MAY PEN, Clarendon – Glenmuir High celebrated its academic achievements as the school marked its 61st anniversary here recently.

A news release said 16 Glenmuir High School students gained nine or more distinctions in the 2019 Caribbean Secondary Examination Council (CSEC) exams, while several others gained Grade 1s in all subjects at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level.

Tamra Bryan, with 10 Grade 1 passes in biology, chemistry, English A, geography, industrial technology (building), information technology, mathematics, physics, principles of business, and technical drawing, was the top CSEC student.

At the CAPE level, Chavonae Hayles took the top spot with Grade 1 passes in six Unit 2 courses with straight A profiles (biology, chemistry, physics pure mathematics, integrated mathematics, Caribbean studies), while Rianna Skeine was the top Unit 1 performer with five Grade 1 passes in biology, chemistry, integrated mathematics, computer science, and Caribbean studies.

“This is the excellence that we preach, pray for, and push our students towards on a daily basis”, said acting principal Denavon Hayles as he thanked the Local Chapter of the Past Students’ Association for their “relentless dedication to partnering with the school to achieve its academic, extra-curricular, and infrastructural goals”.

Activities on Glenmuir’s Founder’s Day included the unveiling of signage by Principal Dr Marsha Smalling and former Cabinet minister, past student Dr Omar Davies; and the official naming of the school’s auditorium after Dr Sydney Scott, founding principal, who served the institution for 25 years before retiring in 1983.

There was also a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a solar power energy plant — a project spearheaded by past students with funding from PetroCaribe Development Fund.

Local past students association President Saundra Bailey pledged the group’s continued support in initiating projects to augment the school’s efficiency and to directly assist students.

All four chapters of the past students’ association have consistently contributed scholarships to students to ensure that academic excellence is maintained.

Founder’s Day activities began with a service of thanksgiving and praise at the St Gabriel’s Anglican Church in May Pen and concluded with the second staging of Lunch on the Lawn, a fund-raising effort to improve the safety and aesthetic appeal of the entrance to the school.

Glenmuir High School, an Anglican institution, was founded in September 1958 by Bishop Percival Gibson with 55 pupils. The current student population stands at approximately 1,700.