L'tille Girls’ govt shines at SEA

These are the stories about Laventille that often make the headlines.

But today Laventille has something to celebrate. It is the story of Laventille Girls’ Government Primary School which is proud of its 19 pupils who sat the Secondary Entrance Assessment exam. It has been the best year ever for the school as some of its girls are to begin the next phase of their academic life at five and seven-year schools. Among the placings are Holy Name Convent, Bishop Anstey High School, St George’s College, Woodbrook Government Secondary and Success Laventille Composite.

Stephanie Vallenilla-Williams, the school’s SEA teacher, yesterday said 2006 has been her best year since she began teaching the standard five classes seven years ago.

From early on, she saw the potential in the girls who sat the exam on April 6. Among them is Keisha Codrington, a pannist, who heads to Success Laventille Composite in September. Her family has made the news before, playing pan on Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain. It may not have been her first choice, but Codrington is pleased to be one of Laventille Girls’ success stories.

And Adanna Joseph is one of the school’s pride and joy making it to Bishop Anstey.

So too are Shemayah Beguesse, who has been assigned to St George’s College, and Dinesha Huggins, who heads to Woodbrook Government Secondary.

Principal Jacklyn Phillip said she was satisfied with the results although one pupil fell ill during the exam and did not complete some of the tests. Phillip had high hopes for this pupil who could have sat a make-up test in May, but she never returned to school.

Even so, Phillip boasted of “her girls’” performance, stating some received full marks (20) in Creative Writing, while some made more than 90 percent in Mathematics.

Phillip is one of those educators who does not believe in subjecting preschoolers to reading and writing tests in order to determine whether they are “good enough” to enter the school at infant level. She prefers to take any girl then work with them up to the SEA level.