Seventh placed Kyle DaSilva grateful to God

Twelve-year-old Kyle Da Silva says that he is grateful to God for his success in the 2013 Common Entrance Examination.{{more}}

“I thank God, because I prayed a lot – nothing is impossible with God,” Da Silva told SEARCHLIGHT.

A student of the Richland Park Seventh Day Adventist School, Da Silva featured in the top 10 in this year’s pass list.

He placed 7th overall, 3rd for boys, with scores of 93.33 per cent in General Paper, 85.61 per cent in English and 100 per cent in Mathematics.

And while he says he is pleased with his performance, he thinks that he could have done better.

Nevertheless, he also thanked his parents Rhonda and Haniff Sutherland for the work they put into his success.

“My mom made a study timetable and we stuck to it,” the Yambou resident said.

Da Silva says he intends to attend the Mountain View Adventist Academy, because he wants to continue his Christian education, and is more comfortable with the environment there.

Marva Hector, a Grade six teacher, said that she was very excited when the results revealed that Da Silva had placed in the top 10.

The Richland Park SDA has been in the national spotlight recently; Da Silva is the third student in the last four years to be among the top 10.

“We did a lot of work and I am very stern with them, and once they realize that I am stern with them, they do their work,” Hector said.

She described Da Silva as very intelligent and one who is not afraid to challenge the teacher.

“He thinks deeply and doesn’t take things just at the surface,” Hector said.

Principal Reubina Lewis said that the goal at the Richland Park SDA school is to maintain a high standard.

“The teachers will do their best – we try to keep our standard,” she stated.

And while she and her staff are basking in yet another year of success, although she feels the results could have been better, they were encouraging.

She said eight students placed below 200, “and we just have to give God all the glory, we do a lot of prayers,” she said.

“Yes we do academics, but we have to pray as well,” Lewis continued.

“We are just taking it one step at a time,” she said.(DD)