skill they will need in adulthood.

Information technology teacher Dean Foggo said his third year of teaching would see a renewed commitment that teachers are teaching to ensure that students achieve their goals.

He explained the school's new model classroom approach in which teachers are expected to have mandatory signage of suitable quality.

Each classroom must have a DEAR or "drop everything and read'' sign, and objective board, a careers and an advisory board.

Every CedarBridge classroom had to be to model classroom-standard by the opening day of School on Monday.

"The best thing is that you could walk away with things that you could adopt in your classroom right away,'' Ms Robinson said. "For the 99/2000 year we have a motto, `Notching it up one step at a time'.'' A sign of CedarBridge's new attitude is the welcome students received on Monday as they arrived.

"There was a sidewalk Celebration as they arrived, each one was greeted by myself and the chairman of the board,'' Mrs. Richards said.

"Some of our students were not used to VIP treatment. We wanted them to know they had an opportunity here. An opportunity for the future.'' Photos by Tony Cordeiro Top class: CedarBridge Academy mathematics teacher Lynne Fox's classroom is used in the school as the model for other teachers in providing both interest and information to students.

High flyers: New CedarBridge principal Kalmar Richards, right, led her schools contingent to maverick New York principal Lorraine Monroe's Leadership Academy this summer. Shown are Anthony Wade, Dean Foggo, and Gina Saltus.