Winifred Gaskin Memorial about to move into class of high achievers

Winifred Gaskin Memorial Secondary was rated 12th among the 135 secondary schools throughout the country in its performance at the CXC/CSEC 2007 examinations.

Regional Education Offi-cer of Region Six, Shafiran Bhajan said this in commending the school while delivering the feature address at the recent graduation ceremony.

Amidst great applause at the announcement, the REO also lauded the headteacher, Kamal Dhanesar, for the remedial programme that he and the staff had been conducting.

The Regional Education Officer said further that there are 16 secondary schools in Region Six – eight are classified as “high achievers” and the other eight as “low achievers”.

According to Bhajan, Winifred Gaskin Memorial is first among the low achievers but it is about to move into the class of high achievers. In that light she challenged the teachers, parents, students and other community members to help in this cause so that school can climb up the ladder of education.

The school was holding another graduation ceremony after a lapse of eleven years. It was attended by students, parents, past teachers and other prominent citizens from the community as well as officers from the Ministry of Education.

The ceremony in the school’s auditorium was chaired by senior teacher Marelyn Benjamin.

And giving the 2006-2007 school report, Henry Munroe said that he was satisfied with the performance of the school, given the constraints under which students and teachers have to work.

He told the audience that of the 17 students who wrote the examination in 2007, one student passed nine subjects, three students passed eight subjects, one passed seven subjects, two passed six subjects, four passed five subjects, and four students passed three subjects.

Meanwhile, valedictorian, Moonwattie Permaul, ex-pressed an emotional ‘thank you’ to her parents for their moral and financial support and she also praised her teachers for working with her and motivating her “to go the extra mile”. She challenged the students to do even better and lift the name of the school.

Besides being valedictorian, Permaul was the recipient of awards for being best student in mathematics, English, agricultural science, and social studies. She is currently pursuing studies at the University of Guyana, Ber-bice Campus.

And Kevon Moore received the runner-up award as the second best graduating student. He is currently in training at the Guyana Defence Force with plans of becoming a Cadet Officer.

Other persons receiving awards were Tiffany DeSouza, best graduating science student; Omatoya Lowenfield, best home economics student; Sheena Vogle, best business student and Tricia Crawford, best sports student.

In delivering the charge to the 15 graduating students, Claude Johnson, Education Officer (Secondary) told them of their responsibilities to their parents, themselves and their alma mater.

He also charged them to be ambassadors for the school and urged that they hold their heads up high.

During the 1970s and until the early 1990s, Winifred Gaskin Memorial Secondary School was among the top five schools in Region Six.