| Saint Mary High School | |
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| Address | |
| St. Mary, Jamaica W.I. Highgate, Jamaica StMary High School, Jamaica
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| Information | |
| Motto | Faith and Courage |
| Founded | 1960 |
| School number | (876)-992-2311 or 724-2026 |
| Principal | Lt. Col. E. V. Johnson |
| Faculty | 87 |
| Grades | 7-13 |
| Gender | Coed |
| Number of students | 1576 |
| Average class size | 20 |
| Campus type | Urban |
| School Colour(s) | Green and Yellow |
| Website | St. Mary High School |
St Mary High School is a secondary school located in the Highgate area of St Mary, Jamaica.
St Mary High School is a traditional high school for grades 7 thru 13. It has an enviable academic and athletic record and is one of the most sought after schools for GSAT graduates in Northeast Jamaica. The school boasts a very diverse racial makeup, the largest minority groups being East Indians and Chinese. The school was the National Schools' Debate champion in 1989, 1996, 1998, and 2005.
In common with all state-run Jamaican secondary schools, St. Mary High uses a selection process to accept students at the grade seven level. Due to the high level of competition from primary level students in St. Mary and surrounding parishes to gain entrance into St. Mary High School, one of only two traditional high schools in St. Mary and the only one with a sixth form programme, the majority of entrants are higher scoring GSAT candidates. Students from most primary and preparatory schools can attempt to gain a place by sitting the GSAT Examination, formerly the Common Entrance Examination, and the Grade Nine Achievement test.
Uniforms are worn, which for girls is a green tunic with white blouse, and for boys khaki pants and shirt, with green epulates with white or yellow stripes to indicate grades. Female students at the sixth form level wear green pleated skirts along with short sleeved white shirts, a school crest attached to shirt pocket, and a green, white and yellow striped tie. Male sixth form students wear the traditional khaki pants along with a white short or long sleeved shirt, school crest attached to front pocket, and the same tie worn by their female counterparts.
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On a little mound, a little mound which was originally part of the Constantine Lands. Then, Mitzi Seaga (nee Constantine) lived in a house on that little mound and that house on the mound became St. Mary High.
The Portals of St. Mary High opened on the 12th of January 1960 at 8:30 a.m., to sixty-nine (69) pupils – of which 31 were boys and 38 girls; four (4) teachers including the principal, Mr. L. W. Brown, B.Sc. Parents and students assembled, anticipating the beginning of the new school term. At that time, there were three (3) forms, 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3. Currently there are one thousand six hundred and sixteen (1,616) students enrolled and eighty-three (83) teachers on staff. The aforementioned house accommodated the three classrooms, the bathrooms and a kitchen, but was soon converted into an Assembly Hall, a sewing room and a library, after the building of new classrooms. Presently on that historical site is the music room, the netball, volleyball and basketball courts and also a beautiful garden.
Expansions did not stop, as the World Bank project extended the “B” Block which housed the Home Economics and Business Departments. Since then, three other blocks have been added, with the most recent addition being the Sixth Form block which was relocated and expanded in 2007.
In 1960, the school began with only five (5) clubs (including the popular Glee Club) and offered nine (9) subjects, including Latin. The curriculum now comprises twenty-six (26) subjects at the CSEC level and thirty (30) units at the CAPE Level. The Co-Curricular activities have also increased to twenty-one (21). During lunch time, students dined under an air of classical music; a tradition that still remains today, but in a more modernistic form. A more recent tradition has also been embarked upon, the playing of the National Anthem at the beginning of school.
The House system was introduced in January 1962; two years after the school first opened its doors and the first inter-house sports competition in March 1962. The four houses then: Harry, Henry, Stanley and Whitehorne competed. Harry house won that event. Cargill and Clarke houses were later added. Cargill House was named after the 2nd Principal, the late Mr. E. U. Cargill and Clarke House after the late track coach, Mr. Douglas Clarke.
The first Cadet inspection was held in February 1966. The Unit has grown over the years and has come to be the most successful in the nation.
To date the school has had four (4) Principals: Mr. L. W. Brown, Mr. E. U. Cargill, Mr. P. N. Hamilton and currently Lt. Col. E. V. Johnson.
St. Mary High has travelled a long fifty (50) years – explored, expanded and excelled.
ACADEMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS
In the 1960’s the St. Mary High School students had to achieve a higher score academically than the students of all the other parishes, excepting Kingston & St. Andrew, in order to obtain a free place award at S.M.H.S.
