Last year Daniel Thomas made Ardenne High School in Kingston proud when he copped the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) award for Most Outstanding Performance in the sciences in the region.

A few weeks ago, Ardenne administrators were smiling broadly again when they learnt that Anthony Alexander received the top award in Biology, Chemistry and Physics in the island in the CXC exams this year.

The successes of both students bear particular significance for Ardenne, given that the school has been battling with inadequate science facilities for some years. However, the achievements of both Thomas and Alexander, coupled with the fact that over the past two years science passes at Ardenne have increased by 50 per cent, have renewed the school’s thrust toward building a better science lab for its students.

Since 2003, the Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) has been working tirelessly in collaboration with the school to raise $30 million to build a state-of-the-art science lab to not only accommodate more students, but also improve their learning environment.

“The lab is 80 years old. It has been here since the school was built a long time ago,” said Joanna George-Johnson, head of the Science Department. “Over the years, the number of students taking ‘A’ Levels has increased and the school requires students to sit one science subject at CXC level, so the classes have become really packed.”

George-Johnson explained that the school currently has one lab per science subject. However, the classes are bursting at the seams, resulting in many of the grade 12 students being forced to take classes at other schools.

“This year, I have 53 students compared to last year when we had 10 students in a class,” she explained. “One reason we look toward a new science lab is (for us) to accommodate more students.”

The planned state-of-the-art lab is expected to have a lecture theatre, multimedia projection capabilities, as well as classrooms and a staff room.

George-Johnson said that they are also planning on using solar energy to power the building and bio gas to operate the Bunsen burners in a bid to allow the students to not only learn about science, but “live science”.

So far, the school has raised $3.7 million towards the construction of the lab. Roxanne Morris, chairperson for the Science Block Fundraising Committee, explained that they have been using creative means to raise the money.

Last month, for instance, the committee tolled the school driveway and raised $40,000 in two hours. “We plan to do this at least once a month until April next year when we break ground,” Morris said.

The committee has also staged a tag drive at four shopping malls in Kingston and St Catherine with the intention of raising at least $400,000. Last year, a similar tag drive for the cause raked in $250,000.

A parenting workshop was planned for December 3 at which participants were charged $1,500 each for two sessions. In March, the school will host Celebrities in Concert, which will showcase the talents of its students. This will be followed by a concert featuring parents, such as Freddie McGregor, who are in the Jamaican spotlight.

“We are really upbeat and positive about this,” Morris told the Observer. “We want to break ground for the first phase of construction in April.”

She also noted that National Commercial Bank chairman Michael Lee Chin has pledged to match any amount of money the school manages to raise for the lab, and said that the committee was seeking assistance from the alumni, as well as parents.

“We started out asking for assistance from the parents, but it kind of died down,” said Morris. “So now we are going to ask the parents who can afford it to contribute at least $1,000 per month or give what they have.”