Hillcrest School, located in Jos, Nigeria, has a rich history of providing Christian education to students from diverse backgrounds. Founded in 1942, the school continues to uphold its mission of academic excellence and spiritual development.
Location of Jos in Nigeria
The Founding and Early Years
In 1942, Hillcrest School was founded by the Church of the Brethren Mission to provide a Christian education for missionary children. Anticipation was keen, and Clarence and Lucile Heckman had been remodeling and preparing the storeroom and house on the CBM compound for the anticipated opening day of July 22, 1942. The teacher, Mary Dadisman, welcomed 12 pupils to begin Hillcrest School, a new venture of the Church of the Brethren Mission. The schoolroom, which also served as a house, had few pupils, with only two who were missionary children of CBM. Miss Dadisman, both a nurse and teacher, had left the Garkida hospital to be the first teacher of the school.
Initially, the school provided a schoolroom, a teacher, pupils, foster parents, food and even a bed, but no textbooks. The order had been placed early, but the books were lost at sea because of the war. A second order was placed. When it didn't arrive, a tracer brought a report:"ship sunk". Then, in May 1943, 80 different packages arrived. School was dismissed and all the children went with the staff to the post office to bring the first textbooks to Hillcrest. Books have never been more welcomed by either pupils or teachers.
Growth and Expansion
In 1946, the school moved to its current location. By 1952, Hillcrest had been in operation for 10 years, with enrollment above 70 students. A special recognition service was held at St. Piran's church and 8th-grade certificates were presented to the 6 graduates.
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From the beginning, Hillcrest accepted pupils without regard to race or color. On March 29, 1947, “The Nigerian Daily Times”, Lagos, carried an article “No Color Bar in Brethren Mission School.” Other missions quickly developed an interest in Hillcrest. So, in 1955, the Sudan United Mission, Assemblies of God Mission and the United Missionary Society joined CBM's efforts. By November 1955, all arrangements for capital contributions and organization had been worked out and the first meeting of the Board of Governors of Hillcrest School was held. A constitution had been written, home boards had been contacted over and over and when the Board met for the first meeting, there were present people from the 4 cooperating bodies of S.U.M., Assemblies of God, U.M.S. and C.B.M. The cooperating mission shared in providing teachers and funds for capital improvements.
These original four grew to include the Missouri Synod Lutheran Mission (1963), the American Lutheran Mission (1964), the Nigerian Baptist Mission (1967), Mambilla Baptist Mission (1967), Sudan Interior Mission (1968), the Great Commission Movement (1982), and later both the United Methodist Church of Nigeria and the Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Hillcrest began as an elementary school, and high school classes were taken by correspondence until 1964. In 1965 Hillcrest saw the first high school graduating class which was made up of eight students.
Hillcrest Today
Since then, Hillcrest has grown and changed with the character of Jos. Student body populations have included students from many corners of the world, sometimes with as many as 34 different nations being represented on the campus at one time. Today, the international mission effort in Jos has matured, with many activities handed over to the local churches. There is strong and sustained enrollment from local missions and Jos families, and increasing interest in the boarding school from parents in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Lagos and further afield in Nigeria.
The school was founded in 1942 as a not-for-profit day and boarding school for children of missionaries, and other children as possible. Today, the majority of students come from Nigeria, with a good number of expatriate students. Admission is open to all. The school is owned and operated by a board of governors representing the Christian cooperating bodies involved in Hillcrest.
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Currently, there are 235 students in grades 1-12, representing twenty-four countries and ten major languages. Hillcrest has been open to Nigerian students and expatriates who meet the entrance requirements established by the Board of Governors of the school. Most of the students of the school live in Jos, but there are many children who board while their parents are doing mission work in other places in Nigeria and West Africa.
Hillcrest School is a cooperative mission school run by 10 cooperating mission agencies, and each is responsible to supply teachers. The faculty at Hillcrest is made up of experienced, certified teachers.
Academics and Curriculum
The school is on about 25 acres (100,000 m2), and breaks into three schools, Elementary (grades 1-5), Middle (grades 6-8), and High School. The school uses an American curriculum and is designed to academically equip students to successfully fit into American and European Colleges and Universities. Hillcrest is headed by a Superintendent, and is divided into three schools, each with a principal. Elementary School is Kindergarten through 5th grade. Middle School is 6th through 8th grade, and High School is 9th through 12th grade. We offer nineteen Advanced Placement classes. Annually, almost all graduates are admitted into the western university or college of their choice, in the US, Canada, UK, Europe, or New Zealand.
Boarding Facilities
In 1972, Hillcrest became a day school, and many of the cooperating bodies opened their own hostels. Currently, there are five approved hostels: Pineview (DL), Niger Creek (SIM), Crescent Hill (IMB), Mountain View (CRC) and DivineView (non-mission).
Location and Climate
Hillcrest is situated in the city of Jos on a 4,300-foot-high plateau, consisting of rocky, rolling hills and sandy valleys. Jos is located in the central part of Nigeria. Temperatures are mild all year round; somewhat similar to that of Southern California except that it rains more in Jos. The view from the top of a number of these hills is spectacular.
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Compared to most of Nigeria, the weather is very mild. It is often compared to a Mediterranean climate or to that of San Diego, California except that there is more rainfall in Jos. There are two main seasons on the Plateau - a rainy season (from early April through September) and a dry season (from October through March). During the rainy season one can expect a short period of rain almost daily. During the dry season the winds come from the north bringing with it fine dust from the Sahara called Harmattan.
Climate graph of Nigeria
People and Culture
The plateau is home to a number of indigenous tribes, but also to many other people groups that migrated to the area. Nigerians from almost every region have moved to Jos to pursue careers in business, commerce, education, and farming. Many foreign mission organizations established their headquarters in Jos because of the centrality of its location and the inviting climate.
The school is located near the center of Jos, which is located near the geographical center of Nigeria. Jos is linked to the rest of the country by major motor roads and a small modern airport with flights to and from Lagos. Most international air travelers to Jos arrive through the capital, Abuja.
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