The Anglican Schools' Festival is sponsored every two years under the aegis of the Anglican Central Education Authority (ACEA). The festival has grown into a highly anticipated event and has now become firmly established as a part of the Anglican tradition.
During the festival, students of the four Anglican schools - St. John's College, St. Anne's School, Bishop Michael Eldon School out of Grand Bahama and St. Andrew's Anglican School in Exuma - are given the opportunity to showcase their talents in sports as well as in the academic domains of spelling, elocution and the arts.
It is a time when the schools are able to demonstrate school spirit and healthy rivalry. Excitement is always in the air during this time. The students eagerly look forward to meeting their peers from the sister schools to engage in vigorous competition while building camaraderie and lasting friendships.
The 20th Anglican Schools' Festival will be held from Wednesday to Sunday, with St. John's College as the host school. This year's festival will honor Laura Ritchie and Winston Knight, former principals of St. John's College, for their outstanding contributions to Anglican education and to the country at large. Bishop Michael Eldon seeks to retain its position as the overall winner.
The festival will begin with a Mass at 9 a.m. at St. John's College, which will be celebrated by Bishop Laish Boyd, bishop of The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Events over the five days will include swimming, track and field, soccer, softball, basketball and cheerleading.
The festival culminates on Sunday at 4 p.m. at St. John's College Auditorium where students will present items of song, liturgical dance and spoken word in a "Festival of Fine Arts". A variety of works of art completed by students from all of the schools will be on display.
Immediately following the opening Mass, at noon, the swimming competition will begin, at the St. John's College swimming pool.
On Thursday, beginning at 9 a.m., the track and field competition will be held at the old Thomas A. Robinson Stadium.
On Friday, at 9 a.m., the elocution contest will be held at the St. John's College Auditorium. At 11 a.m. that day, senior girls and junior boys softball round-robin will be held at the Baillou Hills Sports Complex.
On Saturday, starting at 9 a.m., the softball championships will be held, and at 12 noon, the basketball competition will held at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium.
On Sunday morning, schools will visit various Anglican churches, and at 4 p.m., the events will conclude with the 'Festival of Fine Arts' competition.
The ACEA is encouraging alumni of all of the schools, friends of the schools, and the general public to come out and cheer for their respective schools.

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