2019 P.S.E. Top Scorer is from St. Andrews School in Cayo
On Monday afternoon, the results of the Primary School Examinations were released by the Ministry of Education. But are students performing better when compared to previous years? We’ll have a review of the results from the Exam Unit at the ministry, but before we get to that, News Five’s Duane Moody visited with the top scorer for this year. She is a twelve-year-old student from Saint Andrews Anglican School in San Ignacio. He finds out that for the past six years, the school has been recognized by the ministry for besting its category in the national exam and that the principal predicted that her students would make it to the top. Here’s that report.
Duane Moody, Reporting
The faculty and staff, as well as parents and students at Saint Andrews School in San Ignacio, are bursting with excitement after the school fielded the top scorer for the 2019 Primary School Examinations. Late on Monday afternoon, the principal received the results of the exams and would soon realize that three of her students made it on the list of top twenty-five. Shari Gutierrez says that since 2014, the school has been awarded for best overall performance by the ministry and the success is the product of many years of work.
Shari Gutierrez
Shari Gutierrez, Principal, St. Andrews School
“We are very proud as a school. We are proud of our students. I am proud of my teachers; I am proud of our parents because this is the product of many years of work. The parents have been supporting us, our teachers have been working hard and our students have been receptive; they have been working hard as well. So today, we are smiling, we are happy because we are enjoying the fruits of our labour.”
Topping the exams this year was twelve-year-old Jasmine Espat. Humble in her response, Espat could not believe her placement in the exam.
Jasmine Espat
Jasmine Espat, Top Scorer, P.S.E. 2019
“I expected to do well, but not that well so I was a bit surprised when my dad told me yesterday. It felt so good getting all the support from my teachers, my friends so it’s been a great experience and it is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. You have to be determined and you have to trust in God; that’s one of the most important things, trusting in God because without him you can’t do anything. And also you have to believe in yourself.”
Duane Moody
“Was there any part of the exams that you felt that you wouldn’t have done well in?”
Jasmine Espat
“I don’t think it was one specific part. I think just going into the exam, I was nervous, but then I told myself, “No, if you are nervous, you won’t be able to do this. So get to work and change your mind set.”
Shari Gutierrez
“She has been a great student for the last eight years. She has been hardworking, has been dedicated and she deserves it. She has been working for it and she deserves it.”
Aside from Espat, two other students also made the list, coming in ninth and tenth. Thirteen-year-old Tomas Serrut shared ninth overall with four other persons having scored three hundred and seventy-two points from a maximum of four hundred.
Tomas Serrut
Tomas Serrut, 9th Place, P.S.E. 2019
“I just feel very proud and happy towards my teachers and family for helping me and encouraging me; telling me that I can do it and it happened.”
Duane Moody
“How was your preparation like for the P.S.E.?”
Tomas Serrut
“My preparation, I made sure I studied. I made sure I studied before the P.S.E., like weeks before. And over standard six, I just made sure I paid attention and all this stayed in my head and I remembered it.”
While Serrut says the Math-Two Paper was slightly difficult for him, his classmate, Giovanna Campos, had some trouble with the Social Studies exam. Nevertheless, she placed tenth with two other students after scoring three hundred and seventy-one points.
Giovanna Campos
Giovanna Campos, 10th Place, P.S.E. 2019
“I feel happy and totally surprised. I didn’t expect it that I would be in tenth place in the P.S.E. and I am just happy. I studied a lot and paid attention in class. That was how I got it there.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
