Living up to its motto, “We strive to be the best we can be,” The Montessori Centre has again delivered an outstanding performance in the Caribbean Primary Exit Assessment (CPEA), with five of its students finishing among the island’s top ten performers, including the region’s highest-scoring student, Emerald Alfred.
Alfred topped both Saint Lucia and the region with an impressive score of 99.2 per cent. Angelina Chreiki placed third nationally with 98.8 per cent, while Zuri Boodhoo, Danielle Farida and Newt Leonce finished jointly in ninth place with scores of 97.8 per cent.
For Alfred, exam day coincided with her birthday. While many students may have found that distracting, she said the occasion instead gave her a sense of calm. Speaking with St Lucia Times after the results were released, Alfred said she now hopes to continue excelling academically as she works towards her dream of one day joining NASA.
The strong showing came as no surprise to Principal Myrtle Murray, who credited the school’s approach of introducing CPEA concepts from the early primary years, well before students reach Grade Six.
“I was elated…. The children were very prepared. We do not start CPEA in Grade Six. As a school, we were the first to start CPEA years ago, before COVID. We start at the Grade One and Grade Two levels with simple components of the CPEA, and as the children get older, we include all the components,” Murray explained.
Grade Six teacher Ivan Peters described the results as a proud moment, saying the success reflected the personalised approach taken with each student throughout the year.
“Words can’t describe it. It’s an amazing feeling. I feel elated… I feel super, super proud of my students. We had to tailor the classroom to suit all 19 students. We realised they all have their own learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, so we nurtured each of them accordingly,” Peters said.
There was no hiding the pride on Jodi Boodhoo’s face as he spoke about his daughter Zuri, who finished joint ninth nationally.
“I was not nervous. She put in the work over the past two years and the averages held up. Based on the marks she was getting throughout the term, I expected her to get into the school of her choice. Tying for ninth overall, I’m excited, but there’s still a lot of work to be done when she gets to SJC,” he said.
Although five students found themselves among the nation’s top performers, The Montessori Centre’s success extended beyond the individual rankings. The school’s Grade Six cohort performed above the national average, with students earning placements at their first-choice secondary schools.
For Principal Myrtle Murray and her team, the results serve as another testament to the value of early preparation and a student-centred approach to learning. The Montessori Centre has consistently produced students among the nation’s top performers and has previously celebrated students who have topped both Saint Lucia and the region.
