The St. James High School community is trying to come to terms with the deaths of two of its former students. Fourteen year-old Shaquillia Calame has become the second student of St. James High School, who, in less than a week, to take her own life. The school family, on Monday afternoon, also received more devastating news that another former student, died in hospital of a brain tumor.
Shaquillia, who was a part of the Grade Nine-M Shift Two class
, was found hanging in her community on Sunday afternoon. Her death follows that of 14 year-old Grade Eight-S Shift One student, Annalise Arthurs, whose body was discovered last Wednesday morning hanging from a length of electrical cord in her bedroom.The police repoted that about 12:45 p.m., neighbours alerted the mother of the teen that her body had been found hanging with cord tied around the neck. The CCN further revealed that Shaquillia’s body was found in an old house near to her home. The cord had been tied to the roof of the structure.
Further reports reaching the Western Mirror are that Shaquillia and her mother had an argument earlier Sunday morning. It could not be determined up to press time what had caused the argument.
Meanwhile, Shaquillia’s classmates have not been coping very well with her death. Ishler Grant, a former classmate and very good friend, said that she was very saddened by her death.
“I met her from Grade Seven when we just came to school...she was fun to be around. She loved to run jokes all the time,” Ishler remembered.
On Monday morning, her classmates got cartridge paper, attached her picture to it, wrote tributes and hung it in their classroom.
Senior Guidance Counsellor at the institution, Radcliffe Virgo, said that many members of the school community are grappling with the reality that another student has been suspected to have committed suicide.
“Most teachers and students are distraught over this unfortunate situation. Just a matter of days and we are experiencing two suicides, two girls, one from Grade Eight and now this one from Grade Nine,” he noted.
He said that unlike Annalise’s former Grade Eight-S classmates, Shaquillia’s former Grade Nine-M classmates have not been handling the tragedy very well. “I think she was more known by the majority of the students ... we have students from Grades Eight, Nine, Ten and Eleven, who have been grieving since they heard the news, he added.
“We (he and Shaquillia) have had some sessions, you know students get themselves into little conflicts at times, so yes, we have had those and she is one of those students you did not expect this from ... she was really starting to improve,” the Guidance Counsellor went on.
Hours after Shaquillia’s body was found, the Western Mirror caught up with Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Audrey Sewell.
“The Ministry of Education is deeply concerned about this development ... as a Ministry, we extend condolences to that young student who took her own life … we want to intensify and strengthen our counselling programmes that we offer,” Mrs. Sewell said.
She alluded to Education Minister, Andrew Holness’ speech at Holmwood Technical last Friday where he cited that studies have shown that one case of suicide often tends to trigger others.
“We want to reassure our children that we do care and that as leaders in the education sector, we are there for you ...so we ask that they do not resort to taking their own lives,” the Permanent Secretary pleaded.
She added: “Parents too must be vigliant ... many times their children are hurting and they are overwhelmed ... we encourage you to talk to your pastor or church leader, or the Guidance Counsellors at the Ministry of Education’s regional offices.”
Shaquillia Calame, would have celebrated her 15th birthday on May 22. The Montego Hills Police are investigating are continuing their probe into that incident.
STUDENT DIES OF BRAIN TUMOR
As the school mourned Shaquillia’s death on Monday, news came that 14 year-old former Grade Eight-T student, on Shift One, Petergay Malcolm, died in the Cornwall Regional Hospital where she was being treated for a brain tumor which had been affecting for some time now.
Vice Principal for Shift One, Yvonne Panther, said that her former classmates have taken really hard. Petergay had been in hospital since October of last year.
“She was such a very friendly little girl…her classmates really took it hard … especially those who attended Irwin Primary School with her and had come to St. James High with her, they are not coping very well,” Mrs. Panther told the Western Mirror.
A team from the Education Ministry’s Region Four trauma unit has since visited the school and has counselled a number of grieving students.
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