~ Jacinth Hunkins ranks first in region ~
Cul de Sac, St. Maarten – St. Maarten Academy continues to celebrate the successes at this year’s May/June examination with the revelation that two of its candidates made the regional merit list for Music at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
Emerging number one in the region was Jacinth Hunkins, who entered St. Maarten Academy five years ago as a freshman. Her older sister, who too is gifted musically and already a graduate of the University of St. Martin, requested to pursue her CXC Music certification through Academy and ranked seventh place. Both sisters copped Grade 1 pass in Music with a straight ‘A’ profile.
This is the second time in three years that Academy, and by extension St. Maarten, has made it into the top ten for Music from among 19 Participating and External Territories offering the subject through the regional examining body, the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC).
Hunkins will on Monday evening be honoured for her achievements when the school hosts its annual commencement ceremony at the Belair Community Center. Of the 11 subjects Hunkins wrote, she secured grade I passes in eight subjects (English A, Human and Social Biology, Information Technology, Mathematics, Music, Physics, Social Studies, and Spanish), grade II in Chemistry, and grade III passes in Biology and English B. She also received a B in Cambridge Dutch.
These achievements were by no means solo efforts; rather,they were the end result of concerted efforts of parents, students and tutors.“This is an achievement well-deserved, as students and teacher gave up not only Saturdays, but Sundays, and sleepless nights.It is a proud moment for all of us,” said Principal drs. Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool on the candidates’outstanding performance.“Congratulations to all, especially those who contributed to their success.”
The administration and Management Team of the St. Maarten Academy are especially grateful to Music educator, Mrs. Daphne Jacobs-Richardson for her commitment and passion, who, beginning in December 2016, travelled every Friday from Anguilla to ensure that students were suitably prepared in the five-month period leading up to the May/June sitting of the examination.
She expressed her pleasure, as the students’ performance came as no surprise to the proud tutor.
“The students were committed to the task and eager to learn,” she stated. Candidates from St. Maarten Academy were not the only students to thrive under Mrs. Jacobs-Robinson’s tutelage, however. Remarkably, five of the 10 students with whom she worked between St. Maarten and Anguilla earned coveted spots on the CSEC Merit list.
The performances of our musical ingénues again remind us of what can be accomplished when students take to heart our school’s ethos, and captured in our school song, “Caring, Learning, Achieving, Excelling and spreading our fame!”
