February 6, 2002

Dear Sir,

I am a student at CedarBridge Academy, I am referring to a letter which a visitor wrote on January 24, 2002, and was published February 5, entitled "Time for Changes".

I agreed with some of the comments they made on improving Bermuda in order to keep tourists coming to the island. But as I read on, I came upon a comment that made me furious. The sentence stated...."Perhaps making a manners course mandatory at CedarBridge would help." I am so disgusted. What gives people the audacity to degrade our schools standards! Why do people always have something negative to say about CBA, and the students who attend the school? Why did they have to single us out, yet again? They have no right!

They could have said all schools in Bermuda need a mandatory manners course because no school is perfect. In every school you will have at least a handful of students with behavioural problems. I could guarantee you that, that sort of comment would've never been addressed toward any private school. In fact not even any other public school, only CedarBridge Academy.

What seems to be the big problem with us? Once again I am urged to let you know that it is not all of the students in our school. Stop allowing a few bad apples spoil the bunch. CedarBridge Academy is a terrific school. I can't emphasise it anymore - how absolutely wonderful our school is. We are ranked with the top schools on the Island, so please stop downing us all the time, with your snobbish comments. We aren't ill-mannered. How well mannered are the people where you come from? Do they have the decency to greet people with a good morning or a good afternoon? I doubt it very much!

The problem in our society is not a CedarBridge issue, it's an Island-wide issue. It isn't CedarBridge's fault that children are ill-mannered. Maybe some individuals have personal problems, which need to be dealt with, and constant criticism isn't going to make matters any better. Or maybe it's the fact that you are too busy judging a book by its cover and not looking past our uniform and finding what's in our hearts and in our minds. Give us a chance. As soon as you see our uniform you are so quick to be judgmental. Which is so unfortunate, it hurts our feelings to think that because we attend 'CedarBridge Academy' we are automatically labelled as disrespectful individuals.

Students at CBA are going to be alright. We will be and respectful students.

What I would reasuccessful in life and personally I cannot wait until the day when people realise that the majority of us are focused lly live is for people of Bermuda and visitors to stop judging us. I know for a fact my fellow colleagues would second me on that . But the reason I am so offended is because I was taught my manners at home. Please don't blame our school for the behaviour of some students.

STOP JUDGING

Tiffany Eatherley