Chairman's Message

December  2008

Phenomenal Women of ICHS and IC Family:

OPENING REMARKS

150^TH ANNIVERSARY CHRISTMAS GALA

DECEMBER 7, 2008

The Very Rev. Fr. Kenneth Richards

 Sr. Avril Chin Fatt, O.S.F. – Patron, ICPHS 150^th Anniversary Celebrations

Sr. Angella Harris, O.S.F. – Principal, ICHS

Ms Theresa Mendes – Principal, ICPS

Franciscan Sisters of Allegany

ICPS & ICHS Alumnae

Faculty, Administrative and Ancillary staff of ICPS and ICHS

Parents

Friends & Well-wishers

WELCOME TO THE 150^TH ANNIVERSARY CHRISTMAS GALA OF THE ICPHS! IT IS SUCH A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU WITH US TO CELEBRATE THE 150^TH BIRTHDAY OF OUR SCHOOL…….AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY BY THE “PHENOMENAL WOMEN OF YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW”.

DECEMBER 2006 MARKED THE BEGINNING OF OUR PLANNING FOR THE 150^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ICPHS BY A SMALL BUT DEDICATED TEAM AND AT THAT TIME, DECEMBER 2008 SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY!  BUT WHAT A PHENOMENAL YEAR IT HAS BEEN, HISTORY-MAKING AND ALL.  AS EVIDENCE OF THAT COMMITMENT, HERE’S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABOUT FOR THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS………

IN THE EARLY DAYS, WE NAMED OUR PATRON……SR. AVRIL CHIN FATT, O.S.F., CONGREGATIONAL MINISTER OF THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF ALLEGANY, AN ALUMNA AND PHENOMENAL WOMAN IN HER OWN RIGHT, THE FIRST JAMAICAN AND INDEED CARIBBEAN WOMAN TO HOLD THIS VERY EMINENT AND IMPORTANT OFFICE IN THE CHURCH.  WE THEN WENT ON A SEARCH IN BOTH SCHOOLS TO FIND THE LOGOS AND THEME FOR THE CELEBRATIONS, PRODUCING TWO BEAUTIFUL LOGOS AND THE MOST APT THEME OF “PHENOMENAL WOMEN OF YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW”………THE WORK OF OUR STUDENTS!  THEREAFTER, THE 150^TH ANNIVERSARY WAS LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER 2007.

THEN JANUARY 2008 ARRIVED AND THE IMMACULATE FAMILY TRIUMPHANTLY SANG ‘TILL THE VAULTS OF HEAVEN RANG’ AT MASS AND BRUNCH….

IN FEBRAURY AT THE INAUGURAL 150^TH ANNIVERSARY DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES, WE STARTED ‘EQUIPPING TOMORROW’S LEADERS THROUGH VALUE-BASED, TECHNOLOGY-ENABLED EDUCATION’ AND WHO BEST TO DELIVER THAT LECTURE BUT ICHS’ FIRST RHODES SCHOLAR, PROFESSOR YOLANDE CHAN.

MARCH WAS A SPECIAL TIME FOR THE IMMACULATE FAMILY WITH THE RETURN OF THE ‘OLE’-TIME – ST PATRICK’S DAY SUPPER.

WE WERE HONOURED ACROSS THE ENTIRE JAMAICA WITH IMMACULATE’S DAY AT ISLAND GRILL IN APRIL 2008.

OUR LONG-SERVING AND DEDICATED TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATIVE AND ANCILLARY STAFF WERE HONOURED IN JUNE AND ONE WEEK LATER, WE PUTTED OVER TO THE CAYMANAS GOLF CLUB FOR THE 150^TH ANNIVERSARY GOLF TOURNAMENT WHERE OUR OWN SR. MARITA WAS DECLARED TOP FEMALE PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT. 

THE PHENOMENAL WOMEN OF YESTERDAY – THE ALUMNAE – HAD A NOSTALGIC AND UNFORGETTABLE HOMECOMING WEEK IN JULY 2008…..FRIENDSHIPS WERE RE-KINDLED AND A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.

THE ICHS FAMILY USHERED IN SEPTEMBER 2008 WITH THE PHENOMENAL WOMEN OF YESTERDAY WORSHIPPING WITH THE PHENOMENAL WOMEN OF TODAY AT SCHOOL ASSEMBLY.

THE 150^TH ANNIVERSARY OUTREACH PROJECT AT THE OZANAM HOME WAS IN OCTOBER AND IN NOVEMBER 2008 WE RELIVED WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE FROM DUKE STREET TO CONSTANT SPRING WITH A REMEMBRANCE WALK.

AND HERE WE ARE TODAY, THE 150^TH ANNIVERSARY CHRISTMAS GALA, A FITTING END FOR WHAT CAN ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS A PHENOMENAL CELEBRATION.

I AM PARTICULARLY PROUD TO HAVE CHAIRED THE 150^TH ANNIVERSARY PLANNING COMMITTEE, A GROUP OF PHENOMENAL WOMEN, WHOSE COMMITMENT IS UNQUESTIONABLE…..MANY LONG AND ARDUOUS DAYS AND NIGHTS OF MEETINGS AND DESPITE THE CHALLENGES, WE PERSEVERED IN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF OUR SCHOOL MOTTO – THROUGH DIFFICULTIES TO EXCELLENCE!

THE IMMACULATE SPIRIT IS STILL GLOWING…..THE SPIRIT IN THE HEARTS OF THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND AND THEREAFTER THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF ALLEGANY.  THAT SPIRIT STILL LIVES IN OUR EVER-SUPPORTIVE PRINCIPAL, SR. ANGELLA HARRIS O.S.F., TEACHERS AND THOSE STUDENTS HERE TODAY, WHO MAKE BETTER THINGS HAPPEN FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW.  WE SALUTE THAT SPIRIT, WE RESPECT IT, WE APPRECIATE IT AND WE HONOUR IT TODAY.

THERE IS MUCH WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE FUTURE OF OUR SCHOOL, OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR COUNTRY.  AS PROUD PHENOMENAL WOMEN LET US CONGRATULATE OURSELVES AS THIS NOBLE INSTITUTION EMBARKS UPON THE NEXT 150 YEARS……..”WE WILL GO ON!”  THIS EVENING, YOU WILL SEE SOME REMARKABLE AND FANTASTIC PERFORMANCES BY THE PHENOMENAL WOMEN OF TODAY (HIGH SCHOOL) AND TOMORROW (PREPSTERS), PURELY THE RESULT OF HARD-WORK AND DEVOTION.  PLEASE ENJOY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT.

AD ADASTRA PER ASPERA – THROUGH DIFFICULTIES TO EXCELLENCE!