Westmoreland’s Grange Hill Primary School celebrates its 100th anniversary
Published:Wednesday | January 17, 2024 | 12:08 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Grange Hill Primary School in Westmoreland celebrated its 100th anniversary on January 14, a milestone that is being regarded as no small feat amid the challenges of the past while positioning itself for the future.
Established as Cushy Walk Elementary School in 1924 in the community of Sterling in Grange Hill, under the auspices of the Holy Trinity Anglican Diocese in Jamaica, the institution now stands as a beacon of hope for those in its care and those to come, having produced prominent graduates who have advanced in almost every professional field, including law, sports, education, and entrepreneurship.
Over the years, the school has been home to iconic Jamaicans who served as principals and teachers, including the island’s first native governor general, Sir Clifford Campbell and Godfrey Stewart, both of whom were both students and principals and subsequently had other schools named after them.
Among other notable past students are globally respected jurist Patrick Robinson, who is currently serving on the International Court of Justice; Dr Winston Dawes; Marlene Malahoo Forte, minister of legal and constitutional affairs, businessman Ian Hayles, entrepreneur and Westmoreland business advocate Moses Chybar; and Dennis Harwton of Dennis Shipping.
In the field of sports, Olympian Ronald Levy, Tia Clayton and her twin sister Tina Clayton are also making their alma mater proud.
“Grange Hill Primary School and the community have experienced tremendous achievements over the years, and today marks a significant milestone in the life of Grange Hill Primary School,” said Clayton Smith, principal of the century-old co-educational institution, on Sunday.
After eight years at the helm of the school, Smith boasts of the many achievements that unfolded as part of the transformational goals he established for the school and its stakeholders, including outperforming many other resourced schools in the final sitting of the then Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT) and securing converted government scholarships.
“I wanted to move the school further up the academic ladder, and, in 2018, we had a great movement in which we had 16 students being awarded by the then minister of education for a 95 per cent average and over at the last GSAT exam,” Smith told parents and students during Sunday’s centennial celebration church service at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church.
“I am proud to say that we ranked 16th in the entire island of Jamaica amongst all the students that sat the GSAT that year, and we were the number one government primary school in the entire region four [of the Ministry of Education and Youth], only second to Mt Alverina Preparatory School,” he continued.
He said bringing an end to the double shift system was high on his agenda and that he and the entire community were grateful that this became a reality.
“I wanted to remove the school from the shift system, and that is a testimony; we have officially removed from the shift system as of September 2023,” Smith noted. Since then, approximately 800 students have been facilitated in a whole-day school setting with adequate time for extracurricular activities.
‘No small feat’
Marsha Smith, state minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth, said Grange Hill Primary School’s journey and achievements are models from which to emulate, as she lauded them for reaching the milestone of 100 years of existence.
“It is no small feat that the school has been able to get through the various challenges to [reach this] today, as it has provided primary level education for many persons in the community and the wider parish,” Smith said during the service to launch the anniversary celebration.
“In this regard, it is always a good thing to reflect on and to celebrate the successes achieved over the years and to appreciate the journey travelled while we look forward to better things to come,” she added.
Further, the state minister commended the educational institution and its staff for their resilience and for the contribution they have made over the years to the lives of all their past and present students.
“Your educators, administrators, and ancillary staff have played a central role in training and developing the minds of young Jamaicans in this area, guiding them into becoming productive citizens who have and are contributing to the development of Jamaica and the world,” she said.
Acknowledging that the last 100 years of Grange Hill Primary have been colourfully decorated and that its initial commencement in 1924 was unique and worthy of celebration, as not many institutions in education have been able to arrive at their centenary milestone.
On Monday, administrators, teachers, parents, students, and other members of the community joined the celebration with a road march from the monument at the intersection of Sterling and Bell Isle Road, which passes through the town square, and concluded at the school compound, where a health and educational fair took place.