Perhaps the most exciting time of the year for students has to be results day for the Common Entrance examinations—providing their results give them something to scream and shout triumphantly about that is!
The list of top performing students this year consisted students from schools that can be considered ‘the usual suspects.’ Jonas Landwehr from Bonne Terre Preparatory was in first place with 95 percent securing him a desired place at St Mary’s College! Second place was shared with Tonya Atkins from Pierrot Combined (93.33; Vieux Fort Comprehensive) and Mitchel Stephen from Dame Pearlette Louisy (93.33; St Mary’s College). Fourth place went to Sean Francois from Bonne Terre Preparatory (93 percent; St Mary’s College) and fifth to Carmen Rene Memorial’s Amelia Daniel (92.67; St Joseph’s Convent) and Ave Maria’s Jusila Gittens (92.67; St Joseph’s Convent).
Iysyl Auguste from Camille Henry Memorial was seventh (92.33; St Mary’s College) and Sherine Paul from Dame Pearlette Louisy eighth (92
percent; St Joseph’s Convent). Ninth place went to Leah Krone from Camille Henry Memorial (91.67; St Joseph’s Convent) and Dame Pearlette Louisy’s Daisee Lubrin (91.67; St Joseph’s Convent)!
This week the STAR met up with Jonas Landwehr, the island’s number one performer who’d expected no less of himself.
“Really all I did was listen to what my teachers told me,” he said when asked about his preparation for Common Entrance. “I did mock examinations, I didn’t stop swimming and I didn’t stop doing any other extracurricular activities.
“All of them,” he responded when asked about his favourite subject.
“Probably the one I do the best in, not necessarily that I like the most is Math.”
Like any other high achiever, he’d been extremely excited to learn he’d passed for the secondary school of his choice.
“I was expecting that I would make it to College but not to be first on the island,” he told the STAR. “I’m very grateful and thankful to all my teachers and my parents. God has blessed me with many academic abilities and I just put those to use.
“My parents were very proud of me,” he continued. “They were happy, but it’s not as big a thing to them as me doing my best.”
In his free time Jonas can be found reading—when he’s not playing basketball or at swimming or taking piano lessons!
“I like reading any book, any little sign or script . . . Right now I’m reading a very long novel from Star Wars.
“I would like to be a doctor,” he said when asked about future aspirations. “A pediatrician, because I see that healthcare is very expensive here and I want to offer cheaper healthcare to those who can’t afford it in St Lucia.”
Jonas was born and raised in St Lucia and has attended Bonne Terre Preparatory from Kindergarten.
“It’s great school,” he related. “The teachers and principal are great. We have the field, although it’s often muddy,” he laughed. “And the swimming pool. . . I’m going to miss this school.”
“He’s a very hard-working student,” Language Arts and Social Studies teacher Mavis Jean-Offer put in. “I always knew he had the potential. He’s always been a child that whatever you give him he gets it done. Although he’ll do some complaining in the beginning, that’s Jonas for you. He will still get it done.”
“I complain the most about homework,”
Jonas admitted with a hint of a smile. “But I do it the most.”
“This was not a surprise,” his teacher went on. “I knew he would do it. Our school did very well and we’re quite proud of all our students. We knew they had the ability, we just had to provide them with the tools to get it done and they did it, and we’re proud of them.”
Jonas’ Mathematics and Science teacher Claire Auguste added: “He’s a
naturally intelligent young man and we didn’t expect any less. Of course we’ve had our times where we’ve had to tell him, hey, you can do it, make the sacrifice, but not to sound over-confident, we knew it was his. We felt he would do very well. I’m happy, it goes without saying.”
Last year the school had another student in the top five (third place) who now attends St Mary’s College. This is the first time Bonne Terre has had two students in the top five. Eleven-year-old Sean Francois was ecstatic about his fourth place scoring.
“Everyone told me I could do it and I did,” he told the STAR. “My family was quite proud of me. Other members of my family have been scoring top five and top ten on the island.
“I stopped playing on my laptop and took that time to study,” he said of his academic effort prior to the examination.
“I didn’t really do constant drills; I worked on the areas I had trouble with. My teachers helped me a lot.”
As for future aspirations, Sean was unsure, but in his words: “I’m leaning toward chef, or lawyer . . . I’m not quite sure yet.”
“We talk about first all the time but let us recognize all our students,” Teacher Claire Auguste commented. “They all did very well. We have a student who came 12th, Dealla Scott and another coming in at 16, Akeema Mendes. At the end of the day they all did very well. With every class you have, you will have challenges. It was a very good year.”
Principal Jennifer Alexander had this to say: “I’m very pleased and thankful. We’re very happy for them, they’ve worked very hard and are now reaping the rewards of that.”
The top performing students will be honoured at their upcoming school
graduation!
