Bermuda Institute was established in September 1943 with only 17 students from grades one to four. With its roots as a Christian school, it has transformed from educating pupils in one classroom in the basement building of the former Bay View Apartments to its beautiful campus today on the Sandringham property in Southampton.

Celebrating 80 years, Bermuda Institute now educates PreK through 12th grade, with alumni active in many roles in the community. Over the weekend of November 10 and 11, students and alumni came together to celebrate this milestone moment.

Kimberlee Tankard, Bermuda Institute’s director of institutional advancement, said: “Throughout November, we’ve encouraged our alumni to get together with their classmates to reconnect and strengthen their bonds.

“Some classes connect regularly, while others may not have seen some classmates since they graduated. Bermuda Institute has a family-like culture that is very supportive across all classes and generations.

“We are indeed a family, and while some classes get together regularly and others may connect with friends or a few close classmates with Class Act, we are making an intentional push for whole classes to get together.”

From its steel band to its renowned choir under the direction of Owen Simons and continuing with talented music teachers, Bermuda Institute has a reputation for its commitment to musical excellence. Incorporating this into their celebration was essential.

Mrs Tankard said: “Bermuda Institute has a rich musical legacy, so we decided to host a mini choir reunion jam session on the Friday night. With many musical groups and choirs coming out of BI, we thought it fitting to have a good old throwback choir practice like we typically would back in the day.

“Even for those not in the choir, we’ve encouraged them to come out and mingle and listen to the familiar tunes of yesteryear.”

As a school that is the educational hub for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, it was only natural that the 80th anniversary celebrations included the church.

“The Seventh-day Adventist church has 11 churches on the island, so on Sabbath, November 11, we had what we’ve called BI Fusion,” Mrs Tankard said. “Current and past BI students, parents, and staff members lead the church services across the island.”

She added: “We closed the weekend with a codfish breakfast at Bermuda Institute’s auditorium. The price was $19.43 because our school was founded in 1943. This was a fundraiser, and funds will go towards our advancement fund.”

A former student of Bermuda Institute, Mrs. Tankard, shared what it meant to her for Bermuda Institute to be celebrating 80 years.

“It’s a major milestone and very exciting!” Mrs Tankard said. “It speaks to the strength of our leaders. It also reminds me of the many great things that have come from Bermuda Institute and its students. This is God’s school, and he has kept us for 80 long years.”

From its genesis in 1943 to purchasing the campus property in 1953, acquiring its status as a Junior Academy by the mission at the Biennial Session of 1965, and being actioned in May of 1967 to be a k-12 school, right up to 2019, adding a preschool, Bermuda Institute has seen many challenges, changes, and rewarding moments over the years.

As they continue to strive for excellence under the leadership of Linda Holdipp, the new principal, together with the dedicated teaching and administrative staff, and church community, Mrs Tankard expressed her hopes for the years to come.

“I hope Bermuda Institute continues to serve as a beacon of light to our community and that our presence impacts the community,” she said.

“I hope to share the stories of our students and alumni who are and have experienced great educational opportunities at Bermuda Institute.”