Improving the performance of the school in all areas
ONCE AGAIN, it is my pleasure to warmly greet all Collegemen on behalf of the Jamaica College (JC) family at 189 Old Hope Road.
I particular want to commend the JC Old Boys’ Association for hosting their 27th Carlton Alexander Awards Dinner to recognise Collegemen who have made remarkable contributions to the development of our beloved school and country. We join in congratulating this year’s awardees – Steve Shelton and Dr Clive Lai – two great Collegemen with excellent records of service and sacrifice.
I have almost completed my second year as acting principal of Jamaica College and have been working with our team and stakeholders to improve the performance of the school in all areas but with a main emphasis on academics.
Our population is now at 1,807, which is almost 100 boys fewer than last year. Our plan is to reduce the total number to just over 1,600, with a maximum class size of 33 students. We have continued to split mathematics and English classes throughout the school to 20-25 students per class. Boys are now expected to do a minimum of eight subjects at the CSEC level unless there are very special circumstances. After this year, five of these subjects will be compulsory. Therefore, each boy must do math, English, a science, a writing subject and a computer subject. We expect this to positively impact and sustain our performance.
We also note the growing number of students doing auto mechanics and food and nutrition. The boys are very interested in these areas and are demonstrating the required skills. In addition, we continue the successful Construction Project Management course that was introduced last year by the Gore Foundation. These are all practical courses with experiential learning.
We continue to review our delivery of lessons, with emphasis on the engagement of the boys, and continue to train our teachers to make the required adjustments. We have significantly improved our data management, administration, access/communication to parents and record keeping. This has helped us to use data to plan and to improve our partnership with parents by timely supply of information. We have improved staff and student incentives, with any boy averaging over 80 per cent being placed on the honour roll and boys with a 90-plus per cent average getting a $90,000 cash award.
We anticipate that the work we are doing to improve the academic foundation of the school will result in improved performances in external examinations each year.
Our infrastructure has also improved significantly. We have refurbished first- and second-form classrooms and bathrooms. We have also refurbished the first, second, fifth and main staffrooms, including the addition of airconditioning units. We have added 40 ceiling fans to classrooms around the school. We are now in the process of refurbishing the robotics lab courtesy of Gary ‘Butch’ Hendrickson, who has also funded the reroofing of the Simms Building and the building of a monument with flagpoles on Holy Ground to recognise our war heroes. We have also just begun the construction of the JCAshenheim Sports Complex on our larger field. This will include a 400m eight-lane synthetic track, support facilities, and parking.
Our robotics teams have performed exceptionally well by reaching the World Championship. We were the only Caribbean teams of the 70-plus in the preliminary competition, which included some of the best-funded high schools in the US. In the World Championship, we placed 55th of the 128 best teams from all over the world.
We have performed creditably in basketball, lacrosse, golf (finishing in joint first place), swimming and athletics (finishing third in the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Championships).
We have also performed creditably in debating and cultural drumming, with our boys winning several gold medals in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission competitions. Our school band has now morphed into a professional group called 8 that is getting excellent reviews.
FIFTH IN A ROW
We had a ‘blue year’ in football! We won every ISSA trophy available at all levels. At the Under-19 level, we won the Manning Cup and the Olivier Shield for the fifth year in a row! We also won the Walker Cup! At the Under-14 and Under-16 levels, we won both the urban and all-island trophies. This is unprecedented and historic!
We are now completing external exams and will soon begin internal end-of-year exams.
We continue to be indebted to the Jamaica College Old Boys’ Association as your support and contribution to the development of our boys have been significant. The continuous effort to positively impact the lives of our boys is remarkable and a blessing. We are extremely grateful for your donations to the welfare programme, scholarships, teacher incentives and equipment needs of the school. Your most significant and important impact is the time you spend mentoring and guiding our boys, sharing stories (some exaggerated), and grooming them into ‘blue blooded Collegemen’. forever. WAYNE ROBINSON Jamaica College Principal (acting)