Overcoming the stormy SEA

Rosary Boys’ RC overcame the trauma of shootouts on the busy Charlotte and Park Streets corner, last year, and another at Observatory Street earlier this year. Pigeons roosting in the roofs of Sacred Heart Girls led to protests and the temporary closure of the school, but that did not throw off the pupils. And Laventille Girls’ Government, on Old St Joseph Road, felt so pleased by the improvement in its results that teachers had to call Newsday to share the good news.

These were some of the success stories that emerged yesterday when the Ministry of Education released the SEA results to schools across the country.

Rosary Boys principal Keith Dick, who has called for the relocation of the school, after his pupils, including those in standard five, had to receive counselling after last year’s shooting when a woman was used as a human shield by a man fleeing a gunman, said there was a slight improvement in the results. Seventy-seven of the 100 boys who sat the SEA passed for seven-year schools, 46 of them are going to the popular boys colleges in the capital.

One of the achievers, Aleks Hannibal, who heads to St Mary’s College in September, said he felt overwhelmed and happy that his hard work paid off, and with his prayers he achieved his goal.

Several blocks away at Sacred Heart Girls, head of the SEA department Linda Ramroop, was equally proud. One hundred and sixteen girls sat the exam, 106 of whom have been placed at five- and seven-year schools. Their top pupils were Cherise Dickson, Celine Felix and Alainy Sorzano. Ramroop said the girls worked very hard even though the pigeon infestation forced the ministry to close the school for two weeks before the April 6 exam,

“But we rose above that and we got super results,” said Ramroop.

And the proud SEA teacher of Laventille Girls, Stephanie Vallenilla-Williams, had to call to share the news that they had got the best results in many years, this year.

Nineteen girls wrote the exam and produced top scores in creative writing and mathematics with scores of over 90 percent.

Vallenilla-Williams said this was her fourth SEA class at the school and she was happy to see students achieving their goals. She said the results from this year’s exam made all her years of teaching worthwhile.

Other schools also boasted of excellent results.

At Richmond Street Boys’ Anglican, principal Jasmine Johnson was pleased with the 95 percent college placement of her pupils, an improvement to last year. Akil McDowald tearfully expressed his pride in younger brother Shaquille who will be attending Fatima College — McDowald’s alma mater.

Next door to Rosary Boys, sister school St Rose’s Girls also reported better performances this year. Standard five teachers Marcia Wiseman and Muriel Frampton-Marks were proud of their 61 pupils. Fifty of them will be attending five and seven year schools, among them Sharda Beharrylal, Kafi Warner and Cherain Legend — the school’s top pupils.