COWEN HAMILTON SECONDARY SCHOOL THROUGH THE YEARS



1961 

A historic meeting on Tuesday 17th October 1961. Plans initiated for the founding of Cowen Hamilton Secondary School.

1962 

CHSS opens for the first time with four classrooms in the Kern Bungalow. A student enrollment of thirty-four (19 females and 15 males) led by Principal Rev. Eric E. Payne and a teaching staff of four.

1963 

CHSS has its formal opening in June 1963.

1964 

Teaching staff increased with four A-level graduate teachers from St. Stephen’s College.
CHSS enters the National Music Festival.

1965 

CHSS celebrates its first Speech Day attended by officials of government and British Petroleum Oil Company.
A wooden building donated by British Petroleum, opened to provide library facilities and three additional classrooms.
CHSS enters National School Netball Championship.
First group of candidates write GCE O-Level examinations.
Pioneer Principal Rev. Eric Payne returns to England and is replaced by Rev. Cranston W. Bell.

1966 

Teaching staff further increased by two V.S.O. cadets, Sue Barton and Kavanagh from England, two University graduates, William McLeish and Roger Watson through C.U.S.O. in Canada.
Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Eric Williams attends a service at 5th Company Baptist Church.
The Baptist Board is promised government assistance for C.H.S.S.
C.H.S.S. is first used as a centre for GCE O-Level examinations.
The student population has grown to 286.
C.H.S.S. becomes a Government Assisted Secondary School in September, 1966.

1967 

C.H.S.S. receives its first Common Entrance scholarship winners.
The school curriculum extended to include Science.
The Kern Bungalow extended to provide additional classrooms, Food and Nutrition and General Science laboratories.
Further additions to the teaching staff through V.S.O., C.U.S.O. and local sources.

1968 

Principal Rev. Cranston W. Bell returns to England and is succeeded by Mr. Malcolm London.
Construction on the Busby Block begins.

1970 

First school magazine “Tom Tom” is printed.
The Chemistry Lab is completed.
Rev. Allan Parkes assumes duty as Acting Principal, succeeding Mr. Malcolm London.

1971 

The Busby Block is formally opened.

1972 

The Acting Principal Rev. Allan J. Parkes goes on furlough, and is succeeded by Mr. Gilbert Hamilton.

1973 

The first CHSS Student Council is formed.
The second magazine “The Monitor” is printed.

1974 

Rev. Allan J. Parkes returns as Principal of CHSS.
The Biology/Physics laboratory is erected.
CHSS tops the island in Geography O Level GCE through Ramraj Deonarine who is now a medical doctor.
CHSS is second in the standing for the prestigious Jerningham Medal Award through Kenneth Sookdeo.

1976 

High land behind Kern Bungalow is further bulldozed to bring the sports field to its present size.

1977 

The school curriculum is expanded to include Technical Drawing.

1979 

The first A Level class is started.

1981 

The Agricultural Science building is constructed.
The first GCE A Level success is recorded with a full certificate through Rajwantia Muralali.
The first of three trips of CHSS teachers and students to Venezuela.

1982 

CHSS wins National Schools Drama Festival award, with the play “Belle Fanto” directed by Victor Edwards.

1983 

CHSS is a finalist in National School Drama Festival with Victor Edwards’ play, “Dead End”.
First annual fund raising walkathon directed by Mr. Dennis George.

1984 

Valedictory function in honor of retiring Principal Rev. Allan J. Parkes.
Mrs. Jocelyn Bobb succeeds Rev. Allan J. Parkes as the first female Principal of CHSS.
The third school magazine “The Discoverer” is printed.
CHSS first “Day of Local Sports” successfully completed.
Ms. Marlene Charles assumes duty as Vice Principal.

1985 

CHSS wins National Schools Drama Festival award with a Victor Edwards play “Sound of Thunder”.

1986 

The curriculum is expanded to include Social Studies and Principles of Accounts.

1987 

CHSS celebrate its Silver Jubilee [25th Anniversary] with a full week of activities culminating in an Awards Ceremony.
Pioneer Principal Rev. Eric Payne turns the sod to launch construction on the Bell Multipurpose Hall.
CHSS is featured on national television in an interview with program host Rev. Ken Cadette, Rev. Eric Payne and Mr. Gordon A. Hume.

1988 

The Bell Multi-purpose Hall is completed.
Computer Science is introduced into the curriculum.
Dave Ramkellawan wins two scholarships for excellence in Agricultural Science, one to E.C.I.A.F. and another to U.W.I.
CHSS wins National Schools Drama Festival award with a Victor Edwards play “Maniac”. 

1989 

The Bell Multi-purpose Hall is formally opened.
Heather Williams and Lisa Ramkellawan win scholarships to E.C.I.A.F. on the basis of excellence in CXC Agricultural Science results. 

1990 

CHSS wins National Schools Drama Festival award with a Victor Edwards play “Games”.

1991 

Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson visits CHSS.
Ms. Margaret Mohammed leads her class 4M to success in Royal Bank Young Leaders Project.

1992 

CHSS wins third place and $10,000 in the Royal Bank Young Leaders Project through Mr. Shamshu Deen and his class.

1993 

CHSS is successful in Royal Bank Young Leaders Project through Mr. Shamshu Deen and Form 4D.
CHSS past student Ms. Judy Rocke wins First-Class Honors in Geography, breaking a 17 year old record at U.W.I. Jamaica.

