A New Beginning: How Stella Maris is Redefining Inclusive Education

For the teachers at Stella Maris, ‘doing more’ isn’t a special initiative, it is the daily standard, found in everything from individualized literacy lessons to the simple act of combing a student’s hair. As the nation’s only public-school serving students with diverse abilities, this caring community has been a pillar of the country since 1958. Now, through the Ministry’s MoRE Campaign, they are inviting the public to see a transformation that is about much more than just physical buildings. Sabreena Daly has the story of a school where no child is left behind in this week’s look on “The Bright Side”.

 

Sabreena Daly, Reporting

This is James Ramos. Ten years old. And wherever he is right now, we know exactly what he is doing; watching the news, like he does every night. Only tonight, James has a very good reason to stay glued to the screen.

 

James Ramos, Student, Stella Maris

“Hello! I watch all the news. I watch all the news at night.”

 

James came from a primary school in southern Belize, where school for him was not a happy place. Just this week, his family brought him to Stella Maris, the country’s only institution for children with diverse abilities. Today, in Room Seven, Tevin Ferrell is teaching opposites.

 

For James Ramos, the lesson could not be more fitting.

 

Sabreena Daly

“Have you made friends.”

 

James Ramos

“Hmm. A lot!”

 

What he feels now is the opposite of everything he left behind.

 

And when the day is over, dad is outside. A parent who chose to uproot everything for a school that could meet his son where he is. One week in…that choice looks like the right one. What James found here in five days, Stella Maris has been building since 1958. And their commitment to inclusion is now at the heart of a national conversation.

 

Sabreena Daly, Reporting

“The Ministry of Education’s More Campaign challenges a school to do more than teaching. And so the more inclusive pillar asks a simple question. How inclusive can you be?”

 

At the helm of this renewed energy is Principal Doreth Pascascio-Griffith, an educator with a clear message. Stella Maris has always done more. What is new is the invitation to a wider community to come and see it themselves.

 

Doreth Pascascio-Griffith, Principal, Stella Maris

“ It is very important for Stella Maris to do more, especially with the type of kids that we have, or dynamic kids that people would say are always left behind. At Stella Maris, no child is left behind. Yes, they learn differently, and yes, we as administrators are going to ensure that we’re here to do more for these students academically and with our life skill program.”

 

Here, the mission takes a very specific shape. Nine dedicated rooms. More than 150 unique learners. And a teaching system built entirely around each one of them. The school operates through two pathways: The Foundation Years, guiding students through literacy and numeracy and the Life Skills Learning Center, an individualized program focused on independence and communication.

 

Doreth Pascascio-Griffith

“I would want all of the students that are in my care at Stella Maris to know that they are loved, and to know that the administrators are here. Not only the administrator, but the staff are here to empower them and to leave something on them so when they leave Stella Maris, they are confident, they are loved, and they will be prepared for the world.”

 

In Room One, Verie Vassel and Olda Medina guide children as young as five through their morning numeracy. In Room Nine, Karen Williams is doing something that does not appear in any curriculum. She is combing a student’s hair. Every day, across the nine rooms of this campus, diapers are changed and children are bathed when the need is there. At Stella Maris, doing more is simply part of the job.

 

Verie Vassel, Teacher, Stella Maris

“We have our wipes, we have Pampers, we have powder. If they need a little bit of water, you know, we have the water. We kind of, you know, give them the bath, and we have them fresh every single day. That’s our job, and we love it.”

 

Under new leadership, Stella Maris is stepping into the spotlight and bringing parents along with it. The school has launched a new website, a monthly WhatsApp newsletter, and a PTA that’s finally giving families a voice. It’s all about building trust, staying connected, and keeping parents in the loop. For some, it’s more than communication; it’s become a space to grow, too.

 

Doreen Balthazar, Parent

“There are tips on how to deal with your child at school and home.”

 

The Stella Maris community is stepping up in a big way. Partners are donating supplies, meals, and holiday gifts, while groups like the Coast Guard and Fisheries Department are working directly with students. But the biggest impact is opportunity. This year, fifteen students landed placements across eleven workplaces, gaining real-world skills where it counts most. For Stella Maris, that’s not just progress. It’s the mission in action.

 

Doreth Pascascio-Griffith

“The kids did basic things, like pack a shelf every day. At least we know when the kids move from Stella Maris, that a business like Publics can hire those students, based on the skill that they learned right from Stella Maris. It starts here, and then we take them out into the real world. And I must say thanks to these businesses that had an open heart to take these students.”

 

And it does start here. In the parents who showed up. In the teachers who have always given everything. And in James Ramos, one week in, beaming from the promise of a new beginning. His journey and this school’s are just getting started. But what Stella Maris has already shown is that doing more was never the goal. It was always just the standard. Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: