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Anchovy High to become ‘school of choice’ by 2022 - New past students’ association president announces bold plans ahead of school’s 50th anniversary celebrations

Published:Monday | January 27, 2020 | 12:10 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
Albert Ferguson (right), the president of Anchovy High School’s newly formed past students’ association, conducts a swearing-in ceremony for first vice-president Gavin Thomas (centre) and second vice-president Ishba Higgins during the ceremony.
Albert Ferguson (right), the president of Anchovy High School’s newly formed past students’ association, conducts a swearing-in ceremony for first vice-president Gavin Thomas (centre) and second vice-president Ishba Higgins during the ceremony.

WESTERN BUREAU:

The newly formed past students’ association of the Anchovy High School in St James has announced an ambitious plan to transform the school into the high school of choice in western Jamaica, ahead of the school’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2022.

While addressing the association’s installation ceremony at the school last Thursday, Gleaner reporter Albert Ferguson, the association’s president, said that plans include putting a greater focus on sporting disciplines while maintaining academic excellence.

Sporting disciplines

“Sports is a very important vehicle in an educational institution, as it provides us with well-rounded individuals.

“The Anchovy High School Past Students’ Association is going to be working with the school to ensure that the sporting disciplines are being taught and that the students are exposed in competitions so they can be well-rounded in sports and academics,” said Ferguson.

“The association will be working together with the school administration to ensure that Anchovy High attains the title of ‘school of choice’. While we can’t say what year that will be, we are looking to see the fruits of that labour by the time this institution begins to celebrate its 50th anniversary in two years’ time,” added Ferguson. According to him, the association will also be aiming to secure a school bus to provide transportation for the students.

“We’re not financially wealthy, but we’re ambitious and proud, and we’re going to pool our resources, along with fundraising efforts, to ensure that Anchovy High School will be able to drive its own school bus on this compound in 2022,” said Ferguson. “There are past students everywhere you can think of, and we intend to reach out to them, through this event and others, so that we can make Anchovy High the school of choice.”

The new association president’s bold declaration follows Anchovy High School’s historic run in the 2019 ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup football competition, where they qualified for the quarter-finals for the first time. The team, which was coached by former national player Hector Wright and captained by Alton Grant, was recognised and awarded during Thursday’s function.Jamaica Teachers’ Association President Owen Speid, who was the keynote speaker at the event, congratulated the past student association on its installation and urged the members to advocate for student discipline and parental accountability.