St Catherine-based Crescent Primary School performed very well in the 2024 sitting of the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams, with more than half of the students gaining their schools of choice.
Sixty-eight students have been placed on Pathway One, 65 on Pathway Two, and Five on Pathway Three.
“This surpasses our expectations, and is an improvement over 2023,” said Vice Principal at the school, Karian Patterson, in an interview with JIS News.
In the PEP exams, children are placed on one of three Pathways, designed to meet their level of competence. Pathway One is for students who are performing satisfactorily, the second Pathway is for children who have some form of delayed learning, and the third is for students with special needs.
“We are grateful, we are honoured, and we are still in celebration mode. We worked hard, the students worked, teachers worked, and I cannot express more about our parents and their support to the school and their children,” the Vice Principal said.
Grade-six teacher, Charmaine Linder, said that in a collective decision, the leadership of the institution decided to have extra classes, weekend classes, and “we even had marathons, where we came out from 9:00 in the mornings, and we did not leave until 6:30 in the evenings”.
She lauded the parents for their supervision of the children with homework and for allowing the students to attend the extra classes. “These students have done very well, and their scores are way up,” the teacher said.
PEP provides a profile of where the student is academically, the student’s strengths and weaknesses, and his or her readiness for grade seven. It assesses students’ knowledge, in addition to placing increased emphasis on assessing 21st century skills, including critical thinking and communication.
The exam consists of three key components – a Performance Task, an Ability Test, and a Curriculum-based Test.
The Performance Task (PT) consists of real-world scenarios that require students to apply their knowledge and skills from the following subject areas – Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies.
The PT is administered by classroom teacher at schools in Grades four, five and six. The Ability Test requires students to read analytically and use quantitative reasoning skills in responding to items.
Miss Linder said not all the subject areas can be fully covered in the regular classes, and “we have to put in strategies to get the students ready for the exams, and while it was a sacrifice for all involved, we are elated, and we are excited to show the work that is happening here.”
Top female student at the school, Kellisya Charles, who will be going to St. Andrew High School For Girls, said from grade one she had envisioned that she would be placed at the top, as she studied very hard.
“It was expected, but I am still excited that I did not lose my streak. Thanks to the teachers for teaching me all that I needed, and wanted to know,” she told JIS News.
She encouraged other students to grasp the many opportunities that the school provides for their empowerment.
Ann-Marie Charles, Kellisya’s mother, said her daughter refused help while studying for the exams, and at the end she “did an awesome job on her own”.
“I sent my child to extra lessons, and I don’t remember a message or reminder about money,” she said, while praising the teachers.
Top Boy, Nathan Gersham, who will be going to Campion College, said from basic school, where he and Kellisya competed, he was determined to be on top of his schoolwork.
“I knew that I did the work, and I knew that I was going to get my first choice,” Natha “My main focus is not to follow bad company, but to follow lots of good people who are smart and can help me go further in my education,” he said, as he thanked the teachers for “looking out” for him.
Nathan’s mother, Rose-Marie Burke Green, said her son displayed diligence and love for schoolwork from he was at basic school.
“I was waiting to hear the PEP results. I was a bit nervous, but when Miss Linder called and said, ‘Campion, Campion’, I just jumped on the floor, and celebrated,” she told JIS News.
