ST JOSEPH’S Convent, Port of Spain, yesterday celebrated and awarded its pupils who were successful in the 2015 CSEC and CAPE examinations.
The school achieved a 100 per cent pass rate and received a total of 41 scholarships, inclusive of seven open scholarships.
Pupils from forms one to four were also awarded for their performance in various subjects and extracurricular activities.
Full of praises, principal Anna Pounder said the number of pupils receiving awards and prizes from the school for their academic performance has been increasing over the years as the students continue to excel.
She said the school is currently the top performing school in the Port of Spain area and the second best performing school nationally.
She praised the school’s staff, saying they consistently showed dedication and commitment.
However, she lamented the level of financial assistance from Government.
“Grants to denominational schools have not been reviewed since 2010, in fact, major loss of the Minor Repairs and Purchases Grant in 2010 found the school in dire straits.”
She said it was through the generosity of many, that the school was able to complete repairs and upgrades.
Many of the pupils who wrote the CAPE and CSEC examinations in 2015 also placed among the top ten in the region in various subjects.
Two pupils, Emily Insanally and Quentin De Labastide, placed first in the region in CSEC English and CAPE History, respectively. See Page 22.
The awards for overall best performance in the CSEC examinations went to Jihanne Shepard. Malika Grant was awarded for the best performance in CAPE Unit One, while Emma Pounder, daughter of principal Anna Pounder, was awarded for best performance in CAPE Unit Two.
One Pupil was awarded the Sister Paul D’Ornellas Medal, given by the school to pupils who have courageously faced and overcome extraordinary challenges.
This award went to Britney Rochard who fell seriously ill during the CAPE examinations and had to be hospitalised for some time.
Rochard continued to study from her hospital bed, successfully completed her exams and went on to win an open scholarship.
The pupils also received words of encouragement from guest speaker attorney Ian Benjamin.