Principals/Deputy Principals over the Years

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL (Ag.)

Welcome to The Ellerslie School where we believe that quality education is about people and changing lives while we Make Wise Use of our Time.

Quality education is cited by The United Nations as one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development. As we start 2021-2022, we are determined to provide equity of opportunities for this to become the reality for all our students. We therefore ask that you join us in adopting the needed change.

Together we will share the rich legacy of the school and promote parental involvement in this school as we grow and build partnerships. We aim to transform and infuse a sense of purpose into the lives of our children. Ellerslie is a community where we support each other, whether we are administration or teachers, students or parents. Together we are assets to this community in our service to facilitate and nurture the development of our nation’s children.

The difficulties and demands of the Covid pandemic and Online learning made us change our approach to education. Our major strategy has been to embrace a technical and innovative approach. We have put the needed structure in place which include the emerging technology in education; provided the devices for our students and staff; and offered training to all. We reinforce the need for our students and parents to continue to work with us in this new environment as an active part in this journey at The Ellerslie School. Don’t tear down what we are doing but participate in the rebuilding and where challenges exist, inform us and let us resolve these together. We will get out of this school what we put in so make the best investment of your time and enjoy your journey.

Finally let me challenge you as a part of this family to be respectful in your interactions, be loyal to your school and fellow school members, stick to the task of learning and growing, never give up and make sure that you always make wise use of your time.

Faithfully yours

Stacia Austin

THE ELLERSLIE SCHOOL

HISTORY

The Ellerslie School is located in St. Stephen's, Black Rock, St. Michael. The area occupied by the school was once part of the Ellerslie Plantation.

Construction of the school commenced in l965 and Ellerslie Comprehensive, as it was then called, opened fully on September 26th, 1966, under the leadership of Mr. Cuthbert Brathwaite, Headmaster, and Mr. William Isaacs, Acting Deputy Headmaster (both now deceased).

The records indicate that the first pupils, 181 boys and 151 girls, were admitted in September 1966 with 16 members of staff. The pupils came from feeder schools: St. Stephen’s Junior, Montgomery Boys’, Good Shepherd Primary and Edghill Memorial Girls’, who ranged in age from 11 to 13. The roll of the school increased significantly to 1420 by September 1970 and over 1700 by September 1971. Some classes had to be housed at the Farm Annex in Deacon's Road under the leadership of Mr. Edward Straughan and a staff of six other teachers.

Additional classrooms and an Assembly Hall were constructed in 1971. The hall was officially opened on April 29th, 1971 by the Minister of Education, Hon. Erskine Sandiford.

Five years later extensions were added to the school buildings, which were officially declared open by the Hon. Louis Tull, Minister of Education, on September 29th, 1976.