Female Student Tops Bartica
at CXC
There
has been marked improvement in the performance of students attending the
Bartica Secondary School at this year's Caribbean Examinations Council
(CXC) exams. Deputy Headmistress, Leslyn Lovell, credited the achievement
to the teachers who worked far beyond the stipulated teaching hours as
well as the students who were determined to excel. She urged parents to
continue to support the efforts of teachers in order to enhance the level
of performance. The school's top student is Jillian
Apple who gained four grade ones in English Language, Mathematics,
Integrated Science and Home Economics and grade twos in Biology, Chemistry
and Physics.
Jillian
Apple
Apple, describing her results as "unbelievable," observed that she expected to do well but "never had any grade ones in mind." She expressed gratitude to her parents for their support in both the good and bad times and her teachers, especially Jeanette Austin, Mr. Jagroo and Voluntary Services Overseas volunteers Smith and Dow who had confidence in her ability to pull it off. She is now looking forward to a career as a chemist and hopes to enter a sixth form school to pursue studies at the GCE A-Level.
Other creditable performers were Sonisha
Khan who secured grade ones in three subjects, including English
Language, and five grade twos; Bonnie Odwin
with three grade ones, including Integrated Science, two grade twos and
two grade threes; Nadia De Costa with three grade ones, one of
them in Home Management, two grade twos and two grade threes and Ivan Alert with three grade ones, two grade twos
and two grade threes.
The school recorded 100% passes in Technical Drawing,
Woods, Food and Nutrition, Home Management and Principles of Business;
96% in Social Studies; 79% in Biology; 92% in Caribbean History; 75% in
Chemistry; 90% in English Language; 93% in Geography; 97% in Integrated
Science; 37% in Mathematics; 89% in Principles of Accounts and 90.1% in
Physics. The overall percentage was 85.1%, which exceeded last year's
performance, Lovell said. Physics, Geography and Chemistry were introduced
last school year.
[Editor’s Note: All credit for this story goes to Stabroek News, in which
it first appeared as “Bartica Secondary sees marked improvement
in CXC results,” on 9/23/2001.]
Females Top A-Level Exams
for 2001
[Prelude to following news piece below: 18-year-old Amlata Persaud (QC) gained 4 As,
one each in English literature, French, Law, and Economics. She has enrolled
at Oxford University and will study Psychology, Politics, and Economics.
Amlata once topped the nation and the Caribbean at CXC 2 years ago.]
Third Time's a Charm
Amlata Persaud is more then likely the top student for this year's A-Level examinations,
since she has copped four A grades in the subjects she has written.
The Queen's College (QC) student is leaving several imprints in the country's
academic history as she was the top student in the country for the Secondary
School's Entrance Examination (SSEE) and five years later she was again
at the top when she copped 11 grade ones at the Caribbean Examination
Council (CXC).
Her school mate, Arvin Jagernauth, who copped three A grades, along with Bishops' High School student,
Carleen Atkins who also got three A grades, closely followed Persaud.
Stabroek News was unable to get in contact with Persaud, who was said to be on vacation overseas with her family, but in a interview with this newspaper two years ago the young girl had said she wanted to have a career in politics. In an even earlier interview, when she was still at Stella Maris Primary, she had said she was aiming to become the president of the country. Persaud, who is the daughter of attorney-at-law Vidyanand Persaud and who resides at 8 Courida Park, Ogle, received her A grades in Economics, English Literature, French and Law.
At CXC she had copped her grade ones through a double award in Agricultural Science, English A and B, Spanish, Mathematics, History, Geography, History, Social Studies and Integrated Science. Young Jagarnauth, who was 14 years old when he gained seven grade ones and one grade two at CXC, had stated in 1999 that he wants to become an accountant. He had said after sixth form he would be attending the University of Guyana or the college of Accounting Technicians (CAT) to pursue his career.
At A-Levels he copped
A grades in Accounts, Economics and Mathematics.
Three other QC students have also done their school proud. Anjie Bispat obtained two A grades in Chemistry and
Pure Maths, one C grade in Mechanics and a D grade in Physics. Her schoolmate,
Camille Correia copped two A grades in Chemistry and Mathematics and a
C grade in Physics. Esan Reid of the same school, gained A grades in Chemistry
and Mathematics and a B grade in Physics.
