O.H.H.S past students ‘touched’ by alma mater’s honour

Old Harbour High School past student honorees (left to right) Dr Keste Miller, Special Corporal Tamara Anderson-Bennett, Sgt. Rushan Burke, Phillip Blake, Utipy Fogah, Oliver Hylton, Wayne Harrison, Jermaine Fraser, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Andre Largie (3rd right) and Andre Forbes (right). The occasion was carried out during Founders Day/Heritage Day celebrations at the school ground, on Wednesday, October 16, 2013. (Photo: Peter Simmonds/Digital Image Photo Lab).

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Three former students of Old Harbour High School said they are deeply touch by the decision of their alma mater to commemorate them during Founders Day on Wednesday.

Army man Sergeant Rushan Burke, Marine Engineer Andre Largie and Founder of International World and Travel Services Wayne Harrison were amongst several past students who were recognized by the school celebrating its 44th year of existence, which also coincided with Heritage Week activities at the school. Other noted Jamaicans recognized were Olympic gold medalist Kemar Bailey-Cole, former Government Senator and Attorney-at-Law Dr Keste Miller and University of Technology Lecturer Oliver Hylton.

“It’s an overwhelming feeling and I really appreciate the invitation for me to be here;”

said Wayne Harrison founder and managing director of International World and Travel Services. Marine Engineer Andre Largie said: “It’s a good feeling knowing that I’m a past student of such a prestigious institution and can come back to celebrate the school’s birthday…it’s a good feeling. I feel at home again with my school family and it’s always good to be home.

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”It is the first time that the school was honoring its past students in such a momentous manner, and the decision to do so has been well received and applauded. “What happened today is very good,” said Burke a graduate of the 1997 Class. “It was a good event.  I really liked it and I’m looking forward to next year.” “I think it (the ceremony) was a bit too drawn out for the children because after a while the students started to get flustered. But we have to understand that they are children and the place was very hot. It’s the first, so we can’t cringe too much,” added Burke.

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The four-hour long ceremony began with a march to the town center led by the school’s cadet drum corps. The main highlight, however, was the unveiling of murals on select blocks depicting former Principals Enid Golding and Guy F Jobson – both deceased; Cpt. Lincoln Thaxter, Joyclin Clarke and Selvyn Green.

Upgraded to high school status in 1988, Old Harbour High has made significant progress as an institution, currently ranked in the top 50 out of more than 200 high schools on the island. “I think it’s a vast improvement,” Sgt Burke said. “I was a cadet also and we only had one platoon which is 32 cadets.

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Now we have 60-odd plus drum corps and they have gone on to be the best in the island. We have done well in School Challenge Quiz, All Together Sing, you name it. ”The growing success of the school located at 33 South Street has inspired many generations past and present. With its success comes increased demand for support, a call Burke is already making.

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“I would encourage everyone who have been here before to come and help. Even if its to help to plant one grass and watch our school grow because most traditional high schools their past students associations is bigger than even the school boards and that help to build schools,” he told oldharbournews.com.

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“I think there is some work need to be done where discipline is concern. Currently I’m not available but whenever I can I will definitely do so. It’s good to see my school growing and the level that we are today is extremely good because we are still in the phase of growing. Wherever I go in the world I always bring my school in my heart,” said Largie, who recently graduated from the Maritime Institute and is now waiting to be placed aboard a vessel.

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While Largie will be sailing on the high seas very soon there are important lessons to be learn, Harrison emphasized. The budding entrepreneur, who also made the call for more support from the past students, said: “I was always inspired by past students who came in the past to address us while I was here. I used to play basketball for the school and I would encourage other past students to come and assist with the extra-curricular activities because it helps to build stronger minds but it is important for the students not to lose sight of the academics.”Perhaps overjoyed by the occasion, Burke wanted to see more, stating “they should have gotten more past students because we have many, many more professionals out there.

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“I also think they should have expounded on the individual in terms of what they do to show people that it’s not just a normal police or a normal soldier it’s where they work and what get them there. ”But this is just the beginning like he’d said before.

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Originally published on: Saturday, 01 March 2014  02:04
Courtesy: The Old Harbour News.com

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O.H.H.S alumni elect Everton Mitchell as president

Nineteen eighty-six (1986) Head Boy Everton Mitchell, last Sunday, was elected president of the Old Harbour High School Past Students Association, where he and the executive body will serve for at least a year.

