1925 · The beginning
The school opened on Prospect Hill with the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. It was first known as St. James Academy, then Mount Alvernia Academy.
Our school
A foundation in faith.
A future through learning.
A private Catholic, co-educational school in Montego Bay, under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Montego Bay.
Our purpose
Knowledge and character.
Growing together.
Quality education and strong values are at the heart of each child’s academic and personal development.
We help young minds grow in knowledge and character, with a sense of their place in Jamaica’s future.
Who is the school for?
Mount Alvernia welcomes girls and boys from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 6.
What matters here
Faith. Learning. Contribution.
A Catholic foundation
The school’s identity is rooted in the Catholic tradition and the Diocese of Montego Bay.
A child’s full development
The mission brings academic learning, personal development and values together.
Our history
From Prospect Hill
to generations of learners.
A story that began on Prospect Hill in 1925.
1964 · A new school building
A separate building was started to accommodate Kindergarten and the six preparatory grades.
1994 · A new chapter in leadership
Mrs. Hyacinth Myrie became the school’s first secular principal.
2025 · A century of history
A century of learning since the school’s founding in 1925.
Our mission
Our purpose,
in our own words.
Mount Alvernia Preparatory School and Kindergarten provides quality education and strong values for the young minds of Jamaica so that they may achieve their maximum potential in academic and personal development in order to ensure the continuation of our nation’s building.
School leadership
Mrs. Theresa Cherian
Principal
“We stress the importance of love and respect in all that is done here.”
From the principal’s published welcome, reflecting the school’s Catholic and Franciscan foundations.
Academic learning, character and personal development are central to the school’s approach. Meet the school community and ask about your child’s next step.
Arrange an introductionYour next chapter
Let’s begin with a conversation.
Find out more about the school and ask the office about the next steps for your family.