"In February 1962, 105 girls became the first pupils of St Francois Girls' College (SFGC). These girls had done the first Common Entrance Exam now known as the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) Examination and had been assigned to the school. The school was not listed as a choice. I was disappointed, as I wanted to go to Bishop Anstey; my parents were disappointed also. This school was new, it had no history, no foundation and it was in Belmont, on the outskirts of the city. But the disappointment was really a blessing in disguise," revealed Dr Dianne Alexander, past pupil of St Francois Girls' College during their 50th anniversary ceremony held at Queen's Hall, St Ann's recently.

Starting promptly at 9 a.m., Queen's Hall auditorium was abuzz with activity as those who were once pupils themselves took the time to talk with friends they had not see in years and relive their school days. Some, now parents themselves watch as their children along with many other girls take their spot in SFGC history and make memories of their own.

Alexander said, "When we started we did not have a uniform nor were there enough benches and desks to accommodate the pupils. The uniform came later and we became known as "the black and white girls with the biscuit hat" since the uniform was a chequered black and white overall with an inner white blouse. The straw cream hat with the green band was similar to what the minstrels used at Carnival."

Though SFGC was a new school at the time, the teachers were a select group of highly qualified academics who were very much interested in the holistic development of the pupils. Led by Stephanie La Forest, the principal, they were determined that we should not only be successful at the academics but become assertive, polite girls who could hold their own in the world at large, she said.

The school which was originally called Belmont Girls' Secondary School when first established in 1962, was often referred to as St Francois Girls' High School. In 1965 the name was officially changed to St Francois Girls' College. It was then the only all girls Government Secondary School in Trinidad and Tobago. La Forest served as principal from 1962-1964. The baton of leadership was passed to Gloria Valere who served from 1964-1978. It was then passed to Janice Blackman who at that time was the second vice principal and assumed the position after Valere's retirement. Next was Hyacinth Thomas who served from 1995-2000. Patricia McIntosh became principal in 2000 and retired in 2010. Now Jenifer Gittens holds the position.

Remembering her time at St Francois and the years that followed between 1968 and 1980, past pupil Gillian Roach said, "What did we know about St Francois? To us it was a prestige school and we loved the uniform. So we placed it on our list of choices. Those hats, we wore them everywhere else but our heads. Sometimes we wet them and reshaped them into cowboy hats, turning up the sides. We attached long lacing so they hung down our backs. When we did wear them there was always the problem of holding down either our skirts or our hats cause we had to contend with the breeze. While we were happy when they stopped the hat in retrospect it made us unique.

"There are so many memories. Most are great; we really loved the school on the hill. The Hollows where we ate lunch, jumped the drain, played rounders and made slides out of the galvanise chairs and slide down the grassy hill into the Hollows," Roach said.

"I remember the Black Power Revolution of 1970; the entire Form 3 class having lunchtime drummology, the Tuck shop with Mrs Moore and Mrs D'abreu, playing skip in the yard and leaving school at lunch time to purchase red mango and plums from Young Lai; this was quite up by the orphanage at the time. The school also had Girl Guides and Rangers led by Faith Edwards," she said.

Another past pupil, Cammy Cato said, "In September 1998 my SFGC journey began. My year

group was the last batch of girls to wear the box pleat skirt and monogrammed tie. When I left school in 2005, the changes continued to take place with air conditioned classrooms, IT Lab was built, lockers installed, blazers for the on-the-job training world of work programme, a theatre art/drama room, the arched gateway with the school's name engraved, an Assembly Hall constructed, Pre-Fab room for the form sixes's and a business lab where studies and sales of school uniforms and supplies were conducted."

Principal of the school, Jenifer Gittens said, "The school is what it is today because of all those who have gone before in the form of leaders, staff members, parents, and who have toiled in the vineyards moulding, shaping, and nurturing young impressionable minds and developing a culture of excellence at this institution.

"Our students continue to distinguish themselves – Diandrea James who was awarded an Additional National Scholarship for Mathematics 2011 and Ariel Lawrence was awarded an Additional National Scholarship for Business 2011.

"Our Athletic team were engaged in competition at the Carifta Games in Jamaica. Kernisha Spann placed third in the 300m hurdles. Later on that month our team attended the Penn relays. Last year our team placed fourth.

"This year we placed second creating history as the first all girls school from Trinidad to medal at the Penn relays," she said.

"The school continues to shape and develop the psyche of young women who travel through the corridors of time. Values of self respect, honesty, courtesy, and commitment to name a few are enshrined in the value system of the ideal St François Girl," she said.

Today, St François Girls' College has a complement of 772 pupils. The box pleat skirt and monogrammed tie was changed to an A-line skirt and white shirt with the school's monogram on the right pocket. The College has 54 teachers and 14 support staff personnel. According to Cato despite all the changes which have taken place over the past 50 years, SFGC in essence remains the same; a school with dedicated teachers, committed to education and the holistic development of its students."

To celebrate their 50th anniversary, SFGC will be having a gala dinner, February 25 at the Hilton Trinidad from 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased from the school.