Top scorers on PSE say how they achieved marks
The top performing students will be recognized at a national award ceremony. The top three performers in each district will also be honoured at the district level. The national best scorer, Demi Bellini of Our Lady of Guadalupe R.C. School receives the Jane and Michael Nembhard award, which includes a computer and a scholarship to the high school of her choice. News Five’s Jose Sanchez found some of the top twenty-five students and their teachers who explained how they walked on the road to success.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Six thousand six hundred and sixty students sat the 2009 Primary School Examination. The results show that the top student for the country is Demi Bellini from Our Lady of Guadalupe R.C. School in Belmopan. She scored three hundred and eighty out of a possible four hundred.
Demi Bellini, Ranks 1st, P.S.E.
“It’s a good feeling to know that my work has paid off. And that I didn’t just get lucky.”
Jose Sanchez
“How did you find the exam?”
Demi Bellini
“It was actually easy for me. A lot of people said it was easy but I guess I was the only one that knew what to do and what to choose.”
Jose Sanchez
“When it came to preparation for the exam, how did your teachers play a role?”
Demi Bellini
“They did just a lot of practice and clarification of different topics in math and science.”
Jose Sanchez
“And your parents, did they also help?”
Demi Bellini
“Mostly with motivation and just telling me I can do my best.”
Margarita Martinez, V.P., Our Lady of Guadalupe R.C. School
“I found out last night on the news, your channel and well, I’m so excited. I’m happy, especially for the students. They deserve the best and not just the ones at the top, but all of them deserve the best. I am happy for the teachers who worked so hard with them. P.S.E. begins in infant one.”
Cervando Cho, Teacher, Our Lady of Guadalupe R.C. School
“We started in October with extra classes, evening classes and Saturdays. Every Saturday we are here until the second part of the PSE. And not only that, I must give recognition to all the teachers who have taught Demi.”
Hummingbird Elementary, Belize Elementary and St. Ignatius schools had students in the top twenty-five.
Soraye Solis, Ranks 2nd, PSE , St. Ignatius School
“Well, it feels good and to me I worked for it so. It feels good to be up there.”
Jose Sanchez
“What else did you do? Did you do extra classes?”
Soraye Solis
“Yes, we did extra classes and some morning classes, but those were mandatory. But other than that I didn’t have a lot of extra classes.”
Jose Sanchez
“Your played any role?”
Soraye Solis
“Yes, for me my parents played a huge role because they were very supportive and they always pushed me to do my best and they made sure that I did good in school.”
Jose Sanchez
“Have you made a decision where you want to go for high school?”
Soraye Solis
“Yes, St. Catherine Academy.”
Zhanae Sutherland, Ranks 7th
“It feels good to know that all of my hard work has paid off.”
Angelica Shamah, Ranks 20th
“It’s very exciting.”
Najah Flowers, Ranks 12th
“Satisfying.”
Perry Diaz, Ranks 16th
“There’s no real words to explain how we feel right now.”
Jose Sanchez
“What role did you parents play in getting you this far?”
Zhanae Sutherland
“Well, they helped me by taking me up with my notes and I guess that’s it.”
Angelica Shamah
“They helped me to study a lot too.”
Najah Flowers
“Encouraging me and supporting me.”
Perry Diaz
“They pretty much just supported me and helped me to study throughout everything.”
Jose Sanchez
“Did you do any extra work on your own?”
Zhanae Sutherland
“Yes, I looked up through the topics that our teacher told us to research.”
Angelica Shamah
“I just studied hard.”
Najah Flowers
“I did.”
Perry Diaz
“I did some exams on the computer.”
Deanna Nisbet, Principal, Belize Elementary School
“The school came out of the top. We have four students who came out in the top twenty-five. They are Ryan Chen, Justin Craig, Michelle Quan and Sherla Coye. Ryan scored hundred on the math and overall out of thirty-six students, we got twenty-four students with an overall A. So we think that’s an excellent record. All subject area averages were eighty and that was good.”
Jose Sanchez
“That is higher than the national average isn’t it?”
Deanna Nisbet
“Yes, it’s higher than the national average. We must admit that our students work hard, our teachers our parents. It’s really a collaboration of everyone concerned and we work in every area. We do extra sometimes for PSE but we teach a very broad curriculum.”
Shajira Cob, Ranks 8th, PSE, Garden City Primary School
“I was flabbergasted because I know all the hard work had paid off.”
Jose Sanchez
“How did the teachers help you prepare?”
Shajira Cob
“For the first part, Ms. Santos did her best to teach us all of the concepts.”
Jose Sanchez
“And your parents, what role did they play?”
Shajira Cob
“They supported me right through and made sure I did all of my works and projects and homework.”
Shajira enjoyed doing the math, but on average, the country scored poorly on Math. Her teacher at Garden City Primary School in Belmopan, explained what they did to come out on top.
Amira Santos, Garden City Primary School
“I think I have been blessed because I have attended several workshops for standard six teachers and I have been the checking PSE too; helping to check the PSE every year and that helps a lot. It helps to prepare your children. You know what is being looked for in the PSE and so you can better prepare your children. A std six teacher has to be very aggressive in preparing the standard six students.”
Jose Sanchez
“Would it be safe to say that to have a successful result, parent, teacher and student must work together?”
Amira Santos
“Definitely, it’s one third parent, one third teacher, and one third child, and then you will have success.”
Yvonne Davis, head of the examination unit which administered the PSE, also believes parental support is necessary.
Yvonne Davis, Head of Examination Unit
“My daughter sat the test last year and she was the top performer on the test last year as well. From a parent point of view, I can tell you that the parental support is essential and it is the children having confidence that their parents are supporting them.”
Educators and top students have advice for next year’s PSE candidates.
Deanna Nisbet, Principal, Belize Elementary School
“I think it’s a combination of study, I think parents are very involved. I think too—and this is my very personal opinion—that we need to begin in the very beginning. We need to begin in the preschools. I think that is where a lot of the base is found and we do a very, very hard job in the very early classes and I mean from pre-kinder. But we are a very structured program and I think that’s where it all begins, honestly.”
Perry Diaz
“We study hard and try our best.”
Najah Flowers
“I agree with Perry.”
Angelica Shamah
“We do a lot of research.”
Zhanae Sutherland
“With our parents help.”
Amira Santos
“Math isn’t all that easy for children, especially if they see it isolated. They need to know that math is in everything that we do; in the kitchen with recipes, if you are building something, in the classroom if you are working with grades. If the children see how math is integrated in every aspect of life, then probably we’ll be doing better.”
Demi Bellini
“I think they just need to work hard and study and listen in class and just think that they can do the best and then they will.”
Jose Sanchez
“And also ask their parents to help them?”
Demi Bellini
“Yeah, that’s what I did so I guess it paid off.”
Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
