Leonora Primary continues to sparkle

Jul 11, 2010 News

They travelled from as far as Parika on the East Bank of Essequibo and Wales on the West Bank of Demerara but they were all exposed to the same experience which perhaps has set their ultimate path in life.
They are in fact the top students of the Leonora Primary School who recently received their National Grade Six Assessment results and will be attending Queen’s College come September.
This is the 13th consecutive year that the school has produced outstanding performances. Having students top the country twice is part of that outstanding performance.
Topping the school this year with 547 marks is Sevanna Ferreira who hails from Good Intent, West Bank Demerara. The outspoken lass said that she is happy to have done well. “It was like a dream come through.”
Among the other outstanding students this year are Crystal DeFreitas and Analisa Hopkinson both with 546 marks, and Amaal Kumar with 544 marks who was the lone top scoring male student.
Kezia Bridgewater secured 538 marks while Geetanjali Samlall settled for 536 marks, a single mark more than her class mate Abeena Gomes who got 535. There is also Haimawattie Singh with 534 marks and Anuradha Singh who has secured a score of 533. The nine students were all elated with the news of their triumph having engaged nights of tireless studies and ultimate devotion to the lessons they learnt in school.
They were all students of designated Grade Six teacher, Ms Latchmin Gopal, whose class has been making notable history in the rural area. Gopal has for the past 13 years maintained a consistent trend of having her students place in the top 10 of the country. Some years ago there were two or three in the top 10 but the top 100 has become a given at the school.
Gopal attributes this astounding accomplishment which has been sustained over the years to apply a teaching technique that puts every lesson taught into a matter-of-fact scenario. “I do teach with a lot of concrete materials. We do a lot of experiments in Science. If I am teaching about elections we actually carry out an election. From these practical sessions I believe that my students are able to learn better.”
Major emphasis is also given to individual research work and projects, according to Gopal, who revealed that there are continuous assessments of each concept taught. And even if a child lags behind, there are always measures engaged to ensure that they strive to improve, a process, she disclosed, that is not hinged on the classroom sessions alone but also on collaboration with parents as well.
The spirit of competition is forever a prevailing factor at the school, Gopal said. She noted that students are given tangible rewards when they perform well. Additionally, she revealed that her students are always aspiring to wear innovatively designed badges which are indicative that they are top performers.

At centre is top student is Sevanna Ferreira. She is flanked by her class mates and teachers. (At extreme left is Ms Latchmin Gopal. At extreme right is Deputy Head Teacher, Roopnarine Haripersaud. Next to him is Head Teacher Ms Margaret McKend)

These badges, according to Gopal, are afforded to those students whose pass rate reaches at least 90 percent. Another special badge is afforded to those students whose pass rate surpasses 90 percent.
This badge, according to Gopal, states that ‘This child is exceptional’. She said that it is based on the regular assessment of her students who are able from an early stage to identify those students who will be among the top performers.
Out of Gopal’s class of 42 students, 36 were able to secure places at top city secondary schools.
Aside from Gopal, the Grade Six teachers at the school include Ms Narpatty Persaud and Ms Priya Sukhdeo. And according to Head Teacher of the School, Ms Margaret McKend, this year represents another sparkling year of achievement for Leonora Primary.
“Though we recognise Ms Gopal for her achievement in terms of helping us to be in the top 100, our other Grade Six Teachers are also performing and more or less I view the results not just as a Grade Six but as an entire team working together to improve what is being offered at Leonora Primary.”
The total results for the school reveal that 32 out of 131 of the students who participated in the NGSA were placed at senior schools.
In addition to the nine who placed at QC, six secured placement at Bishops, 13 at St Rose’s, one at Saint Stanislaus and three at St Joseph’s. “We are proud at what we have been able to achieve…If we were to check it out only nine of our students did not perform exceedingly well. So our pass rate is over 90 percent,” McKend boasted.
“We thank God and we thank the parents for the support they have given to us…”
This recent achievement she said is proof of the fact that parents and teachers must work together if success is to be realised.