Ituni’s Howell Wilson Primary cops 6 out of 10 top spots in Region 10

Howell Wilson Primary at Ituni, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), continues to shine, as the school copped six of the 10 top spots in the region at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).
Gaining the top spot for the sub-region was Tabitha Fox with 506 marks. She was awarded a place at The Bishops’ High School in Georgetown.
In second spot was Laurel George, who obtained 495 marks and a place at St Joseph High, followed by Ambleleena Grant with 483 marks which secured her place at the Mackenzie High School.

In fifth place was Navindra Jaigopaul, who scored 479 marks which saw him getting a space at the Mackenzie High School. Kristine Lim scored 473 marks and was awarded a place at Mackenzie High. In the eighth position was Luther Kench, who scored 467 marks and a place at the Mackenzie High School.
The parents of the top two students in the sub-region were all in praise for teacher Yvonne Nazier, who also serves as Head Teacher of the school.

Admal Fox, the mother of the top student, stated that she was brought to tears as she could have hardly contained her excitement when she received the news of her daughter’s performance.
The jubilant mother noted that as she related the news to her daughter, she was overcome with excitement. “We were hoping for President’s College. When I told her she has gotten Bishops’, she shouted: “For truth mommy!” She herself could have hardly believed it,” she related.

Tabitha has proven that despite her school being in one of the far-flung districts with limited access to learning resources, anything is possible. Her mother, who is also the Head Teacher at the Ituni Nursery School is also a proud product of Howell Wilson Primary. After sitting her exams, she was awarded a spot at the Mackenzie High School.
In fact, Fox’s three older siblings were also awarded spots at Mackenzie High after they would have written the NGSA. Following in the footsteps of her mom and several family members, Fox’s desire is to become a teacher after she completes her secondary education.
The mother noted that although the COVID-19 pandemic would have brought some negative impacts, she was able to purchase several worksheets so that her daughter could work until she received the packages from the Education Ministry.
The mother thanked the staff of Howell Wilson, especially Nazier, Cathy Patior, Tamika Juke and Dianne Kench.

Meanwhile, the father of aspiring doctor, 12-year-old Laurel George who copped the second position, believes that he could have done better if his confidence did not get the best of him.
“He could have done better, because the girl that top is in the 500 markup and that was his major competition during their primary school days and he was not in the 500s. He was over confident, the boy always know,” Laurel Georger Senior stated.
Nevertheless, the father added that his son has performed outstandingly since his nursery school days and he is proud of him.
“From small growing up he had the potential, I use to see he coming home with school biscuits every day, so when I asked him one day how he does get biscuit everyday he say he does get all of his work right. In primary, every term he would get nothing less the 80 per cent. I am a very proud father knowing what he achieved,” the father related.

He stated that the pandemic threw his son off balance. “After the lockdown he was not motivated to pick up his book, just before the lockdown he came home with 93 per cent and first place, it distracted him a lot,” he said.
Nazir, who is their neighbour, would occasionally shout at the young man to pick up his book when he was seen playing in the yard.
George’s father said he prays that he continues to focus on his academics as he ventures into a new environ and “think big, because leaving Ituni will give him exposure to a lot of things”.

In fact, the young man told <<<Guyana Times>>> that he vows to remain focused on his school work and wishes to thank God, his father, step mother, family members and all his teachers who have been instrumental in his success.

The teacher of the day, Yvonne Nazier has been on the profession for the past 33 years but the school has only begun gaining recognition for its outstanding performances quite recently.
In 2011, the school copped a spot at The Bishops’ High and in 2012, one student secured a spot at St Stanislaus College. Prior to that, several students secured spots at St Joseph High and Mackenzie High School.