BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - Less than a year into its operation, the Immaculate Conception Catholic School launches its Alumni Association.
As is commonly known, the St. Theresa’s Convent School and the St. Joseph’s Primary School merged in 2010 to become the Immaculate Conception Catholic School (the ‘ICCS’). What is not generally known is that in May, 2010 Fr. Bernard Latus (the Immaculate Conception parish priest), formed a steering committee to begin the process of creating an Alumni Association which would commemorate & celebrate the two prior schools as well as incorporate the newly created ICCS - scheduled to have its very first graduation in June, 2011.
IN THE BEGINNING …
To appreciate the significance of this undertaking, it is worthwhile to take a brief stroll backwards through time, to discover how it all began.
In September of 1896, under the direction of Fr. Smyth, St. Theresa’s Convent School (simply known as ‘Convent School’) opened its doors and welcomed forty (40) inaugural students. For reasons that are unclear, the school closed a year later. By 1902, the primary school was “greatly enlarged” and continued to grow until there was actually a shortage of classrooms in the 1950’s.
In the meantime, in September of 1903, St. Joseph’s primary school (fondly known as ‘Roman school’) was created to provide the children of lower income families with an education, and opened under the management of Reverend Father Stainforth. Seventy seven (77) students were enrolled at that time. By 1906 or 1907 the home of St. Joseph’s was moved to a large property behind the Catholic presbytery (on George Street) to accommodate the vast number of students seeking admission.
This strong demand for admittance to both schools continued throughout their existence - in large part because of the solid moral, spiritual and yes, educational formation that was facilitated by the priests, nuns and other educators who worked diligently to ‘train the minds and hearts’ of St. Kitts-Nevis’ youth.
THROUGH THE YEARS …
As time passed, the number of students enrolling in the schools continued to grow and as was feasible, the dimensions of the properties expanded to accommodate them.
However, by the early 1980’s after the schools became subject to diocesan direction, and in consideration of i) the fiscal pressures facing both institutions (which had begun to receive assistance from the federal government of St. Kitts-Nevis in the late 1970’s), ii) the changing makeup of the faculty - which now comprised more lay persons than religious, and iii) the common perception that the students of the Roman school were at an academic disadvantage - since they did not have access to the same facilities as the Convent students, the then bishop of the diocese, the Very Reverend Donald Reece, proposed a merger.
It may well be because of the strong identity forged in a deep rooted love for and pride in their respective alma maters that “the idea was strongly opposed by the majority of parishioners of the Immaculate Conception church and the administration of the school.”
The two schools maintained their separate and unequal existence for two decades more, but the financial problems persisted and worsened - until it seemed inevitable that the doors of both historic institutions would close forever.
As fate (perhaps providence) would have it, even as the prospect of permanent closure loomed, hope shone her light anew. “In 2003 a Catholic businessman and philanthropist from Syracuse, Mr. Daniel Mezzalingua and his family came to the rescue of the financially battered schools. Mr. Mezzalingua paid some of the schools’ debts and sponsored many small projects including the Laurie Mezzalingua Resource Centre (named after his daughter who was battling cancer).*”
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHOLIC SCHOOL (ICCS)
“In 2007 Mr. Mezzalingua expanded his help and came up with a plan [for the] total rebuilding of the campus and [the unification] of the two schools [into] one [exceptional and exemplary] Catholic school. … The rebuilding of the campus presented a good opportunity to finally merge the two schools and name the new school after the parish to which it [now] belongs: Immaculate Conception.*”
In June, 2010 without much fanfare but with decorous ceremony, the Convent and the Roman schools did in fact close their doors, but that was only so that today the ICCS could exist - not to replace either or both of the beloved schools, but to level the playing field between them by way of a seamless integration. The two have finally become one.
The ICCS has begun and will continue to incorporate the very best elements of both traditions under its auspices, even while the ICCS Alumni Association works diligently to simultaneously advance their legacies - as expressed in the Alumni Association’s logo.
The logo was designed** by Convent alumna, Margaret Hodge (of St. Kitts) to reflect the fact that the Convent school (represented by the color green) and the Roman school (represented by the color blue - with the khaki of both schools uniforms serving as a common denominator) are now equal, united and share their history. ICCS is the glue holding it all together and continuing the work of educating and graduating St. Kitts-Nevis’ brightest and best.
THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
It is with the understanding that the new school will take and use what is best from the individual and collective experience at the Convent and Roman schools to mould the ICCS, that the idea for the Alumni Association was born.
At present, the goal is to have as many students as have passed through our schools (graduates and non graduating attendees, aged 18 and older - from any and every decade, wherever they may live throughout the world) register and become involved with what promises to be a dynamic and enduring organization.
All past teachers and other staff are also invited and encouraged to register for the Alumni Association and to make their contribution to the creation of an accurate, comprehensive, living record of our beloved Convent and Roman schools - even as the ICCS creates her own.
Finally, the association welcomes the submission of photographs, articles, reminiscences, stories and any other memorabilia from both schools - which will only be publicly used with permission.
CONTACT
To register for the Alumni Association:
* visit the website of the ICCS at WWW.ICCS-STKITTS.ORG & click on the tab labelled ‘Alumni’ to fill in the form online
* write to info@iccsaa.org to request the registration form, print & fill it out and
* fax it to 869.465.0623; mail it to P. O. Box 10; or drop of it off at the administrative offices of the ICCS - on East Independence Square Street, at any time from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
To take full advantage of as many of the modern means of communication & contact as possible, you are asked to:
* Like us on Facebook (ICCS (St. Kitts) Alumni Association (Official Page)) to get updates on alumni activities;
* Follow us on Twitter (ICCSAA) for breaking news; and/or
* Reach us via email alumni4iccs@gmail.com and Skype (ICCS.AA) with any questions you may have.
