De Carteret College in Mandeville, founded in 1919 by the Rt. Rev. Cecil DeCarteret, the sixth Bishop of Jamaica, and named after him when he demitted office in 1931, has begun the celebrations marking its centenary.
Originally a preparatory institution, known as the Diocesan Preparatory School for Boys, it became a secondary school (DeCarteret College) in 1960 and gained co-educational and grant-aided status in 1976. The Preparatory School was phased out in 1974. Today, DeCarteret has a student population of more than 1,200 and it is recognized as one of the leading schools in the Jamaican educational system.
Founders Day, celebrated on January 22, was special this year. After a rousing service in the Mandeville Parish Church which was packed with students, staff and alumni, a significant ceremony was held at the School. The bottom step on the stairway joining the ‘top school’ with the ‘bottom school’ (the School is on a hill) was dedicated, marking the start of a major fundraising project.
The stairway comprises 86 steps called Jacob’s Ladder; and past students are invited to support the other steps during the year. Each step sponsored will bear the name of the past student and the years spent at DC. Proceeds from this venture will go towards the Alumni’s fundraising initiative to rebuild the top school as a 6th Form College.
All past students of both the Preparatory and the Secondary School are encouraged to support the Alumni Association in its activities as it plans to give the College a new ‘look’ when it begins its second century in January 2019. For further information on the centenary celebrations, send an email to sincot@yahoo.com
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