The students, teachers and head teacher of the One Mile Primary School in the mining town of Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), are celebrating that one of their pupils has topped the region with 521 marks, and seven other pupils have secured top spots in the region.
Topping the list of successful students is 11-year-old Shakina McGregor. She has secured a place at Queen’s College. Placing second in the Region is Somira Dainty with 519 marks, while Latanya Edwards placed third with 516 marks, and Zaria Jacobis placed fourth with 514 marks.
Some of the additional top performers of the Region and school
They were all awarded places at Queen’s College.
Also performing exceptionally well were Oroyo Trotman with 513 marks, Anton Ward with 513 marks, and Zalika Dey with 513 marks. They all were awarded places at the Bishops’ High School.
McGregor attributes her success to hard work and dedication on her part as well on the part played by her parents and teachers. The aspiring doctor said the news came as a surprise to her, but she is grateful for it.
“It feels very overwhelming!” she said, noting that extra lessons and studies were also helpful. “I had to sacrifice playing games, watching television…,” she said.
This top student also has encouragement for students writing the exams next year. “I would advise the other students that will be writing the exams next year to study hard and be dedicated, and when things seem like (they’re) getting too hard for you to handle, don’t give up, just try again”, she posited.
Dainty, meanwhile, noted that it feels good to be among the top 10 performers. She noted that the results came as a surprise, and she mused that her late- night studies paid off. An aspiring doctor, Dainty also advises students not to succumb to peer pressure, and to focus on their studies.
Edwards, who is also an aspiring doctor, said making it in the top 10 list feels “pretty exciting!” “It was a lot of late nights studying with my family, teachers and friends. Certain times I wanted to just stop studying, but I continued,” she said.
“I would like to thank Teacher Charlene, my friends, parents and the headmaster”, Edwards added.
Zaria Jacobis said she was happy for her achievement. “I’m very happy right now. I never saw it coming. My teacher, Charlene Duke, she helped me a lot”, the aspiring teacher said.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Zalika Dey, who exclaimed: “I am excited, overjoyed and surprised!” She attributes her success to daily revision and perseverance even when she felt like giving up, in addition to the encouragement of her mother. The aspiring paediatrician or lawyer advises students to listen to their parents and teachers.
Anton Ward, who was very happy about his success, said the feeling was all too familiar to him, since he was part of the top 10 list of students at the school at the National Grade 4 Examinations two years ago. “It feels pretty exciting!” he said, adding that studying hard and familiarising himself with various concepts paid off.
The aspiring doctor attributed his success to the assistance and support of his mother. “All of that hard studying really paid off,” he explained.
Teacher Charlene Duke, who has taught at the school for 21 years, has three students in the top 10 this year. She said, “Hard work, devotion, dedication, sacrifice and encouragement” were what she believes led to their success. She added that the collaborative effort and team spirit of teachers also paid off.
Despite challenges, Miss Duke said, she encouraged her students that the sky is the limit.
Headmaster Alister Fraser noted that, for the first time ever, this amount of students has copped top schools. Some 15 of this school’s students have managed to secure spots at top schools in Georgetown.
For the first time ever, he said, four students have been awarded places at Queen’s College and four at the Bishop’s High at one sitting.
A collaborative effort by teachers, he said, was responsible for the school’s success, and he has congratulated the school’s top student and her teacher, Mr McLeod.
“I’m extremely flabbergasted! Extremely excited! This is the first time that our school would have performed this well,” he noted. “I must say thanks to the hardworking staff of One Mile Primary School, especially the four Grade 6 teachers…they would have done an exceptional job… The excitement is too much! We’re more than overwhelmed, more than happy about this year’s performance”, he said.
Fraser added that the school would have applied different strategies this year and made fuller use of its teachers, especially those who excel at Mathematics, by having them conduct practical sessions.
The additional students on the school’s top list are Akili Reynolds (510 marks), Carlisa Trim (504 marks), Donny Gasper (503 marks) and Miranda Bishop (503 marks). They all were awarded places at St Rose’s High.
