Seventh-Day Adventist Primary School: SCASPA’s Best In Class Primary School Quiz Competition Champion!

Basseterre, St. Kitts – The best of the best battled in the finals of SCASPA’s first ever Best in Class Primary School Quiz Competition on Thursday, 1st December, 2011 at the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. After four intense semifinal competitions throughout November, 8th to November 29th, the zonal winners, the Beach Allen, Seventh-day Adventist, St. Pauls and Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary Schools came together to contend for the title, SCASPA’s Best In Class Primary School Quiz Competition Champion!

Participating students for the evening were Janai Bernard, Kyler Sutton, Chris Tyson, Keyshawana Headley, April Burt, Sonrisa Watts, Arljanique Ward, and Charissa Caear. The students were quizzed individually, as a team and in speed rounds on the core subjects of the Grade Five curriculum (Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science). Questions were also asked about SCASPA.

The packed auditorium witnessed great excitement and an academically stimulating competition with all students, teachers, parents and well wishers cheering their school teams and applauding every correct answer.

At the end of the evening, the Seventh-day Adventist and the Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary Schools tied at a score for the first place position and the St. Pauls and Beach Allen Primary Schools also tied for the second place position.

During a tie breaker round where the buzzer system was used, the Seventh-day Adventist Primary Schools won the competition with the title, SCASPA Best In Class Primary School Quiz Competition Champion, followed by The Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School in second position. The Beach Allen Primary School secured the position for third place and the St. Pauls Primary School came in the fourth place position. The top student at the end of the Competition came from the Beach Allen Primary School, Janai Bernard.

After the announcement of the winning school, energetic supporters of the Seventh-day Adventist Primary School were heard repeating their motto, “Nihil Nisi Optimum: Nothing But the Best.”

Team Leader of the winning team, April Burt, when asked how she felt about her team and school winning the competition, stated, ” I feel very excited. Everyday in the afternoon we had extra classes with Mr. Blanchette. We worked very hard. I will keep on studying for more competitions and for my examinations.”

“It was indeed a final,” said Chief Executive Officer of SCASPA, Mr. Terrence Crossman, “the final competition was very keenly contested and at the end of the competition the two ties demonstrated that the level of competency of the students was of the same level. I want to say congratulations to the Seventh-day Adventist Primary School for their win and all of the teams that participated tonight because they demonstrated good sportsmanship and knowledge of the different subject areas.”

The Awards ceremony for the competition took place during the evening and the Seventh-day Adventist, Beach Allen, Joshua Obadiah Williams and the St. Paul’s Primary Schools all received attractive cash prizes. The participating students of the final teams also received monetary prizes which were distributed by the Minister of Education and Information, the Honourable Nigel Carty. All participating students and schools of the competition received trophies.

Team Leader of the second place school, Christ Tyson said, “The competition was fine, exciting and fun. We studied long and hard. And I am happy that I participated. I want to encourage other students who enter competitions and who are studying for exams to just do their best and believe in God.”

“I didn’t want to enter at first. I thought it would have been boring but preparing and coming and winning in my zone made it exciting. This competition has helped me a lot with my school work, it was like revision. I think it was a good idea,” said Charissa Caesar of the St. Pauls Primary School.

The competition sponsored and organized by the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority increased SCASPA’s visibility, offered students and schools the opportunity to participate in a healthy academic competition and generated a greater understanding of and appreciation for SCASPA’s role in national development.

“The community can expect more of the same initiatives by SCASPA. We have demonstrated that there is a place for education and learning and what we want to do is make these events standard in our calendar of events,” said Chief Executive Officer of SCASPA, Mr. Terrence Crossman.

Officials included Moderator, Past Senior Education Officer and Principal of the Basseterre High School, Mrs. Rita Cable, a panel of three judges and four scorers.

The next Best in Class Primary School Quiz Competition is scheduled for the year 2012.