St Alban’s Primary School’s class of 2025 were urged to set ambitious goals, embrace both academic and sporting opportunities, and remember that exam results do not define their futures.
Addressing the graduation ceremony at St Alban’s Anglican Church, Principal of the St James school, Wendine Prince, urged students to view the Common Entrance Exam as “just a transitional examination to allow you to leave primary school”.
“Is it the best method of transfer into secondary school? The jury’s still out on this,” she said. “Personally, if a child’s success in life is determined by two tests he or she takes at 11 years old, then our education system is seriously flawed. It should not determine your success.”
Prince encouraged the students to take the next step with confidence: “Dream big, work hard, take action. I encourage you to set realistic dreams, achievable goals needed to bring these dreams to fruition, and work hard to reach your goals.”
She also called on families to remain deeply involved in their children’s lives.
“Parents and guardians, I urge you to be meaningfully present in all spheres of your child’s life. The literature is replete with studies that conclude that strong parental involvement or family engagement in a child’s life is linked to positive student outcomes academically and otherwise,” the principal said.
Prince also reiterated the school’s commitment to nurturing well-rounded students by balancing books and sports.
“It is one of my strong beliefs that sports and academics must coexist at any successful school. And at St Alban’s Primary, we pride ourselves on being a school that balances sports and academics very effectively.
“We’re always looking for ways to expand the sporting disciplines offered to the students. Additionally, we want the students to also reach their fullest potential in sports if that is their strength,” she said.
To expose students to a variety of sporting disciplines, the school partners with the National Sports Council to offer coaching in volleyball, cricket, athletics and badminton.
The head praised physical education teacher Duane Boucher for his dedication and highlighted the accomplishments of students who excelled in athletics this year.
“No history of St Alban’s can be written without the name of the legendary Mr Boucher being included among the school’s history,” she declared.
The principal also shared her perspective that each student should be mandated to participate in at least one extracurricular activity.
“Here at St Alban’s, we appreciate that as a school, we must cater to the different intelligences, and we attempt to do so through academics, sports, drama, art, and extracurricular activities. It is for this reason that we place a high premium on these different areas, just as we do on academics,” she said.
Prince acknowledged that not all students are academically inclined, hence their efforts to ensure students receive a range of learning experiences.
“It is our responsibility that we set about to ensure that the students are exposed to as many extracurricular activities as possible. I am strongly of the view that each child should be mandated to participate in at least one extracurricular activity. One mandate of a school is to transfer knowledge, skills, and values to its students,” she said.
Prince also commended the school’s teachers and support staff for their commitment to growth and learning: “As educators, we must be lifelong learners in improving ourselves professionally by returning to the classroom.”
She celebrated the staff’s successes in advanced courses and diplomas, which she said keep the school “on the cutting edge of information” and best teaching practices.
The principal left the students with a reminder: “As we let our light shine, we give others permission to do the same.” (LG)
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