.jpeg)
The History of
St. Aloysius Primary School
School's Logo
then
now
In 1838 the author John Watts used these words to describe the home at 74 -76 Duke Street , “The new house was just as one imagines a Victorian convent in the Caribbean. It was an elegant detached villa of red brick with lawns at the rear, across the black-clad Sisters moved silently. At that time it was the current home of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany where they had their convent and a little school known as Immaculate Conception Academy. To speak of St Aloysius Primary without mentioning Immaculate Conception High would be a disservice as both school’s history has been intricately entwined. As the physical layout of the school changed over a number of years so too did the cohort. Let’s take a journey back in time …
The origin of St. Aloysius Boys’ School is mostly one of conjecture from facts known about an “elementary school for poor boys” started by Father Frederick Hathaway, S.J. in 1868 in a building on Love Lane but later transferred to Heywood Street near Charles Street. From 1869 to 1886, he was assisted by Brother Daniel Reynolds S.J. After Brother Reynolds was transferred to British Honduras, he carried on alone at “St. Joseph’s Free School” until just before he died in 1891. Father Hathaway wrote in 1878 that among the “scholars” who had attended the school during the years, some were dead, some away from Jamaica, and some were in business.
​
The English Jesuits left Jamaica in 1894 and in that year Sister M. Regina Reid came to Jamaica to take charge of St. Aloysius Boys’ School.
​
There is no record of any of the Sisters having been in the school before 1894, and the Sisters at times mentioned verbally that the Franciscan Sisters took the School when the English Jesuits left, because the American Jesuits did not wish to keep it and asked the Sisters to take it. It was a unique elementary School in many ways.
​
St. Aloysius Boys’ School and one in the civic parish of St. James were the only all-boy elementary schools in Jamaica, and the achievement of the boys under Sisters M. Carmella Sorapure, M. Lucy Nestor, and M. Eusebius Doody were remarkable.
Sister Eusebius who replaced Sister Regina Reid as Principal in 1903, achieved the reputation in Jamaica as a great disciplinarian and a very erudite teacher who inspired many Jamaican boys to aim for the highest goals and to work very hard to attain them. Her commanding figure left no doubt in the mind of any lad that justice would be meted out to all who slighted regulations and did not take lessons seriously. The boys won scholarships to St. Georges College where they found the work comparatively easy after Sister Eusebius’ drilling. Those who went into the business world quickly rose to positions of prominence and responsibility in that sector.
​
Sister Eusebius left in 1918 due to ill health.
​
The post-war years brought many changes to the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany in Jamaica. They had nursed the sick in the hospital and in private homes, rich and poor, during the influenza epidemic of 1919; many sisters had become ill, but all survived the epidemic.
In 1920, Sister Mary Lucy Nestor was appointed Principal of St. Aloysius Boys’ School. Sr. Lucy had taught in St. Aloysius from 1906 to 1917, then she went and taught in the Academy from 1917 to 1920.
​
Sister Eleanor Healy had been Principal in the interim until Sister Lucy’s appointment.
When Sister Lucy took charge, the Inspectors were somewhat concerned about the discipline in the School of two hundred boys between the ages of seven and fifteen. Sister Lucy had taught the Middle Division quite satisfactorily and kept excellent discipline, but the older lads were always taught by the Principal who was also responsible for order throughout the school, supervision of teachers, and keeping all records. However, the gentle Sister Lucy satisfied the most exacting of the Inspectors. The “Old Boys” admit that she did cane when necessary but attributed her success as a teacher to the fact that she had for her boys a very deep, motherly love to which they responded gallantly. The scholastic records and scholarships won were no less than before.
Sister M. Majella Casey came from the USA in 1921 and was assigned to St. Aloysius Boys’ School—Sister came from a family of Irish schoolmasters who taught well and kept good order in the classroom.
​
In 1940, St Aloysius had moved from the old building on John’s Lane to the fine new on Duke Street. Within a year, the attendance had reached beyond 500, and the classrooms were crowded, but the reputation of the School remained very high and it was regarded as one of the finest schools in Jamaica.
​
In 1941, Sister Lucy Nestor retired and was replaced by Sister M. Michael Gallagher.
​
Sister Michael was an excellent teacher and energetic administrator, and constantly sought ways to improve the school. The enrollment, especially after the addition of the second storey, increased rapidly until it reached 1,200.
​
A Manual Training Unit was erected for the boys to learn skills in woodwork. Sister Michael took the Manual Training course teachers so that she would know how things were done in that department. The Government grant provided for two teachers and a very well-equipped workshop where the boys fashioned beautiful book-ends, lamp stands, and many other small articles from Jamaica’s hardwoods---mahogany, lignum vitae, mahoe, and cedar. Later, work was done in metal and plastic. Most of the boys became cabinet makers, but they learned the joy of creating lovely things. Further, the course led to a very pleasurable hobby for some. Sister Michael believed that more boys should have a secondary education. She requested a grant to set up the secondary school programme in St. Aloysius School, but she reached the retirement age before the request was granted.
​
In March 1954…Sister Rosita Clare Rodrigues was appointed Principal of St. Aloysius. The permission to begin a secondary school department was granted and the necessary equipment and additional teachers provided. In January, 1955,the first class of thirty boys was organized with Sister Maria Goretti in charge.
​
In September 1955, Sister Maria Goretti was replaced by Sister Clare Marie Figueroa.
Not only in the academic sphere did St. Aloysius boys excel, but in the inter-school sports –they won shields, cups and medals for victories in swimming, football, track and cricket. The Scout Troop and Cub Pack were well organized and active in that field. Under the direction of Mrs. William Sutherland, a trained music teacher and choir director, the school choir became one of the finest boys’ choir in Kingston, and in 1955 they won the cup awarded annually to the best elementary school choir.
​After existing as separate schools for a century, St. Joseph’s Girls” School and St. Aloysius Boys’ School were amalgamated as the present St. Aloysius Primary School in September 1974. The boys and girls of Grades One, Two, and Three were accommodated in the former St. Joseph’s School with Sister Magdalene Newton as Vice Principal; the boys and girls of Grades Four, Five and six were taught in the former St. Aloysius Boys’ School.
​
After the students in the upper grades were transferred to other schools suited to their needs, the enrollment for the six grades at St. Aloysius Primary School was about 1300. The goal was to have only one class in a room, according to Sister Dorothy Forster- the first Principal of the newly amalgamated St. Aloysius Primary School. In 19____ Mrs Pauline Stephenson was appointed as the first Layman principal of St. Aloysius Primary a post which she held magnificently for ____ years. The baton was then passed to the current principal Ms Althea Palmer whose commitment and dedication to the upliftment of this noble institution has been inspirational.
​
Our present location has withstood the great Kingston earthquake, the great Kingston fire and numerous hurricanes, like its founders and present leaders. the school has shown its resilience, strength and endurance. It has been a home to the poor a comfort to the needy a beacon of hope for those who have gone, those who are presently there and for the thousands more yet to attend.
