Shane cops first place for boys

At first it came as a shock, but then it became clear, and 11-year-old Shane Cadogan of the Windsor Primary School said that he became excited to know that he had placed second overall and first for boys in the just concluded Common Entrance Examination.{{more}}

Cadogan recorded scores of 89.39 percent in English, 96.67 percent in Mathematics and 93.33 percent in General Paper, for an overall average of 93.01 percent.

For now, he says that he is thankful to all who helped him to succeed and thankful that it is all finally over and that he got high marks.

Shane said that he does not mind having to settle for the second position.

“I did my best in the exams and I know that what came out was my best and I am proud of it,” he said.

Young Cadogan was particularly grateful to his parents, Andre Cadogan and Dr Simone France-Cadogan, and grandparents Jeanette and Robert France, whom he said helped him with General Paper, English and Mathematics respectively.

He told SEARCHLIGHT that he remained confident about his performance, saying that he did not have any particular issue with any one subject.

Mathematics is his favourite subject, however, and he says with his interest in sport and medicine, he is thinking about pursuing a career in sports medicine.

But he will have some time before he has to make a decision, saying that for right now, he is looking forward to making new friends and learning new things during the next five years at the St Vincent Grammar School.

“I have to keep my back strong and try to excel in every area, every subject and every class I attend,” Cadogan said.

His accomplishments are not only confined to the classroom, as he enjoys competitive swimming and is a boy scout.

Cadogan placed second overall in the boys’ 9 to 10 category at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Amateur Swimming Association swim invitational back in February this year.

Dad Andre Cadogan told SEARCHLIGHT that he always found Shane to be committed to his school work, although like many other boys his age, there are numerous distractions.

“I always admired the fact that he knew when to buckle down and when to make the necessary sacrifices,” he said.

According to Shane’s father, the rest of the family was overwhelmed on receiving the news of his performance.

“We wanted him to do well and I am proud…it was a humbling feeling,” he said, adding that he was sure that it was not an easy task.

He contended that Shane has done his teachers proud; that, and the assistance from his after-school lessons and the family support had a positive impact on how well he performed.

Meanwhile, principal of the Windsor Primary School Carol Smith said that she was pleased with the overall performance of the school.

According to Smith, the school recorded a 100 per cent pass rate amongst the 16 candidates that were registered to write this year’s examinations.

Smith said that she was particularly excited since the school has had a top ten performer for the past seven years; in 2011, there were two students from that institution who were in the top ten.

She continued saying that she taught Shane in Kindergarten and that he was a member of her first class at the school some 7 years ago.

“We always knew that he was going to perform well and he did, so I am very happy,” she said. (DD)