 

Everton Mitchell, O.H.H.S-P.S.A President

Mitchell heads the newly elected executive that was voted into office by its association members during a Special General Meeting held inside the Selvyn Green Auditorium on the school’s grounds.

The past head boy will have familiar faces in Eugena Clarke-James, who he defeated 16-7 when the floor was open for nominations.

Clarke, the Head Girl in 1986, will serve as his vice president after beating Glaister Thomas and Aaron Brown in a very close race. Andre Gillespie, a graduate of the Class of 2007, was unanimously elected to the position of Secretary as he was the sole individual nominated, as does Marlene Riley-Narine, a career administrator who will act as Gillespie’s assistant.

Business Administration teacher, Tiffany Green was unchallenged for the post of Treasurer, while Diana Plummer-Ludford, a religious education teacher at the school, will assist Green in the capacity of assistant treasurer after claiming a narrow 11-10 victory over 1982 graduate Mark Goodman when the ballots were counted.

Goodman, Kurt Rose, who is the current school Bursar and Aaron Brown, who is one of the founding members when the alumni body was formed in 1992, complete the executive.

 

Elected members on the executive committee of the Old Harbour High School Past Students Association. Front row (l-r): Marlene Riley-Narine, Eugena Clarke-James, Everton Mitchell, Diana Ludford, Tiffany Green. Back row (l-r): Aaron Brown, Kurt Rose, Mark Goodman

Mitchell, a former police officer, currently operates in the security division at The Bank of Nova Scotia, commonly known as Scotiabank Jamaica, while Clarke-James is the operations manager at May Pen Hospital.

Though it is his first time heading any organization, Mitchell said he’s committed to getting the job done once there’s support. With the elections out of the way the executive is charged with galvanizing as many as possible past students in an effort to strengthen the core base of an institution that first opened its doors in October 1969.

One of the first things, as a matter of priority, is amending the constitution to reflect the times. Increasing the life of the executive before an election is due from one to two years, as well as upping the membership fee from $50 per annum, are just some of the likely recommendations that Mitchell and his team are expected to propose in short order. Constitutionally, only past students are allowed to sit on the executive.

However, immediately following the elections a motion was moved to make Florence Rankine, who is not a past student, a Honourary Life Member.Rankine, who was recently appointed vice principal, and is a teacher of 27 years at Old Harbour High, was an instrumental figure in resuscitating the association which was dormant for several years. She chaired the steering committee setup to revive the group and as vice principal will give guidance to ensure the survivability of the association.

The association is tasked with the responsibility of bringing together all former students through a number of initiatives – one certainly being the establishment of a website – that will aid in the transformation process. School principal Lynton Weir, himself a product of Old Harbour High thanked the Rankine-led committee, while urging the elected executive “to work on set goals that will transform the landscape of Old Harbour High”.

 

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Originally published on: Thursday, 27 March 2014 12:09
Written by:  Andrew Hancel The Old Harbour News.com

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Rising from the ashes: Old Harbour High Alumni Association resuscitated

There were lots of empty seats inside the Selvyn Green Auditorium. But for the roughly 40 individuals who turned up Sunday for the Old Harbour High Alumni Association renaissance they all came with one thing in common.

 

The resuscitation of the past student association is remerging. This time however, there is a real sense of optimism that the players behind the scene will finally get it right this time around. Included in a very strong steering committee set up to guide the process are some of the most influential public figures that the soon-to-be 45-year-old institution has produced.

Florence Rankine

 

Florence Rankine, who is spearheading the initiative, isn’t a past student but has been teaching at Old Harbour High since 1989. She’s one of four teachers provisionally selected for the post of Vice Principal following the retirement of Patricia Green.

One of the requirements of the four nominees is to create a project during their first year of service and Rankine has made the revival of the past students association her mission. She leads a committee including former Vice Principal Melva Blake, who served between 1969 and 1992; Dr Keste Miller, attorney-at-law and former government Senator; and also current Headmaster Lynton Weir as well as a few past head boys and head girls.

