beautiful Harrington Sound, became an instant landmark in the still largely undeveloped Parish of Smith's.

This month, Harrington Sound Primary School is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a full calendar of events. There is plenty to celebrate, for this school boasts more than its share of former pupils who have gone on to become prominent in the local community. Today, many of them play leading roles in education, business, medicine, government, sports, and the media.

With a full round of anniversary events planned throughout the summer term, there will be a special social night at the school's auditorium this Saturday.

It is hoped that ex-students, former teachers and all members of the Harrington Sound Family will be in attendance.

On May 27, there will be a Family Fun Fair at the school from noon to 8 p.m. A full day of entertainment is promised, with Gombey and Indian Dancers, karate and gymnastics demonstrations, hay, pony and train rides, a `fun' castle, a variety of stalls and "a cornucopia of food''.

And one of the school's best known past students, premier sportsman Mr. Dennis Wainwright, is organising the Trunk Island Swim on June 24. This will be the featured event of a Family Fun Day, intended to bring together the sports and games of the past and the present.

Mrs. Melody Phipps Lightbourne, herself an ex-student, and now vice chairman of the Ex-Student Group for the 50th anniversary, says that her committee is still seeking sponsorships for these events. "We are especially appealing to `old' boys and girls to help us,'' she says.

Harrington Sound School actually opened in April, 1945, but organisers decided to hold the main celebrations in May, to tie in with Heritage Month.

Exactly one month after the school first opened its doors to children in the area, they were all sent home again -- but just for the day. The school's official diary records: "May 8, 1945 -- Children told at Assembly that World War II in Europe had ended. The school was later closed for V.E. Day Holiday.'' Since those early years, there have been a total of 10 principals, the present being Mrs. Suzette Walters, who stepped into the top spot in September of last year.

As she reflects on the school's long history, Mrs. Walters says her greatest wish for the future is to maintain the `family' atmosphere with a deeper bonding for cultural diversity: "As we enter the 21st century, we want our children to be at the head of technological skills.'' So far, she adds, Harrington Sound has been fortunate to have had a stable series of principals, teachers and PTA. "This has helped to maintain the integrity of the school throughout these 50 years. Everyone has been extremely supportive and we all value that support and service. We have a very good core of parents who keep things going.'' Praising, in particular, the strength of the school's PTA, she says she was very pleased to learn that proceeds from the 50th anniversary `bash' are to be used to set up a multi-media centre. "This will enable us to give the children hands-on experience as we go through this Middle School transition, because if this restructuring goes ahead, this will be the last year for our P7s -- next year they will have to go on to a Middle School.'' Back in 1945, the new Harrington Sound Primary School, which then consisted only of today's central section (the assembly hall, changing rooms and infants' block were later additions) also included pupils who were housed at St. Mark's Kindergarten and Talbot's Kindergarten School.

The list of Bermudians who acted as principals of the school begins with the late Dr. Kenneth Robinson, who became the first black Chief Education Officer, and also includes Senate President, the Hon. Albert Jackson, Mr. Bertram Guishard, who went on to become a Dean at the Bermuda College, and Ms Aurelia Burch, one of the founders of the PLP.

One of the best known principals, who served for the decade from 1963 to 1973, was Mrs. Edna Mae Scott. Awarded the MBE in 1974 for her services to education, Mrs. Scott, who has just celebrated her 88th birthday, seems to be more active than ever, still involved in Age Concern, the Red Cross, and the Bermuda Girl Guide Association.

School's golden celebration From Page 30 Princess Margaret visited the school to plant a tree, the school won the Bermuda Choral Festival, the Infants Department (headed by Mrs. S. Burgess) was given its own new building, and she oversaw the amalgamation of Whitney Institute's primary section with Harrington Sound. 200 guests attended Mrs.

Scott's farewell luncheon in 1973, at which former student Mr. Al Seymour presented a portrait that he had painted of her.

A favourite quote of the former principal is, "Whatever you do in life do it to the best of your ability.'' Many former students seem to have done just that. Among the many who passed through the doors of Harrington Sound School, more than a few hold prominent positions in Bermuda today.

Mr.

Bill Zuill, who attended the school was one of several who returned there recently to talk to present students about careers. Now assistant editor of The Royal Gazette , he comments, "I remember Mrs. Scott as being tough as nails -- everyone was petrified of her!'' Another was Dr. Janet Grant Tyrell, the first black Bermudian female to qualify as a doctor and, today, a leading paediatrician. She credits Harrington Sound with first giving her the idea of studying medicine. "I thought it was a good school. Very strict in those days -- we weren't allowed to get away with anything with Dr. Kenneth Robinson in charge! Uniforms and good behaviour were taken for granted and the teachers were strict, but it was a very happy time. I would say it was one of the happier stints in my school career. I think it was thanks to the school's ideals of working hard, and the discipline to work hard, all began there.'' Mrs. Idonia Beckles (McGown) received her primary schooling there, later returning as a teacher from 1984 to 1994. Now a mentor for the Department of Education, guiding new teachers through the first couple of years of their careers, Mrs. Beckles said she left the school just as integration was bringing the children of Harrington Sound and Whitney Institute together.

"I loved it there,'' she says. "Looking back now, I'm amazed that they could teach 30-odd children in such a small room. The discipline was very good -- Mrs. Scott was the principal while I was there. My favourite subject was Maths. It was interesting, coming back into education because I found myself working with some of the teachers who had taught me!'' On the subject of discipline, Mrs. Beckles comments that the obvious decline in this direction cannot be blamed directly on the school system. "There's been an all-round deterioration -- the home environment has changed to the point where it affects everything. We have to stop blaming everybody else and for the future, I would like to see each person take a look at their role -- whether you happen to be a parent, a teacher, or a child.'' Other former students include Olympic track stars, Troy Douglas and Deborah Jones (Hunter), Bermuda's `cricket ambassador', Dennis Wainwright, and Allan Douglas of the national cricket team. In business, Anthony Joaquin and Gill Tucker are partners in the chartered accountants firm of Kempe & Whittle, Deborah Jackson is the assistant general manager of Appleby, Spurling & Kempe, Craig Tucker is a manager, and Keven Grant is an investment officer, both with the Bank of Bermuda, and Curtis Stovell is a chartered accountant.

Rhonda Daniels, Government epidemiologist and recently named Nurse of the Year, is a former pupil, as is Rosemary Yarrum, a nurse with the Department of Health, Carldee Douglas in the plant pathologist at the Department of Agriculture, Bruce Fox, who teaches music and directs major musicals, and Lovette Peets (Trott) is principal officer for the Department of Immigration.

Mrs. Lightbourne is now a Customs Officer and Jeanne Anderson, who has been the school secretary now for eight years, says, "I never expected to return here to work as an adult!'' These are just some of the long list of people who spent some of their most formative years at Harrington Sound and some of the many who will be helping to celebrate the school's half century.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS -- Former student Mrs. Melody Lightbourne (centre), one of the organisers of Harrington Sound Primary School's 50th anniversary celebrations, wears a school T-shirt dating back to the 1950s. She is surrounded by present pupils (front row, left to right):- Tamesha Hodgson (11), Kevoni Smith (10), Christopher Charlton (10, Colin Outerbridge (10) and (back row):- Kelly-Ann Robinson (8) and Kelly Sousa (9), with school principal, Mrs. Suzette Walters.