MONTEGO BAY, St James — GENERAL manager of the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) Earl Jarrett has hailed the St James-based Green Pond High for its outstanding performance in recent years.

“Over four years, Green Pond High has emerged as one of the best examples of what can be achieved when there is consensus around a common objective and a shared vision to achieve excellence,” said Jarrett, noting that the institution was one of the six upgraded high schools selected in 2009 to participate in the Mutual Building Societies Foundation Centres of Excellence Project.

Jarrett was speaking at the Green Pond High Awards and Dinner ceremony held at Sandals Montego Bay on Saturday — the last of a raft of celebratory activities which were held under the theme: ‘Reflecting on the Past, Celebrating Excellence’ to mark the school’s 10th year.

Other activities included a church service, open day, civic ceremony and the renaming of the school’s library to the Mutual Building Societies Foundation Resource and Media Centre.

The Centres of Excellence programme focused particularly on leadership improvement as a means of transforming the performance of the schools.

On Saturday, Jarrett noted that prior to the project, Green High Pond High, located in the midst of several St James inner-city communities, was plagued by a stigma of low academic expectation and performance, a high incidence of truancy, and tribal behaviour.

“And in fact, this became your reality. Well-thinking students and parents did not want to be associated with the school.

“But when the Mutual Building Societies Foundation Centres of Excellence project looked at the school, it saw much more. It saw a school that was willing to put a development plan in place with the support of its partners and stakeholders, parents, the community, and public and private sector entities. It saw a school leadership team who exhibited the capacity for clear and effective leadership. It saw a school that was willing to try a new approach to achieve positive outcomes,” the JNBS chief told the gathering.

Now, Jarrett said, the school which has an enrolment of 1,250 students up from 379 students in 2005 when it started; a staff complement of 55 teachers, and support staff of 27 persons, has made tremendous strides.

“The school’s identity has begun to shape the values of the school — the value of excellence and the value of high achievement — with the school becoming a place of choice for secondary education in St James,” said Jarrett.

According to Jarrett, the average grade of GSAT students entering Green Pond has improved from 43 per cent in 2008 to 62 per cent in 2013- a marked improvement in four years.

“I understand, as well, that this is also evident in external exams — with more than 80 per cent of the students passing one or more subjects in the CSEC examinations in 2013, and the Sixth Form students doing well in their CAPE subjects,” he added.

He said that in recent years Green Pond High has seen increased participation in national programmes such the DaCosta Cup, Boys’ and Girls’ Champs; greater student participation in science subjects; on increasing number of students sitting external exams, and the overall sense of value and self-worth that many of the students have embodied.

He noted that:Andre Clayton was among the top ten students in the Caribbean for outstanding performance in Agricultural Science in 2010; Ronice Wallace was awarded first place in the National Scientific Research Council Poster Competition in 2011; Lloyd Crawford was awarded first place in the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica Science and Poster Competition in 2012; Roshe’ McKenzie was appointed Youth Ambassador to the United States of America and Vice President for the National Students Council in 2013; and the school was recognised as the Most Outstanding Centre of Excellence School in 2013.

Jarrett argued that the Green Pond experience needs to be applied to the wider society, stressing that “the outcome for St James and Jamaica can be changed in a similar way to Green Pond, if we start by ensuring that every Jamaican begins to get a sense of who he/she is and what is his/her identity.”

“The story of Green Pond gives us hope… not a hope born out of a dream without the possibility of realisation; but a hope that is evident and available for us all to see,” he emphasised.

A number of teachers and other stakeholders of the school including board chairman Stephen Shaw, Michael Elllis, principal; Iris Stoddart, vice-principal; Jennifer Francis, education officer and Denese Logan-Clarke were presented with awards at the function which was hosted by Sandals Montego Bay Resort.