BERMUDA MEETS CROATIA

Bright Horizons loves welcoming friends from other schools around the world. This week we have a very special visitor - Ms Angela Fubler, the founder of Chatmore Primary School. Ms Fubler spent Monday morning with us telling us about Bermuda and her lovely school, as well as celebrating World Teachers Day with us. Naturally, we asked her to do an interview with us during the week.

Our principal Ms Tišma and our dear guest Ms Fubler

Dear Ms Fubler, thank you very much for visiting Bright Horizons and for taking the time out of your busy schedule to give us an interview. We hope you are enjoying your stay here. We have prepared a few questions for you and we are looking forward to your answers.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your school?

I have been an educator for more than 30 years and have held many roles in the Government before becoming a school owner. I have been an Educational therapist, a policy analyst and an educational consultant. My favourite role now is to be grandmother to Cole aged 3 and Leo age 5 who is now a student of Chatmore. Chatmore is a small school that currently enrolls 50 students. It is a private coed international school for children ages 4-18 years. We are a COBIS Compliant School and an Accredited School using IPC and IMYC. We are an Outdoor Learning and Beach School with teachers licensed to implement the Beach School curriculum. Our family-focused and paced-learning approach are very important as we prepare students for their life as citizens in the local and global community.

2. What was the dream when you decided to open your school and how is it going so far?

When I started I had a vision that children would always be excited to come to school. If they weren’t joyful about being at school, with their teachers and their friends, I would not be doing my job well enough. When I sit in my car sometimes and watch them playing, talking or learning outdoors, I see the children I envisioned. It has been an effort but well worth it! 

3. How do you like Croatia so far? How does it compare to Bermuda?

Everyone is very friendly and it feels very safe. I am surprised that it is not colder in October - the weather is fairly mild and the sunsets are stunning, just like in Bermuda. 

4. What would you say your school and ours have in common?

Other than the curriculum and that we are COBIS members and have two enthusiastic Founders, definitely the warm friendly atmosphere and that all the teachers know all of the students. That is important and is not always possible in a large school.

5. When you compare education in the world from the time you were a pupil and now, what would you say have been the biggest changes?

The biggest change is that the teacher is more of a partner in learning than the one who tells students everything. Teachers have relaxed a little bit more than when I was in school and they give students many more opportunities to learn the information necessary for exams than when I was in school. I like this approach. 

6. Seeing as you were present at our World Teachers' Day Assembly, we are going to use this opportunity to ask you some questions from it, if that's OK. Who was your favourite teacher ever and why?

This is a hard one because I really liked school and all my teachers helped to make that happen but my favourite teacher is Vivlyn Cooper who also became my Principalship Mentor. Mrs. Cooper was firm and kind. She always wanted the best from me and would not let me be lazy in my school work. It was amazing that she trained me to be a principal and now helps at Chatmore when she has time. 

7. What made you want to become a teacher and, eventually, found your own school?

I cannot remember a time when I wanted to be something different than a teacher. I was a teacher to my dolls and then my sisters before studying children and education at University. I never thought about starting a school. Twenty-two years ago a friend of mine thought I would do very good to start a preschool using a curriculum that I had designed. She then worked with me to make it happen. Nine months after we started she left Bermuda to live in the United States. I just kept it going and really enjoyed it. 

8. What is your favourite memory from your primary school days?

My favourite memory from my primary school days is all the great times I spent playing with my friends. I did like my lessons too but I really enjoyed skipping and laughing and playing running games in the playground or on the field. 

9. How long are you staying in Croatia and what would you still like to visit?

I am staying in Croatia until Wednesday 8 October. It was a short visit and I am looking forward to returning soon so that I can visit the mountains and also see your majestic coastline. 

10. Any plans for the future?

For the school and for myself: To continue to make a meaningful and lasting contribution to Bermuda and within the Global community. 

Thank you so much for your answers. We hope you come and visit us again.