Education State Minister Commends Grange Hill Primary for Reaching Milestone

State Minister in the Ministry of Education and Youth, Hon. Marsha Smith, has lauded the Grange Hill Primary School in Westmoreland for reaching the milestone of 100 years of existence.

“It is no small feat that the school has been able to get through the various challenges… and has provided primary-level education for many persons in the community and the wider parish,” she said.

The State Minister was addressing the Launch Service for the Grange Hill Primary School’s Centenary Celebration, which was held at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Westmoreland, on Sunday (January 14).

Ms. Smith also commended the institution and its staff for their resilience and for the contribution they have made to the lives of all its past and present students.

“Your educators, administrators and ancillary staff have played a central role in training and developing the minds of young Jamaicans in this area, guiding them into becoming productive citizens who have and are contributing to the development of Jamaica and the world,” she outlined.

“In this regard, it is always a good thing to reflect on and to celebrate the successes achieved over the years and to appreciate the journey travelled, while we look forward to better things to come,” the State Minister added.

Ms. Smith highlighted that the school, which started in 1924, was unique, as there are not many institutions that have been able to get to a century of existence.

For his part, Chairman of the School Board, Samuel Williams, called the school’s centennial anniversary “a remarkable achievement”.

He noted that one of the school’s greatest achievements, to date, was the removal of the shift system, which came into effect last September.

This came on the heels of a new classroom block being constructed at the school to further accommodate its more than 700 students.

The service, which marked the start of the school’s Centennial Celebration Week, was held under the theme ‘Grange Hill Primary 100: Celebrating the past, embracing the present and positioning for the future’.