1995 

Retiring Principal Mrs. Jocelyn Bobb is honored in a Valedictory Function.
Vice Principal Ms. Marlene Charles succeeds Mrs. Bobb as Principal.
CHSS is successful in Royal Bank Young Leaders Project through Ms. Marlene Charles and her class 4C.

1996 

The Audio-Visual Room is formally opened.
Zenitha Prince secures a full slate of nine distinctions in CXC O Level examinations. 
She also placed first in the country in CXC History Exams.
Rohanie Persad places first in the country in CXC Double Award Agricultural Science Exams.

1997 

Pioneer Principal Rev. Eric Payne attends the school’s Graduation Exercises.

2000 

The School magazine “Achievers” is printed.

2001 

CHSS wins two awards in the Young Leaders Competition through Ms. Margaret Mohammed and her class 3M: The Award of Merit [Trinidad and Tobago], The Award of Honor [Caribbean].
CHSS wins a Certificate of Distinction in the Math Olympiad through Yadav Hanuman.

2002 

CHSS celebrates Forty years.
CHSS wins an award for Outstanding Production in the Secondary School Drama Festival.

2003 

CHSS wins an award for Outstanding Production in the Secondary School Drama Festival.

2005 

CHSS places First & Second in the Ambassador’s Song & Verse Competition.
CHSS wins an award for Excellence Of Production in the Secondary School Drama Festival
CHSS took part in the first Physical Education Exams in CSEC
Jason Flaverney tops the country in the CXC Theatre Arts exams.

2006 

CHSS wins the RBTT Young Leaders Debate.
CHSS school folk choir wins first place in the Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival.
The Auditorium was converted to house the library.

2007 

LaShaun Paul & Aaron Duntin both reach the finals of the National Junior Mathematics Triathlon.
CHSS wins an award for Outstanding Production in the Secondary School Drama Festival.
Winners of South East Zone Secondary School Athletic Championship-March Past.

2008 

Ms. Jael Nicholas wins our first Scholarship in the area of Modern Studies.
The new Food & Nutrition Lab is opened and dedicated to Jael Nicholas.
Victoria Cooper wins South Junior Monarch & Sanfest.
CHSS places 1st in the folk song category & 3rd in the school choir division at the Trinidad & Tobago Music Festival.
CHSS won 1st place in the School Media Project Radio division.
Dennecia George places fourth in the T.E.C.U. nationwide essay competition.
The cafeteria or "tuck shop" moves in to its new building.
Winners of South East Zone Secondary School Athletic Championship-March Past.

2009 

CHSS attains its second consecutive Scholarship with Ms. Sherryl Boodram who won an Additional Scholarship in the area of Sciences.
CHSS does very well at the First National Dance Sport Competition.
South East Zone Secondary Schools Champions U20.
Winners of South East Zone Secondary School Athletic Championship-March Past

2010 

CHSS takes first place at the IStructE/APETT Young Structural Engineers Design and Build Competition.
2nd place at the National Secondary School Netball Shooters competition.

2011 

CHSS attains a Scholarship with Ms. Trishel Leah Gokool who won an Additional Scholarship in the field of Science.

2012 

Cowen Hamilton celebrates its Golden (50th) Jubilee and launches its website at https://cowenhamilton.edu.tt after obtaining its domain name from TTNIC.
Cowen Hamilton attains a Scholarship with Jamieon Jagessar in the field of Business.
The Principal Ms. Marlene Charles retires.
Mrs. Natalie Small assumes duties of Principal.

2014 

Cowen Hamilton achieves 1st and 2nd place group category at the eCAL ICT Apps Creation Competition.

2015 

Cowen Hamilton attains an additional Scholarship with Sharvana Ramoutar in the field of Science.
Cowen Hamilton achieves 1st place in ACTT’s Quiz Competition 2015. 
Safiya Black wins 2nd place and Varun Sookoo wins 3rd place in the Merikin Competition 2015. 
Shada Edwards wins 1st place for the dramatised speech at SanFest 2015. 

2016 

Cowen Hamilton achieves 2nd place in ACTT’s 4th National Quiz. 
Keturah Moonan wins 3rd place in TTPOST’s Letter Writing Competition. 

2017 

Ian Sooknanan wins an additional scholarship in Natural Sciences at the CAPE level.

2020 

Cowen Hamilton Secondary School placed 2nd in the National Secondary School Entrepreneurship Competition (NSSEC).
Special prize awarded for the most dedicated school and Mya Samuel was awarded the most dedicated student prize.
CHSS participated in the "Race Against Time", a virtual event hosted by The Trinidad and Tobago Secondary Schools Track and Field Association (TTSSTFA). 
The school won 8 tablets and 43 medals at the event.

2021 

CHSS has won the Shell TnT NXplorers competition.
https://www.ttt.live/in-depth-with-dike-rostant-shell-nxplorers-programme/
Jeremie Chattergoon made the CXC Merit List in CSEC Information Technology.
Mrs. Keion Beard-George awarded the Young Teacher of the Year award by TTUTA's South Eastern District.

2022 

Cowen Hamilton Secondary School celebrates its Diamond Jubilee (60th anniversary).
Shivanand Deonarine, Aabida Rahim, Akinde Gomes, Marylisa Ramlal, Seline Badal and Sanjiv Sookoo receive national bursary awards in the field of Science.
Jada George made the CXC Merit List in CSEC Theatre Arts.