Questelles Government School boy places first overall in CPEA

Surprise and doubt were the first emotions to register with Laron Jones when he heard that he had placed first in the entire country in the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA).

It was revealed last Friday that the Questelles Government School student had copped the first position overall, as well as the first position for boys in the newly implemented CPEA exams.{{more}}

Jones was one of two students to score 100 per cent in Mathematics. He also scored 94 per cent in Language Arts and 92 per cent in Science.

“I’m very excited and overjoyed,” Jones told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday.

“First of all, I would like to thank the almighty God and my principal, the teachers of the Questelles Government School, my parents, Roderick and La Fleur Jones and my friends for supporting me.”

The Twenty Hill resident explained that preparing for the exams was tedious, as he usually began practising his work at 8 a.m. each morning. However, he noted that he used the week before exams to relax.

“I was reluctant to work, so mom didn’t let me do anything for that week, as I didn’t want to do any work,” he said.

Jones’ grade six teacher, Winsbert Williams, said that he was positive that the 10-year-old would have done well in the CPEA.

“It wasn’t surprising for me because at last year’s graduation, when his sister passed to go to Girls’ High School, he told me that “Sir, I coming to meet you next year.” From the time he came at Grade 6, he was consistently performing excellent: 100 per cent for Math, Science right through,” the Math and Science teacher said.

As a teacher at the Questelles Government School, Jones’ mother La Fleur told SEARCHLIGHT that she worked consistently with her son and his friends to ensure that they did well at CPEA.

“I take education seriously. What I do to help my child, on a Friday, I make sure I clean, and I’ll wash. Sometimes at 11 o’ clock at night I’m washing because I want to be free to help my child and I had my son and some of his friends. They would come over every Saturday so my house is transformed into a school every Saturday with about four boys,” she said.

The proud mother revealed that her son was extremely self-driven; however, she is positive that parents should go the extra mile in supporting their children.

“Parents need to be involved.,” the Grade 3 teacher stressed.

“A lot of times, parents expect the school to do everything. We can’t do everything, so I maintain, once a child comes to Questelles and they have the parental support, they will always do well.”

Jones is one of two students from the Questelles Government School who placed in the top 11 positions in the CPEA and he hopes to attend the St Vincent Grammar School in September.