Ulreka makes Georgetown Government School proud

Shocked, relieved, happy and surprised were just some of the words used by Ulreka Sutherland to describe her reaction to the news that she had placed fifth overall and second for girls in the 2011 Common Entrance Examination.{{more}}

The eleven-year-old Georgetown Government School student told SEARCHLIGHT that while she was expecting to perform well, she did not think she would have performed that well.

“I had to sacrifice all the things I like to do,” she said.

Like her dad Ulrick, who is a Math lecturer at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, Division of Nursing, Ulreka said that she too likes mathematics and it shows, as she recorded 98.33 percent in Mathematics, 90.15 per cent in English and 90 per cent in General Paper, with an overall average of 92.7 per cent.

She attributed her success to getting strong support from her parents and teachers.

Sutherland said that she is now looking forward to her time at the Girls’ High School, particularly as she will be meeting new friends and be introduced to new subject areas.

Her mom, Laura Sutherland told SEARCHLIGHT that she was very surprised to hear of her daughter’s performance.

She said that she had heard on the radio that one student from the Georgetown Government School had performed well and was in the top ten.

“I was expecting the top ten, but she did better than we anticipated,” Laura Sutherland explained.

She said that she and Ulreka’s father had worked hard with her in preparation for the exam, saying that she has always had the family support.

“I believe that that is very important, and I believe that is why she is so successful,” she continued.

Principal Paula Blake-Toney said that she is expecting great things from Sutherland.

“I knew all along that Ulreka was going to shine,” she said.

But the school’s administrator is pleased with the school’s overall performance, especially after the staff and students had to deal with two interruptions, in the aftermath of Hurricane Tomas and then the floods in April this year.

According to Toney, the students were out of the classroom for a week after Tomas hit the island last year, and for two days after the floods damaged sections of the North Windward area this year.

Once classes resumed, students were put on a shift system; however, Grade 6 classes were not affected, Toney explained.

But despite those challenges, the students still did well.

Of the 48 students who wrote the common entrance from that institution, 28 passed.

“It appears that we are doing something good at the school,” she said.

She added that having students placing in the top ten is nothing new.

“Because over the years we have been doing well, so Ureka’s position is not something strange for us,” Toney explained. (DD)