Students from Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School won three of the top five spots in the Alliance Française du Saint Lucia’s first-ever student competition, held on Thursday as part of Francophonie Week.
The event provided students with a platform to showcase their linguistic and creative talents by blending French and English in speeches, poetry, or slam performances.
The competition, featuring students from Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School and Bonne Terre Preparatory School, challenged participants to produce and present a written piece in the form of a speech, poetry, or slam, incorporating both French and English. It celebrated Saint Lucia’s bilingual heritage and was inspired by the French motto Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity) and the Declaration of Human Rights.
Jayda Thomy from Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School emerged as the winner, followed by Nessa Flamius (Bonne Terre Prep) in second place, Nyla Pelage (Sir Ira Simmons) in third, Kayla Richilieu (Sir Ira Simmons) in fourth, and Nancy Alphanse (Bonne Terre Prep) in fifth.
“I must say that the students did an excellent job,” said Curriculum Officer for Modern Languages at the Ministry of Education, Jessima Cooper.
She praised the winner for her exceptional presentation, saying she “did an excellent job in bringing out the theme”.
Commending the efforts of all the participants, Cooper added: “Students went all out, and I applaud the students of those two schools, the Bonne Terre Preparatory School and the Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School, as well as the teachers and principals, for engaging the students in such an excellent activity.”
Looking ahead, Cooper expressed hope for greater participation in future events, potentially expanding to include Creole.
She also encouraged students to continue learning foreign languages.
Wonderful news – congratulations — keep up the good work. Peace and blessings.