Operations manager at the Fiesta Hotel, Jesús Sobriano (left), and Governor-General Professor Kenneth Hall cut the ribbon at the entrance to Rusea's High School's newly refurbished science laboratory in Hanover, on Monday. - photo by Claudia Gardener

Marlon Vickerman, Features Writer

Come the month of August, one of western Jamaica's renowned high schools will be raising its bat in celebration of its double century achievement. That school is none other than the 230-year-old Lucea-based Rusea's High School, founded in 1777 by Martin Rusea, a French refugee. Since then, the institution has grown to accommodate some 2,500 students within its two campuses, located five minutes apart.

Lloyd Tomlinson, president of the Rusea's Old Students' Association (ROSA), said the institution's 230th anniversary is significant not only because it adds to the institution's centuries-old tally, but also that this year it coincides with ROSA's biennial reunion celebration.

"Every two years, ROSA, which has chapters in Toronto, New York, Atlanta and Miami, has its international reunion held on the school grounds," he said. "This year we are combining the reunion with the 230th anniversary and using this opportunity to recommit ourselves to the development of the school."

Development plan

Tomlinson added that as part of this recommitment process in honour of the institution, ROSA, in collaboration with the school board, the Ministry of Education and private sector agencies, is embarking upon a five-year $90 million development plan for the facility.

"We plan to resuscitate both campuses," Tomlinson said. "On campus one we want to create a staff comfort area, a building hosting three additional classrooms, an auditorium and an apartment complex of 40 rooms for the housing of teachers."

He added that the plan for campus two is to: "restore the science block which had been defunct, install a library, cafeteria and construct boarding facilities for the school's sixth-form students."

Another initiative in the five-year development package for the institution, boasting past students such as the likes of Governor-General of Jamaica, Professor Kenneth Hall, head of the Court of Appeal, Justice Seymour Panton, and husband of the Prime Minister, Errald Miller, is a school's management project, which started in April 2007. This, Tomlinson pointed out, was a move to further enhance the academic standards of the institution.

Initiative

The initiative, being run by a group of Jamaicans based in Maryland, U.S.A., involves the assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each student entering the school at the seventh grade level and creating individual programmes to cater to their needs. The second leg of that project, Tomlinson added, involves the training of the institution's teachers to administer the programmes.

As for the festivities planned for the 230th anniversary/ ROSA biennial reunion, the events will span a three-day period, running from August 9-11.

The Civic Ceremony in Lucea will be held on August 9 at 10:00 a.m. On Friday night, the 10th, there will be the ROSA party at Fort Charlotte with appearances by Kurt Riley, Renaissance Disco, Pisces Disco and One Third among others. Admission to this event is $500. The Saturday night gala/dinner, which will be held at the school, will culminate the activities on August 11.