In 1996 S.M.H.S. had more students enrolled at the University of the West Indies than any other post Grade 11 high school in Jamaica.
In 2006 a S.M.H.S. student, Wrenford Thaffe, was the top CSEC Science student in the island. In 2006 another S.M.H.S. student placed 3rd in CSEC passes nationally (10 CSEC distinctions).
In 2007 S.M.H.S. received a Special Award from the Ministry of Education for First Place ranking in CSEC Examination in Region 2 (St. Thomas, Portland, St. Mary).
In 2009 a S.M.H.S. student Tamari Miller obtained 5 distinctions at the CAPE level and received a scholarship to the University of Chicago.
Over the past three years, 7 students have received scholarships to universities abroad via the A-Quest programme.
We have moved from a curriculum of 8 subjects to one that offers 28 at the CSEC level and a 14 two-unit and 2 one unit subjects at the CAPE level.
Over the past 13 years we have moved from obtaining 90% or more passes in 3 subjects to 90% or more passes in 15 subjects at the CSEC level.
In 2010 81% of students passed upwards of 4 subjects at the CSEC level.
In the year 2000 S.M.H.S. entered for one unit only at the CAPE level and obtained a 100% pass. After 8 years, of the 27 units entered, 13 obtained 100% passes.
In 2010 a Grade 7 student – Orville Kirkland – placed second in The Jamaican Mathematical Olympiad.
Dr. Dennis Minott’s analysis of 2008 puts S.M.H.S. at #8 in the island for GSAT students’ school of choice.
The campus is located in hilly Highgate Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica. It has grown considerable since the time of its opening in 1960 and is the largest campus of any high school in St. Mary. The school has a large auditorium, cafeteria/lunch room, many computer and science labs, a well stocked and professional library adjacent to the sixth form block, in addition to numerous classroom blocks and several staff-rooms.
Although St. Mary High School is not a boarding institution, foreign or out of town teachers have on-campus living options with apartment style cottages across from the nurses and guidance counselors stations. The school has a spacious volleyball/netball court that is often called the Cadet Square and a football field across the main roadway that runs parallel to the campus.
The school compound is maintained quite well and this is a direct result of the strict discipline and school pride that is instilled from first formers upwards.
Subjects offered to students include Technical Drawing,Building Technology, Industrial Technology, Mathematics, Physical Education, General Science, Social Studies, Home Economics, Biology, Geography, History, Physics, Food and Nutrition, Clothing and Textiles, Principles of Accounting, Office Administration, Principles of Business, English, Sociology, Music, Chemistry, Information Technology, Visual Art, Literature, Law, Spanish, Agricultural Science, and Religious Education.
Students take the Caribbean Examinations Council Exam (CXC) after five years at the school. Grades attained in the CXC Exam determine which students move on to tertiary institutions, and which move on to grades 12 and 13 sixth form.
The Principal of St. Mary High School is LT Col. Errol Vaughn Johnson.
St Mary High School has a number of clubs of which students must be a member by grade 9 in order to graduate. The clubs include:
Key Club
4H Club
Environmental Club
Cadet
Dance Club
Music Club
Inter School Christan Fellowship (ISCF)
Quiz Club
Drama Club
Spanish Club
Red Cross Society
Table Tennis Club
Douglas Leys - The Solicitor General of Jamaica
Judith Pusey - Senior Resident Magistrate
Floyd Morris - 1st visually challenged Jamaican Senator
Tanya Stephenson - Singer/Entertainer
Robert Montague - M.P. JLP Minister of Agriculture
Dr. Morais Guy - M.P. PNP Central St. Mary
Professor Verene Shepherd – Professor of Social History – U.W.I.
Irvin Forbes - (CVM)
Rodney Miller - (CVM)
Garfield Burford - (CVM)
Gary Allen - (RJR Communications Group)
Andrea Williams-Green - (IRIE FM)
Owen James - (TVJ)
Jacqueline Pusey - Olympic Athlete (Montreal 1976)
Doreen Small - Champion Athlete
Lilieth Hodges - Olympic Athlete (Montreal 1976)
Percival Spencer - Olympic Athlete (Atlanta 1996)
Nikole Mitchell - Olympic Athlete (Barcelona 1992, Bronze Medal Relay Team)
Andrea Collins-Pettigrew Senior Resident Magistrate
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