Immaculate Conception High School (Jamaica)

Immaculate Conception High School
Location
152c Constant Spring Road Kingston Jamaica
Coordinates	18°02′38″N76°47′32″W / 18.04395°N 76.79218°W / 18.04395; -76.79218
Information
Motto	Ad Astra Per Aspera (Through Difficulty to Excellence (Literally: Through Difficulties to the stars)
Religious affiliation(s)	Christian
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Patron saint(s)	Our Lady of Immaculate Conception
Founded	1858;167 years ago (1858)
Founder	Scottish Franciscan Sisters
Status	Open
Principal	Mrs. Reynolds
Gender	Female
Age range	10-19
Enrolment	About 1,500
Language	English
Houses	7
Colour(s)	Blue and White
Yearbook	Our World
Website	www.immaculatehigh.edu.jm

Immaculate Conception High School (ICHS) is a Roman Catholic High School for girls in Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica. About 1500 girls are enrolled.

History

In January 1858, the Scottish Franciscan Sisters set up a Preparatory and Secondary School for girls at Duke Street in Kingston. The School was dedicated to and named after Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. In January 1879, the Scottish Franciscans handed over the school to the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. Mothers Paula and Veronica set a high standard of achievement which is today still being preserved.

In the summer of 1858, the school moved to Duke Street. On Saturday 23 October 1937, the ICHS was burnt to ashes in a terrible fire that started a block away at a beauty parlor. The school moved to Old Hope Road (temporarily) and then in 1941, the school acquired the Constant Spring Hotel (which was operated by Niagara Falls businessman Frank A. Dudley and the United Hotels Company of America in 1933. ^[1] ) which is now used for the Immaculate Conception High School, Preparatory School and Convent.

The school was separated into two sections, one section for the English speaking students of Jamaica and the other for French speaking students of Haiti. Due to the lack of Haitian students, the French section has been closed down.

The school was a boarding and day school.

Campus

ICHS is located on a large campus with many facilities including:

• Administrative Block
• Faculty Room
• School Chapel
• Library
• Classrooms
• Performing Arts Centre
• 5 Computer Rooms
• Medical Room
• Offices of Guidance Counsellors
• Book Store
• Science Building
• 2 Home Economics Labs
• 2 Art Studios
• 3 Audio-Visual Rooms
• Campus Ministry Room
• Cafeteria
• Music House
• School Pool
• Tennis Court
• Netball Court
• Summer House
• Sixth Form Lounge
• Drama House

Insignia

Motto

• Ad Astra Per Aspera "Through Difficulties to Excellence"

Emblem

• The Franciscan Coat of Arms.

Houses

There are seven houses:

• The Immaculata House - named after Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. The house color is blue.
• The Franciscan House named after St. Francis of Assisi. The house color is brown.
• The St. Joan of Arc House - named after St. Joan of Arc of France. The house color is yellow.
• The St. Clare House - named after St. Clare. The house color is green.
• The St. Tekakwitha House - named after the Indian Martyr, St Tekakwitha. The house color is red.
• The St. Rose of Lima House - named after the first canonized saint in the Western Hemisphere. The house color is rose-pink.
• The Davidica House - named after Sister M. Davidica, former principal of ICHS. The house color is purple.

Notable alumnae

• Politics and Law
  • Shahine Robinson, MP for St Ann ^[2]
  • Tracy Robinson, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Jamaica; Rhodes Scholar 1992; member of the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). ^{[3] [ unreliable source? ]}
• Sports
  • Sanya Richards-Ross, American track and field athlete.
  • Alia Atkinson, Jamaican swimmer and Olympian.

See also

• Education in Jamaica

References

1. "Receivers Name for Hotel Firm" (PDF). The New York Times. 18 November 1933. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
2. "Similar but different stripes". Jamaica Gleaner. 18 June 2007. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
3. Tracy Robinson Profile ^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}

External links

• Aerial view.
• Official school website