A confident Rankine said mistakes of the past are not likely to be repeated based on the support she’s already receiving.

“I have vested interest in it;”

rankine said of the association. “One, because it is my project and two, because I love working with people.” She added: “There is one thing that is evident here that wasn’t evident the first time and that’s the diversity of graduates. Because we have graduates from 1970s up to 2013 at this meeting and it is really great. So we have a good mix of youth, experience, vibrancy and everything that is needed to get the association going.” Weir took the opportunity at Sunday’s meeting – held under the theme Let’s help keep Old Harbour High School’s flame burning – to raise awareness about the achievements of the institution established in 1969 as a junior secondary school and now ranked within the 50 best performing high schools in Jamaica out of more than 200.

 

Lynton Weir

Weir, himself a former old boy, highlighted the school’s numerous successes in academia, sport, and the arts over the four-and-a-half decades of existence without a vibrant alumni association.

The likes of Olympic gold medalist Kemar Bailey-Cole, former national cricketer Maurice Kepple, NBA player Jason Francis, mathematicians Garken Pusey and Andre Burke among several others, have all attained local and international acclaim. But if Old Harbour High is to continue excelling and aspires to be among the very best in Jamaica, a strong past students association must play an active role in order to get to that level, the principal stressed.

“For any organization to do well or for people to buy into an organization they have to have something that they are going to buy into. Once they can identify with the success it is easier for them to buy into the vision and mission of where we want to take the school;”

said Weir, who was among the first set of students to make the original attempt to have a past student body established back in 1992.

“The Ministry of Education and the Government of Jamaica will not be able to do everything for schools, and that is why Ronald Thwaites, the Minister of Education is moving into Diasporas to get past students associations and other individuals to come to invest in our schools. Here at Old Harbour High School we would have produced 20 to 21,000 graduates from 1969 until now. We need for them to come back and invest in their school.” He noted that 32 of the present teaching cohort are past students who are now giving back to their alma mater, while several administrators currently employed also received their high school education here.

 

Dr. Keste Miller

Dr Miller, a university lecturer, said sticking together as a unit would be crucial to the viability and sustainability of the association.

“I am very pleased that out of the multitude of all who have passed through this noble institution a few dedicated past students are here, and that’s all it takes to move this organization;”

said Miller who was the guest speaker. “And I say so because the work load will be on us. Don’t expect a floodgate to be open. All we need to do is keep that solid core moving. Get the committees working.

”It is no secret that the best schools in the country are strongly supported by former students. Their commitment to giving back is unwavering, propelling their school to the top in all areas. This is the kind of philosophy Miller want to see his fellow schoolmates adopt.

The 1979 Head Boy added: “In this age of technology we can have all the graduates right in this room by the click of a button. We must use the technology to get this past student association alive, fruitful, positive, vibrant, so that it can deliver. No high school, no primary school, no university can excel unless the past students pull their weight. The future of this school rests in our hands. We the past students must take up that task to let this school move to what I would call the ‘University of Old Harbour with an high school department.”

 

Alumni associations carry with it a chronology of the school’s history, stated Blake, who elevated up the ranks from being a classroom teacher to the second highest position.

“I am going to work with it because I am a part of this history that will be documented when the school becomes a university;”

she beamed. “I am predicting that… a university with a high school department.” She said it is a matter of great urgency that full support is given by all and sundry in order for the school to move up to ascend to higher heights. “My charge to them is that it is urgent. It is later than you think. There’s work to be done. Come all in. If you can’t come, blossom where you are planted and serve from wherever you are. We will use technology and keep the flame burning.

Melva Blake

But Old Harbour High must move and must be supported by those who got support from this school as students. It is their turn to help build this university that is to become,” she said.

The steering committee is again inviting past students to its next meeting that will convene on March 9, following which an executive will be selected on March 23.

Steering committee: Florence Rankine, Lynton Weir, Melva Blake, Dr Keste Miller, Eugena Clarke-James, Glesta Thomas, Andre Gillespie, Christine Wright, Anthony Townsend, Aaron Brown, Kurt Rose, Natrisha Watkin, Marlene Narine, Linda Watts-Wright

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Originally published on: Saturday, 01 March 2014  02:04
Written by:  Andrew Hancel The Old Harbour News.com

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