Glenmuir High School
Glenmuir High School (GHS) is a Jamaican secondary school located in May Pen, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica. It is among the top performing secondary schools in the country. In 2011 it was among the top 3 preferred schools for students who sat the Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT). In 2012 it placed 3rd in the country in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) exams, and in 2013 placed 4th for academic performance in the Secondary Schools Guide. Glenmuir educates over 1,700 pupils, aged between 10 and 20 years. Glenmuir was founded in 1958 by the Rt. Reverend Percival William Gibson, the Bishop of Jamaica, as a private co-educational secondary school of the Anglican Diocese, on a 25-acre site in an upper income residential road in May Pen. The school motto is "Flagrans Veritatis Studio" ("Burning with the Zeal for Truth").
| Glenmuir High School | |
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| Location | |
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  Jamaica | |
| Coordinates | 17.967°N 77.253°W |
| Information | |
| Motto | Flagrans Veritatis Studio (Burning with the Zeal for Truth) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christian |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Founded | 15 September 1958 |
| Founder | Rt. Reverend Percival Gibson, then Bishop of Jamaica |
| Status | Open |
| Sister school | Bishop Gibson High School |
| Principal | Dr. Marsha Smalling |
| Grades | 7-13 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age range | 10-20 |
| Number of students | 1,700 |
| Language | English and Spanish |
| Hours in school day | 8 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Houses | 4 |
| Colour(s) | Maroon and White |
| Song | Semper Flagrans (Flagrans Forever!) |
| Athletics | Basketball, Football, Netball, Table tennis ,Track and Field |
History
Glenmuir opened its doors on September 15, 1958, with 55 students but it was not until September 30 that Sir Kenneth Blackburne, Governor of Jamaica, performed the official opening ceremony. The main administrative building (which included the library, classrooms, the Headmaster's office, and a flat on the first floor for his family) was originally the home of the Custos of Clarendon, George W. Muirhead, C.M.G. Construction of the first modern block of classrooms began in 1959 with fundraising by Leigh D. Phillips (later Foundation PTA President, 1962-1967) at the request of the Headmaster, and by the beginning of the Easter Term 1962 there were 236 pupils in attendance.
Glenmuir was modeled on the British public school and in the early years, half the teachers were English expatriates. The original curriculum included classical studies, incorporating Latin and Ancient History. The House System was established in 1959 along with the Perfect Body and soon after that the publication of the first school magazine. A year later saw the formation of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) affiliated to the 1st Battalion of the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force (JCCF). From the very beginning, popular school activities included debating, music, drama, cricket, football, table tennis, athletics, netball, and tennis. The school was recognized as a Government grant-aided secondary institution by the Ministry of Education after just one year.
Headteachers
Glenmuir's first Headmaster was Dr. Sydney Howard Scott, a graduate of the University of Oxford, and secretary of the Oxford University West Indian Society (1951-1952). Dr. Scott retired in 1983.
The second headmaster was Mr. Clement Radcliffe, a graduate of the University of the West Indies (UWI) who was educated at Glenmuir and who served as Head of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA). He taught at Glenmuir before going on to serve as headmaster for 28 years. In 2009 he accepted the post of Deputy Chief Education Officer at the Ministry of Education.
Mrs. Monacia Williams, another graduate of Glenmuir, became the principal after Mr. Radcliffe left the institution in 2009. Mrs. Williams retired from the position in 2014.
Dr. Marsha Smalling, also a graduate of the institution, was appointed principal in 2014. Mr. Hayles is currently the acting principal while Mrs. Meikle is the acting vice-principal.
Houses
The school community is divided into four houses. Three houses were established in the second year of the school: Pawsey, Muirhead, and deRoux. The fourth, the Gibson House, was established in 1976. Each year the houses compete in Eisteddfod, an inter-house competition for music, dance, song, and oratory performance; sporting events including field events as well as a cross county race and the track-based Sports Day.
Sport
Glenmuir has a rich sporting tradition dominated by athletics and football. Glenmuir competes in the annual Schoolboy Football Competitions. The school was DaCosta Cup Champions in 2004, 2006, and 2012; the Ben Francis Cup Champions in 1993, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2005, and 2009; and the Oliver Shield Champions in 2004 and 2006.
Schools' Challenge Quiz
Glenmuir's quiz team has been consistently successful in the TVJ's (Television Jamaica) Schools' Challenge Quiz competitions with victories in 1995, 1999, 2001, 2002. The school placed second in 2000, 2005 and 2008.
Choir
The Glenmuir Concert Choir won the Marcus Garvey Award in 2008 and 2009 and performed at the International Festival in Germany, Choir Olympics in Austria, and the Shrewsbury International Festival in England. In 2004 the choir participated in the inaugural cultural exchange between Jamaica and the Bahamas. They performed at King's House, the Governor-General's official residence, during Jamaica's National Honours and Awards ceremony on National Heroes Day (2005), at Culturama in Florida (2012) and on national television. "Spirit on Fire" (2010) was their first recorded commercial CD.