St. Mary High School is a secondary school located in the Highgate area of St Mary, Jamaica. St. Mary High School is a traditional high school for grades 7 through to 13. It has an enviable academic and athletic record and is one of the most sought-after schools for PEP graduates in Northeast Jamaica. The school boasts a diverse racial makeup, the largest minority groups being East Indians and Chinese. The school was the National Schools' Debate champion in 1989, 1996, 1998, and 2005. In common with all state-run Jamaican secondary schools, St. Mary High uses a selection process to accept students at the grade seven level. Due to the high level of competition from primary level students in St. Mary and surrounding parishes to gain entrance into St. Mary High School, one of two traditional high schools in St. Mary and the only one with a sixth form programme, the majority of entrants are higher-scoring PEP candidates. Students from most primary and preparatory schools can attempt to gain a place by sitting the Primary Exit Profile (formerly the Grade Six Achievement Test). History On a little mound, a little mound which was originally part of the Constantine Lands. Then, Mitzi Seaga (née Constantine) lived in a house on that little mound and that house on the mound became St. Mary High. The Portals of St. Mary High opened on January 12, 1960 at 8:30 a.m. to 69 pupils (31 boys and 38 girls) and four teachers including the principal, Mr. L. W. Brown, B.Sc. Parents and students assembled, anticipating the beginning of the new school term. At that time, there were three forms, 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3. Currently there are 1,616 students enrolled and 83 teachers. The aforementioned house accommodated the three classrooms, the bathrooms and a kitchen, but was converted into an Assembly Hall, a sewing room and a library after the building of new classrooms. Presently on that historical site is the music room, the netball, volleyball, and basketball courts and a beautiful garden. Expansions did not stop, as a World Bank project extended the "B" Block which housed the Home Economics and Business Departments. Since then, three other blocks have been added, with the most recent addition being the Sixth Form block which was relocated and expanded in 2007. In 1960, the school began with only five clubs (including the popular Glee Club) and offered nine