Queen's College, Nassau

Queen's College (QC) is a coeducational institution located in Nassau, Bahamas, operating under the auspices of the Bahamas Conference of the Methodist Church. Founded in 1890, Queen's College^[1] is the oldest private school in the Bahamas.

Structure

Queen's College consists of three sections: the early learning centre, a primary school and a high school. The school offers Advanced Placement courses, A+ certification, Advanced Subsidiary courses, SAT II course, and MOUS (Microsoft Office User Specialist Certification) certificates.

History

In 1871, Queen's College opened its doors under the name The Bahamas Wesleyan Propriety Institution. The school's first principal was George Terry. From 1890 to 1925, the school continued under the guidance of S. B. Wilson and his successors, including Rev. Leonard Edge (1903–1908).

In 1925, Rev Richard P. Dyer took up the appointment as headmaster, a position he which held until 1959. Dyer was succeeded by Geoffrey Litherland (1959–64), Neville Stewart (1964–71), and Hayden Middleton (1971–79).

By the late 1960s, the school's population had grown to more than 2,000 students. The first Bahamian administrator of Queen's College, Yvonne Noronha, was appointed vice principal of the college and headmistress of the primary school in 1978. This was followed by the appointment of Charles Sweeting in 1979. Sweeting served as principal until 1993.

Vice Principal Philip Cash was appointed principal in 1993 and served until he died in June 1997. In November 1997, Andrea Gibson became the first woman principal and served until 2019. Virginia Minnis was appointed head of the early learning centre in September 1999 and was the first Bahamian to serve in this post.

The school's current principal is Rev Henry Knowles, who has held the position since 2019.

Sports

The Comets, the school sporting team, has won awards in basketball, volleyball, swimming, track & field, and soccer. For years, Queen's College has placed second in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) Track and Field Championship. In 2015, the Comets secured their first victory over the St. Augustine's College (SAC) Big Red Machines, who were on a 20+ year winning streak.

Administration

As of 2023:^[2]

Principal: Rev. Henry Knowles
Vice Principal, Head of High School: Shawn Turnquest
Deputy Head High School (Curriculum): Maria Tsavoussis
Deputy Head High School (Administration): Clint Higgs
Head of Primary Years: Sylvia Beneby
Head of Foundation Years: Joiclyn Taylor

House system

Queen's College has four houses: Dyer, Heath, King, and Rogers. This system is used primarily for student classification in sporting events and as a merit system up to the high school level. It is then used to place students into home room classes, where students remain until graduation. It is also used to decide which students go to BAISS.

House	House Colour
Dyer
Heath
King
Rogers

Extra-curricular activities

Clubs and societies include but is not limited to:

The SPARC (Students Pursuing Advanced Rigorous Courses) Programme
The Student Christian Movement
The Student Representative Council
The Anchor Club
The Key Club
The Junior Cooperative Credit Union
The Interact Club
The Debating Society (encompassing The Model United Nations debate)
The People to People International Student Chapter
The Teacher Cadets Club
The Modern Languages Club
The Governor General's Youth Awards
The Queen in Me Club
The Drama Club
The Chess Club
The Guitar Club
Feeding the 5000
Cheerleading
Band
French Praise Team
School Choir
Junkanoo Squad

Through Queen's College's extra-curricular involvement, students have become involved with organizations such as Resources and Education for Autism and Related Challenges (REACH), the AIDS Foundation of the Bahamas, and the Special Olympics Committee of the Bahamas.

Students of the college have volunteered in improving the living conditions and recognition of hurricane victims.

Notable alumni

Durward Knowles, Olympic sailor
Sir Leonard Knowles, first Chief Justice of The Bahamas
Keva Eldon Bethel, educator
Mychal Thompson, NBA basketball player
Jackie Edwards, long jumper
Allison Martlew, musician
Culture, rapper/musician
Hon. Obie Wilchcombe, Member of Parliament, West End & Bimini
Hon. Glenys Hanna Martin, Member of Parliament, Englerston & Chairwoman, Progressive Liberal Party
Sen. Hon. Henry Alexander L. Storr, Senator, & Deputy chairman, Progressive Liberal Party