The St. Michael School

For other schools named after St. Michael, see St. Michael's School (disambiguation).

The St. Michael School is a secondary school in Barbados. It stands on Martindales Road in the parish of Saint Michael, Barbados. The school has 800 pupils.

Some of the school's notable alumni include the late Dame Nita Barrow, who was the first and only female (Right Excellent Errol Barrow's sister) governor general of Barbados, and parliamentarian Elizabeth Thompson. The school's headmistress is Yvette Mayers and the deputy is Linda Bowen.

The school's motto is "Nisi Auxilio Dei Nihil," Latin for "Nothing Without Help From God".

Entrance sign

History and achievements

The school was founded by the St. Michael's Vestry and officially opened on 7 May 1928. It was originally a girls' school. In 1979 the first class of boys were admitted to the school

In 2007, a two-year renovation programme came to an end. During this construction phase, school was regularly interrupted by industrial action by teachers, after several complaints regarding the conditions in which the Ministry of Education approved of for students to attend classes.

In 2007, a student won a Gold medal at the CARIFTA Games.

In 2008, the school became the only on the island to place three students in one sitting to two campuses of the United World Colleges (the UWC Movement). Two students went to the United World College Costa Rica (Santa Ana, Costa Rica) and one to the United World College-USA (Montezuma, USA). It was the largest placement by a single secondary school in Barbados. However, in 2009, the school did not place any of its students into the UWC Movement. The school has a sixth form.

School structure

The St. Michael School is divided into four competitive houses, named after queens: Boadicea (blue), Victoria (red), Anne (yellow) and Elizabeth (purple).

Discipline

The school has a prefect system, under which students help with disciplinary and school matters, run by a head boy and head girl with their deputies, and five senior prefects.

Former principal Shelton Perkins is a believer in using the strap, a form of corporal punishment, when other methods to instil discipline have failed.[1]

Notable alumni

School song

Verse 1

In this school we learn to live
 For truth and knowledge are our quests
In this place we learn to give
Always of our very best

Chorus

To our motto we'll adhere
And follow where past pupils trod
For to us the way is clear
'Nothing without help from God'

Verse 2

St. Michael through the years ahead
Loyally we'll play the game
Always striving hard to bring
Honour to your cherished name

Chorus
 
To our motto we'll adhere
And follow where past pupils trod
For to us the way is clear
'Nothing without help from God'

Verse 3

As to school so to our land
Ever will we faithful be
Striving with our brain and hand
Now and for posterity

Chorus

To our motto we'll adhere
And follow where past pupils trod
For to us the way is clear
'Nothing without help from God'

References

  1. ↑ "Heads say: No, No, Mr Minister, don't banish the belt!", Sunday Sun, Bridgetown, 6 July 2008.

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