Arrielle Thompson’s hard work and dedication to her studies paid handsome dividends today as she joined the elite club of top performers in the Barbados Secondary Schools Entrance Examination (BSSEE).
Thompson scored 241.18 A and was declared the top performer at the privately-owned Trinity Academy at Eagle Hall by her Class 4 teacher Christopher Boyce.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY minutes after receiving the news, an elated Thompson said she was excited to obtain her place at Queen’s College as she had to make some sacrifices to ensure that she could become a top achiever.
Arrielle Thompson with her parents Marina and Lavere Thompson.
“We had to give up some of our time, we had to put in a lot of effort and then the electronics got taken away,” she said.
Thompson said she was a bit overwhelmed with the achievement as she had expected to secure a spot at her school of choice Queen’s College but was not expecting to be on the top ten list.
Reflecting on her classes with her Class 4 teacher Mr Boyce leading up to the Common Entrance exam, she said that “ he gave her a lot of work,” to her teacher’s chuckle.
Boyce told Barbados TODAY that he was not surprised with Arrielle’s achievement because he knew she would have done well in the examination which tests students on Mathematics, English, and Composition.
“I tried not compare her to other people but I knew she herself would have done well,” he said.
The Class 4 teacher said this year the school tried a new approach where they let teachers teach subjects in the area, they had the greatest knowledge in.
Boyce said: “We have a committed principal and deputy principal who then encourage the staff to do their best, whatever there best may be. We encourage students therefore to do their best.
“This year we tried something slightly different on a rotational basis where the teachers who are good in teaching math and understood math well then taught the Class 4 math and the ones who were good at English taught English.
“So, each teacher taught in their strong area and I think that attributed to the students doing well in both Mathematics and English.”
Arrielle was praised by her parents Marina and Lavere Thompson as being self-motivated to succeed in life.
Father Lavere said: “It is a great achievement. I feel proud of my daughter. She worked hard. The hard work did not start this term; it started from the time she was in Infants A and she is highly dedicated individual and anything that she wants to do she is the type of child that can achieve it.
“I know that the qualities that she has will do her [well] now that she is attending Queen’s College.”
Mother Marina told Barbados TODAY that she was pleased her daughter was able to achieve her dream of attending Queen’s College as she has been consistent with her studies placing first or second in class each year.
“It is the culmination of all of the hard work that she would have put in over the years. It is not something that suddenly happened as she has been consistent throughout school as she would come either 1st or 2nd.”
Marina said today they will be having an impromptu celebration for Arrielle as she has a bottle of non-alcoholic wine which she enjoys.
“I just happen to have a bottle of non- alcoholic wine at work and I already put it in the fridge, so it is chilling because she loves to celebrate.
“We love to celebrate as a family whether it is Father’s Day or Mother’s Day. So, there will be something else at another period of time, but we have not planned anything as yet.”
Last Saturday, Arrielle celebrated her 11th birthday with her close friends and extended family.
