On the 6th September, Hurricane Irma passed over Anguilla. Anguilla sustained considerable damage to buildings and homes, there was some flooding in areas, and general power supply is still off.
The SJSM campus itself sustained relatively minimal damage, with some broken windows, doors, and some water seeping into some rooms. Other than that the buildings held strong.
On conducting a full assessment taking in to account the condition of the island infrastructure as well as the campus, we estimate that classes can be resumed on the 25th of September. By that time, the campus will be up and running and we anticipate that power, water and other essentials will be restored in large parts of the island. The airport and other means of transport will also be back in operation by then.
Please note that even though classes will begin later than scheduled, they will end as scheduled and will not interfere with the Winter holidays. This may require some extra classes being held over weekends or outside of regular class time. This shortening of the semester should not affect the overall delivery of the curriculum in any way. We ask that in light of these extraordinary circumstances all students, staff and faculty cooperate with each other to achieve this.
Students who are on island, who wish to leave Anguilla may do so, as long as they can be back by the 25th. Students who are off-island, and wish to come back ahead of time to check on their apartments and belongings are free to do so as well.
Whatever you decide please communicate this information to us via email at info@mailsjsm.org , or phone at 847-375-0543 or our Facebook page.
SJSM will be participating in relief efforts on Anguilla, to help rebuild the island that has been home to SJSM since 2010. All interested students and faculty are encouraged to participate in that effort. Please contact us to find out how you can help.
We will be posting updates on the student portal, our Facebook page, and by email on a daily basis. Please check back frequently to keep abreast of the latest updates.