The Castle Bruce Secondary School (CBSS) has achieved extraordinary results in the 2019 CSEC examinations with ten (10) of Dominica’s top 46 performers in this year’s exams coming from that institution.
Nia Belle of the Kalinago Territory received grade ones in all of the 13 subjects that she took.
“I feel accomplished,” she said in an interview with Dominica News Online (DNO), pointing out that she chose subjects of which she felt she had a good grasp.
Belle said this year was a bit challenging, especially the mathematics, but she motivated herself to keep on going and thanked her parents, classmates (many of whom are also top performers), school and community for their support, “because, without them, I would not get there on my own”. She also made special mention of the “great effort” of the teachers who helped her in becoming the top performer this year.
Belle plans to become an Aeronautical Engineer someday but she will begin that journey with an electrical engineering course at the Dominica State College (DSC).
CBSS 2019 Valedictorian, Adiscia Burton of the Kalinago Territory is Belle’s best friend. She too, passed all of her eleven subjects with grade ones. Burton, who is an avid sports student, believes strongly that sports and academics go hand in hand, as each supports the other.
“Sports cannot go well without intelligence. You need intelligence to work in sports and you need the discipline you get in sports to do well in education,” Burton argued. Belle said she will pursue a double major in chemistry and biology at the DSC.
A proud Deputy Principal of the CBSS, Clive Edwards, paid tribute to the work of a delighted CBSS staff.
“I feel elated, seeing that Castle Bruce Secondary School is just 20 years young and to come out on top this year, really we feel that our hard work has paid off,” Edwards exclaimed.
He commended the teaching staff and faculty members for their hard work and dedication.
“They are extremely dedicated; they will go the extra mile; they will sacrifice their time to ensure that their students receive the information that they need in order to go out and perform,” he stated.
Edwards said that his team continued to work tirelessly and selflessly even though they are not appointed to the respective positions for which they are qualified.
“They do not let that hold them back and go out and do what they have to do. I want to thank our principal, Steve Hypolite, for his vision.
The Deputy Principal paused for a moment to recognize the influence that the “Roving Caregivers Program” may have had on this group of students. According to him, these students were part of the first group of toddlers in the program who received early stimulation before entering pre-school.
According to Edwards, this early simulation may have contributed to their success.
The 10 CBSS students with the highest grades are:
- Nia Belle – 13 ones
- Adiscia Burton – 11 ones
- Christon Pascal – 8 ones, 3 twos
- Lisa Ernest – 8 ones, 2 twos
- Edrika Christmas – 7 ones , 4 twos
- Hymah Corbette – 7 ones, 4 twos
- Jerren Seraphin – 7 ones, 4 twos
- Melisia Valmond – 7 ones, 2 twos
- Mayah Baptiste- 6 ones, 5 twos, 1 three
- Trish Sanford – 6 ones, 1 two , 1 three
Christon Pascal, the male student with the higest grades at CBSS, told DNO he is happy that he made his school and classmates proud but more so, that he has made his parents proud.
“Because I really saw how they work hard to push to send me to primary school and high school. They are an inspiration to me now that I am going out into the world of work. I can look back and follow my parent’s footsteps to do good for my own children,” Pascal reasoned.
He plans to attend the Dominica State College in pursuit of a degree in building and civil engineering.
Lisa Ernest (Castle Bruce) saw the CBSS’ performance as a rejection of the notion that only schools in the town area can excel.
“Well, we prove them wrong!” she declared.
Ernest plans to study Maths and Chemistry at the State College.
Hymah Corbette has made her community of Laplaine proud and looks forward to doing a “Pre- health” course which she expects to lead her to a career in Pharmacy.
Edrika Christmas (Castle Bruce) will be pursuing a career in health as she seeks to obtain a degree in Biology.
The Castle Bruce Secondary School serves the community of the East from Laplaine to Kalinago Territory including Pte. Soufriere, San Sauver, Good Hope, Mopo, Tanto and Dipax.
This comes as no surprise to me.You have proven that you are a force to deal with,for it is written,the wise men came from the east. I know you will not fall for putting 198 people out of a job to save 8.The only way to solve umemployment in this country is by building factories.beware of falt prophets.In your studies spare a few lines in the bible and you will be as good as anyone.Jesus was a teacher
Congratulations everyone ! I am so proud of you all, even tho I am no longer at CBSS. I wish them the best !!!👌👌👌👌
I am quite interested in getting more details that would foster an understanding of the early stimulation associated with the roving care givers. DNO can you all investigate and tell us more. I mean the performance of this cohort is really impressive. There must be something there.
Go Edricka! You students have made our community very, very proud. Life rewards determination and those who not only plan the work, they work the plan; as evident by your excellent achievement on this exam.
As you move ahead to college, you will no doubt have challenges because it’s the nature of life. Vow to persevere. Your perseverance will ensure you not only succeed, but thrive! Congratulations to all.
Just congratulations to all those student who successfully achieved their goals. Praises also to those who fell short of their expectations despite their efforts ,now just buckle down and carry on, its not the end of the world .
Congratulations CBSS especially the teachers, students and parents for your efforts, encouragement and steadfastness. We bow to you for keeping the faith and making the communities ever so proud. Better is yet to come just wait and see.
Well done parents!
I like it when parents are an integral part of their children’s lives!!
Well done!! Keep up the great work. With God all things are possible.
You guys has set the bar real high. I love it.
Congrats to you all. It is true the “wise” men ( and women too) came from the east.
Congratulations to all of you, students and teachers.
Hard work pays.
Congratulations to the Student, Teachers, Parents of the Castle Bruce Secondary School. to God give all the glory.
Congratulations to all.Very soon DOMINICA will be 100% literate.
Go 5-1! Your parents and teachers are most proud of your efforts! Totally awesome! You guys look awesome, totally awesome! Your parents truly deserve to stand behind you, they have been the driving force for all of your lives! “Radiate that vision”
thank God for the vision of the UWP. In only 4yrs.
Well done Castle Bruce Sec School .
Parents remember you have the recipe now. The teachers cannot do it alone without your help!
Mr. Hypolite you are a young man with a vision: I applaud you Sir. And this is one heck of an exit! Well done CBSS students, parents and teachers!
Thank God Edison James and UWP, in 4.5 yrs were able to build the secondary school in Castle Bruce just as they were able to give birth to the World Creole Music Festival. Can anyone point out what Skerrit and DLP did in 20 yrs? Every damn thing they did is a failure like night landing, the west coast road, Windsor park and others. But congrats to our children that really made us proud!
Excellence is not an act but a habbit radiate that vision. Keep this moto with you all as you all move to the next level. Continue the impessive work teachers of CBSS. You will be rewarded.
CBSS STRONG
Congrats to you all… did yourself, parents and communities proud
wow! Congratulation to all for your great effort and hard work, may God continues to bless you all with knowledge and vision.
Our Dominica women always make us proud and i must say congratulations to them keep it up. I must note it is a bloody shame year after year we see our young women excelling in schools and there are only a few young men in the midst. When there is news on graduation in college you see 30 women one or two guys. People we are facing a male motivation crisis in Dominica, or so it seems. I see news of young men dying on bikes or shooting one another. This is not good and something needs to be done to get our young men back on track. No its not a competetion but a serious social problem that needs to be remedied. I dont know how else to stress but if that trend continues we going to have real social problems in the future. Wait.. .the problems are already showing thier ugly face..
CONGRATS!!!!!!ALL
Great job and conrats to everyone who did well,keep thriving ,your hard works will pay off well.love this article.