Senior Teacher at the Manning’s School Receives PM’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education

Senior Teacher at The Manning’s School, Audrey Williams Woolery, has received the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education.

The medal was presented to her on May 28 by Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, on the lawns of Jamaica House.

September of this year will mark 30 years since Mrs. Williams Woolery’s decision to choose a career in teaching.

Mrs. Williams Woolery is also integrally involved with The Manning’s School Performing Arts Society.

In an interview with JIS News, the Senior teacher of Integrated Science, who is also in charge of Staff Welfare and Census as well as Culture Agent, says she had an interest in teaching since childhood.

“I always wanted to teach. At first, I went to Knockalva Agricultural and then I realised that was not my calling. After that I went to Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College because I was certain I wanted to teach. I did English and Social Studies, and my complementary subject was Science. Teaching is something that I find fulfilling, because the most important thing to me is to see my students excel and make the best of themselves,” she adds.

Principal of The Manning’s School, Steve Gordon, describes Mrs. Williams Woolery as a passionate and nurturing professional who “brings a rare combination of artistic vision and grounded mentorship that leaves a lasting impression on both students and colleagues”.

“Mrs. Williams Woolery’s contribution to The Manning’s School has been nothing short of transformational. Through her tireless work with the Performing Arts Society, she has helped to shape a generation of confident, expressive, and disciplined students. The national recognition the Performing Arts Society has received year after year is a testament to her leadership, but the true impact is seen in the growth and development of the young people she mentors. Her guidance extends beyond the stage – she teaches life lessons, encourages excellence, and fosters community,” he tells JIS News.

Known for her role as a steward of Westmoreland’s cultural legacy, Mrs. Williams Woolery has created an intentional and dynamic intersection for her students to benefit from the arts.

She has used the creative space to foster positive behaviour change, transfer priceless soft skills and cultivate the academic aspirations for her students.

Mrs. Williams Woolery says she enjoys working with young people, as it also keeps her youthful, aware and focused.

“It takes them out of their shell and allows them to express themselves better. They are not afraid of the stage, being emcees, public speaking or of having conversations. Some of the lower-schoolers get a chance to rap with sixth-formers who assist them with their assignments and so it benefits their classwork,” she tells JIS News.

“Because of the club, these lower-schoolers are in a group seeing so many sixth-formers able to manage their time and so they are saying ‘I can do this too’. Most of the performing arts students normally go on to be sixth-formers, and they do well,” she adds.

Social Media Officer at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), Candice Williams and former student of Mrs. Williams Woolery, met her at the primary level as a competitor at the JCDC Festival of the Arts Speech Competition.

“My very first term at Manning’s, she approached me to do a voice-over for an advertisement to be aired on a radio station. I was nervous and she firmly stated that I could do it. She took me to the studio and stayed with me while I did the recording in one take. I am now a voice-over talent and each time I do a recording I think about her,” she says.

Ms. Williams argues that Mrs. Williams Woolery is “the most selfless person I know” and she is thankful for the impact she has had on her life.

In addition to shaping talent at Manning’s, Mrs. Williams Woolery, who was Rotarian of the year in 2019, has served her parish as Youth Service Director of the Rotary Club of Savanna-la-Mar.

Her community outreach includes spearheading Rotary-led initiatives such as providing water tanks to the West Haven Children’s Home and distributing food packages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have interact clubs in Petersfield, Belmont, and we’re going to form a new one in Frome. I try to get these students to work together as a group, so they get to meet friends outside of Manning’s. I also work with some children at a home in Hanover and the School of Hope by taking my performing arts students there and perform for them,” she says.

When asked about receiving the award, Mrs. Williams Woolery says she is elated at being recognised for the decades of service she has given.

“It is a nice feeling. I felt appreciated, and to be honest I didn’t know it was such a great award until I got there. It’s overwhelming and makes me feel as if I want to continue,” she says.

Mrs. Williams Woolery’s hope for the future is to continue to find ways to keep her students on track and to learn to appreciate themselves for who they are.

“I would want to work with persons like the guidance counsellors to find ways to encourage these young people. I want our boys to really find themselves and know that it is good to be gentlemen – good, upstanding young men. I just want to be there to encourage and to help them to be good persons,” she says.