THE HOUSE SYSTEM
All students and most members of staff are required to be a member of a house. Members of the Physical Education and Sports Department are mandated to place students and staff members into the houses. Each student shall remain in that house throughout his/her tenure at the school. Presently, the school has four houses. These are Montclair, Bancroft, Jones and Swift.
MONTCLAIR HOUSE
Montclair House is named in honor of Montclair E. Hoffman, the first Jamaican headmaster of Happy Grove High School. His tenure from 1922 to 1973 marked a period of significant growth and development for the school. He instilled a strong belief in the potential of black students.
BANCROFT HOUSE
Named after Emma C. Bancroft whose two daughters, Mrs. Sarah Bancroft Clarke and Mrs. Lucy Bancroft Gillett in 1930 started a fund through the Providence Trust Company of Philadelphia to “grant loans to people from Happy Grove who desired to pursue higher education abroad and who were in need of help”.
SWIFT HOUSE
Named to honour the Swift family of Worcester, Massachusetts who gave generously to Friends Jamaica Mission. Henry D. and Emma A. Swift were keenly interested in the work their son Arthur H. Swift had done in Jamaica from 1881-1909, where he died suddenly after completing the building of the Seaside Church. His widow, H. Alma Penrose Swift created a Swift Endowment fund for Happy Grove in 1919 to commemorate his twenty five (25) years in Jamaica and Sarah J. Swift gave US $10,000 to this fund in 1923 to celebrate the silver Jubilee of Happy Grove.
JONES HOUSE
Remember Hon. Fredrick McDonald Jones O.B.E., J.P and his wife, Gladys Smith Jones M.B.E., J.P. two local benefactors of the school. As well as their neighbourly assistance, both in practical ways and as members of the Board of Governors for many years, they gave to the school: a staff cottage, a library and a Trust Fund to support musical activities in the school and the community.
