Yesterday as two of our icons quietly completed puzzles, the moment became more than just an early childhood activity. It became a living symbol of our journey as a school community as we put the pieces back together in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Melissa, a fierce category 5 hurricane, did not simply scatter debris. She scattered routines, learning spaces, teaching materials, emotional stability and the familiar rhythms of school life. For educational institutions like Jabneh Christian Academy that were ravaged by her angry winds and torrential rainfall, recovery has been a puzzle in every sense of the word.

Some pieces fit easily.

Some pieces are harder to place.

Some pieces are still missing.

Yet the picture is slowly taking shape again.

What Rebuilding Looks Like in Education After a Storm

1. Learning Continues in Unfamiliar Spaces

Classrooms may be gone, but the mission remains. Cafeterias become learning hubs, porches become reading corners and makeshift spaces become sanctuaries of resilience. Children adapt faster than adults, reminding us that a classroom is defined by purpose, not walls.

2. Emotional Restoration Takes Centre Stage

Icons are processing fear, confusion and loss. Teachers are not only delivering lessons but also providing stability, reassurance, counselling and calm. A simple puzzle becomes therapy. A conversation becomes healing. A smile becomes a victory.

3. Teaching Resources Must Be Recreated

Books were soaked, charts destroyed and learning tools blown away. What remains is creativity, resourcefulness and a determination to rebuild. Teachers lean on partnership, donations and innovation to restore what was lost.

4. Safety Becomes a Daily Priority

Every day begins and ends with risk assessment. Where can the icons sit? Which areas are secure? What repairs must be prioritised? Reopening school becomes an act of faith, planning and collective effort.

5. Community Support Becomes a Lifeline

Parents, volunteers, churches, neighbours and well-wishers form the framework that holds the school together. Rebuilding is a communal task because recovery cannot be done in isolation.

6. Hope Becomes an Educational Value

Our icons learn that storms come, but storms pass. Their little hands planting seeds, colouring storm stories, or completing puzzles are reminders that life can be rebuilt one piece at a time.

The Puzzle Metaphor: Why It Matters

A puzzle teaches patience.

A puzzle teaches focus.

A puzzle teaches that brokenness can become beauty again.

Every piece matters.

Every effort counts.

Every small win is a step forward.

Just as our icons’ puzzles came together piece by piece, so will our buildings, our programmes, our mental well-being and our sense of normalcy. We are not where we want to be yet, but we are putting the picture back together.

Moving Forward With Courage

Educational institutions across the hurricane belt know this truth well: rebuilding takes time, but rebuilding is possible. Melissa did not erase our excellence, our calling or our commitment. She only revealed the strength within us.

Piece by piece, we rise.

Piece by piece, we rebuild.

Piece by piece, we become stronger than before.