FERNCOURT HIGH School in Claremont, St. Ann is the winner of the Urban Development Corporation's (UDC) "Best Kept Schools Competition" for high schools in St. Ann for 2002.
In the primary schools category, the competition was won by Lime Hall Primary School.
For its effort, Ferncourt High received a cheque for $20,000 and the UDC trophy. This is the seventh and final year of the Best Kept School Competition in St. Ann and Ferncourt has won it a total of five times in 1996, 1999, 2000 2001 and now 2002, and the process amassing over $160,000 in cash as well as trophies, shields, book vouchers in this and other environmental competitions.
The announcement and presentation were made at a ceremony held at Ferncourt High School. For winning the Primary School Category Lime Hall Primary received $15,000.00 and the UDC trophy.
Lime Hall Primary won the R.O. Walters Trophy and $8,000.00 for being the most improved school in the competition. Ocho Rios High received the Tourism Product Development Company's award for "Effort", Chester All-Age received the St. Ann Development Company's award for "Best Classrooms" and Lime Hall Primary also collected the Victoria Mutual Building Society award for "Effort in Landscaping".
Other prizes presented were for "Best Monitors" and the winners were Shenese Whyte - Priory Primary; Peta-Gaye Gooden St. Ann's Bay Primary; Shakera Miller - Ocho Rios Primary; Trevane Moulton Parry Town Primary; Chavaz Clarke Chester All-Age; Tyrone Simmonds - Ferncourt High and Quidoles McDonald - Ocho Rios High.
Presentations were also made to the co-ordinating teachers of the participating schools. Those making the presentations were UDC Executive Director, Gloria Royale Davis, General Manager of GADCo Faith, Thomas; Corporate Relations Manager at UDC Joan Smalling and Chief Judge Alvin Williams.
In her address, the UDC Executive Director announced that while the best kept schools competition had come to an end, she was challenging students to continue their role of maintaining good environmental practices, even without a competition.
"The UDC believes that environmental conservation is critical to our survival as a country," she said. Parry Town Primary School teacher Beverley Rose moved the vote of thanks.
