Triple C School graduates returned to their alma mater to celebrate the 82nd anniversary of the institution on Saturday 27th January, at the Family Life Centre.
Donned in mostly red or blue, representing the official school colours, students, staff, alumni and friends gathered to share memories that evoked laughter, smiles and hugs.
Organisers recognised those who attended Triple C from the 1960s to the present.
During the celebration, which attracted more than 100 people, K-12 principal and event emcee Tonya Knight took a moment to remember Caymanian icon, Georgette Ebanks, who passed away in October and was among the first graduates at the school in 1947.
Also in attendance were Cayman’s well-known siblings, twins Maureen and Maxine Bodden, who graduated in 1964.
“It’s a long time ago, but we have fond memories of the time we spent with all of our friends, special friends, and cousins there,” Maureen Bodden told the Compass.
“We grew up behind the church in the olden days. We went to the old school. We only spent two years on Hospital Road at the new school which my dad helped to build. We enjoyed it there. We took an interest in the school. After school, they had us clean it up for the grand opening. It was beautiful.”
She added, “The schools today are not what they were in our day… What we did then we can’t do today, and it’s sad.”
Speaking on the school’s anniversary, her sister Maxine said there was no place like Triple C.
“I just love seeing people come back and gather together. We need to unite more. If we all unite more, we get more accomplished,” she said. “You’ll see more love flowing, more [kindness], this is what the world needs. If every school, every family, every church did it, what a difference it would make.”
Knight said the celebration was encouraging. “And it’s inspiring because a lot of the people who have gathered here…I think everyone, has been touched by Triple C. Eighty-two years is a long time and to see that we’re still relevant means a great deal to me.”
It’s personal for vice principal Jodi Obando as well, as she noted some of her family members who have attended the school, which opened in 1941.
“My dad graduated from Triple C, my daughters are also here. Seeing the past and present students warms my heart because it shows Triple C is the place to be. You can still see that it means a lot to people and it blesses my heart.”
Founded in 1941, the Christian education-based institution was the first private school to provide both elementary and secondary education.
The school is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, according to its website.
The annual celebration serves as the largest fundraiser of the year with the money collected this time to be used to improve the school’s technology infrastructure, purchase smart boards, and upgrade the gym flooring.
Along with a traditional Cayman Thanksgiving dinner, the celebration included spot prizes, and music from the school’s steel pan and jazz bands, as well as song and dance performances.
The evening culminated with the singing of the Triple C School song, and with attendees dancing to Swanky Kitchen Band and friends, who performed popular hits and familiar tunes.
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