Immaculate Conception High School

History

In January 1858, the Scottish Franciscan Sisters set up a Preparatory and Secondary School for girls at Duke Street in Kingston. The School was dedicated to and named after Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. In January 1879, the Scottish Franciscans handed over the school to the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. Mothers Paula and Veronica set a high standard of achievement which is today still being preserved.

In the summer of 1858, the school moved to Duke Street. On Saturday 23 October 1937, the ICHS was burnt to ashes in a terrible fire that started a block away at a beauty parlor. The school moved to Old Hope Road (temporarily) and then in 1941, the school acquired the Constant Spring Hotel (which was operated by Niagara Falls businessman Frank A. Dudley and the United Hotels Company of America in 1933.) which is now used for the Immaculate Conception High School, Preparatory School and Convent.

The school was separated into two sections, one section for the English speaking students of Jamaica and the other for French speaking students of Haiti. Due to the lack of Haitian students, the French section has been closed down.

The school was a boarding and day school.

Campus

ICHS is located on a large campus with many facilities including:

Insignia

Motto

Ad Astra Per Aspera "Through Difficulties to Excellence"

Emblem

The Franciscan Coat of Arms.

Notable alumnae

Politics and Law

Shahine Robinson, MP for St Ann

Tracy Robinson, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Law, University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Jamaica; Rhodes Scholar 1992

Sports

Sanya Richards-Ross, American track and field athlete

Alia Atkinson, Jamaican swimmer and Olympian