Atkins got her A grades
in Accounting, Economics and Law and she said she merited her success
mainly to the Lord Jesus Christ. An ardent Christian, Atkins, who resides
at 166, Fifth Street Campbellville, was overwhelmed with joy when this
newspaper informed her of her success. She was so excited that she accidentally
hung up the phone while this reporter was speaking to her. Upon visiting
her home, Stabroek News was greeted with a smiling Atkins and her mother
who both jumped up in the air with glee when they were told that she obtained
A grades in all her subjects. The diminutive 18-year-old, born in St Lucia
is the daughter of Vincent Atkins, an employee of the CARICOM Secretariat,
and Mary Atkins. She had copped five grade ones and two grade twos at
CXC.
She wants to become an accountant or a lawyer but for now she would do
a six-week computer course before returning to St Lucia where she would
take a one-year break from her studies.
Atkins, who could not
stop smiling, said that preparing for her exams was a great challenge
and she forsook sleep many nights to study to add the finishing touches.
She encourages young people to study hard as there is nothing good they
can get without a good education and also said they must balance their
social life with their education. The eldest of five children, Atkins
made special mention of her teachers, Miss Mason, Miss Daley, Miss Duke
and Miss Miller, a teacher at QC who gave her lessons. Her mom and dad
had also been a driving force behind her. Her mom, who has moved back
to St Lucia with three of Atkins' younger siblings, and is currently visiting,
said that she knew her daughter would have done well as she always worked
hard and she did her best by encouraging her over the telephone.
Her brother, Jamin,
will be writing A-Levels at QC next year. And her other siblings, Vince,
Nadege and Duchelle were all overjoyed about their sister's success. When
Stabroek News left the home yesterday afternoon Atkins and her brother
were arguing whether they should purchase a copy of today's Stabroek News
as they are members of the Seventh Day Church of God and are not supposed
to purchase on Saturday. Portraying an amicable and easygoing manner,
Camille Correia told Stabroek News, that her first reaction after receiving
word about her results was "utter disbelief."
"As a matter of
fact, I thought that someone was pulling a joke," she said.
The 18-year-old attained two A grades and one C grade in Mathematics,
Chemistry and Physics respectively. She credited her high scores to the
patience and commitment of her teachers - both from school and private
lessons - Seneta Phillips, Eleanor Jordan, Clewin McPherson, Rudolph Deoraj,
Priya Gobin, Roger Nurse, Stephen Backreedy and Clarence Trotz.
The young woman described
her parents' - who own and manage Correia and Correia Construction Company
Ltd - role in her success, as one of support coupled with the unquestionable
confidence that she was capable of excelling. Correia gained eight grade
ones and one grade two in 1999 at CXC at BHS, before moving on to QC to
pursue A-Level studies. While she is still indecisive about a career,
Camille hopes to pursue further studies at a college either in Canada
or America, preferably in veterinary medicine. The second of five children,
Camille's advice to students hoping to write the examination next year
is, "Don't play around during your first year!"
She
enjoys reading, chatting online and swimming when she has spare time.
When a slightly breathless Anjie Bispat spoke with Stabroek News by telephone,
she described her reaction to the good news as "pleasantly surprised."
"At first, I did not believe my ears," the soft-spoken young
lady explained.
The 18-year-old who enjoys reading, listening to the radio and watching
television during her spare time, is the third of eight children. She
said that she and her friends spent many nights studying at each other's
homes. Anjie was especially grateful to her subject teachers and those
who tutored her privately, especially Rudolph Deoraj. She encourages other
students seeking to follow the same path to, "Study hard but set
some time aside for fun as well." The Princes Street, Werk-en-Rust
resident plans to take a year's break from studying before pursuing a
career in engineering. She was thankful to her parents, Edwin and Patrina
Bispat, a self-employed businessman and housewife, for their unfailing
support and encouragement.
[Editor’s Note: All credits for this story goes to Stabroek News, in which it first appeared as “Three
times a charm,” on 8/18/2001.]
