Rising to the stars
MOUNT ALVERNIA High School is a Roman Catholic institution founded by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany in 1925 based on the spirituality of St Francis of Assisi. It is currently operated under the auspices of the Diocese of Montego Bay. Since January 2016, the school has been under the leadership of Stacey Reynolds, who is described by her staff, students, and parents as being unconventional, dynamic, no-nonsense, inclusive, strict, and a transformational leader. Within her first two years as principal, she was able to steer the school from a position of 18th in the Educate Jamaica High School Ranking, based on CSEC results, to that of fifth place, in one sitting.
The principal and her staff have been able to execute a number of initiatives that have focused on motivating the young ladies to believe in themselves as well as change the image of the school within the community. Some such initiatives include raising the bar for the school’s pass mark and becoming a data-driven environment. The school’s environment has also become more inviting and student friendly, with the principal maintaining her presence on and off the compound throughout the
day, and after school, throughout the township.
The school currently has a population of 1,400 ladies, of which, to date, they have been able to move from 70 ladies to 423 ladies on the Principal’s Honour Roll with only five students being unable to attain the new academic requirement over a three-year period. The goal, according to Reynolds, is to have no student left behind by getting them to believe in themselves.
LOFTY STATUS
Mount Alvernia’s mantra, ‘Ad Astra Per Aspera’ (To the Stars through Difficulties), echoes loudly throughout Montego Bay as the ladies have been regaining their lofty status in all areas of school life. They have retained the Western Conference Championship in basketball for the past two years and have become a dominant force in the western region for football, which was introduced to the school three years ago. The football team was undefeated in its zone, and despite being inexperienced in most of the sporting fields, and almost all coaches volunteering their time and efforts, the institution saw a few of their ladies from basketball, football, track and field, darts, swimming, and table tennis being selected to represent the nation over the past two years. The ladies have also continued to excel in the arts as they participate, successfully, each year in the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission Music, band, dance, speech and drama categories.
Discipline is a priority for the institution as the principal believes that without discipline, nothing can be achieved, and so the ladies are held accountable at all times.
The school started out the academic year in September 2018 under the theme, ‘Ladies Charged and Striving for Excellence: Beauty, Brains and Benevolence’, and all activities during the year were centred around this theme. Over the past three years, they have also taken on the tagline ‘Mount Alvernia High School ... The Home of Ladies’ in an attempt to influence thinking and change behaviour.
Excellence, even through difficulties, is, and will continue to be, the direction of the institution as the ladies are continuously reminded of the school’s core values practised by their patron saint, Francis of Assisi – simplicity, respect, love, honesty, and discipline.