St Dominic’s RC School annual Achievement Day

Unlocking Your True Potential was the theme of the annual Achievement Day for St Dominic’s RC, Morvant, held at Queen’s Hall on January 17. Hosted by popular morning show hosts Ainka Will and Jayron ‘Rawkus’ Remy, the day was a celebration of those students in each year group who lived up to the school’s vision of excellence during the past academic year.

Indeed, the organisers pulled out all the stops to make this red-carpet event a memorable one for students, teachers, parents, and all invited guests.

Archbishop Charles Jason Gordon was on hand to bring greetings to those gathered and to bless the event. During their very lively interaction, the students enthusiastically repeated the life-giving mantras, ‘Always Have an Attitude of Gratitude’, ‘I am God’s Child’ and ‘God has a purpose for me.’

Parliamentary Representative for the area Minister Adrian Leonce, Sharon Mangroo, CEO of the Catholic Education Board of Management, and Dexter Rampersad of the Ministry of Education also brought greetings.

The feature speaker of the day was paediatrician Dr Robyn Ramsingh-Naraynsingh, a former student of St Dominic’s RC and a past island scholarship winner.  The young students delighted the audience with gymnastic and dance performances.

Another highlight of an already exciting day was the presentation of the 16th Annual Lisa Wickham Achievement Awards (LWAA) to those students who demonstrated all-round excellence in both academics and extra-curricular activities.

Producer, director, and media personality Lisa Wickham, herself a proud past pupil of the school, was on hand to deliver the prizes to all awardees.

“At St Dominic’s I was involved in every single extra-curricular activity including cub scouts with Miss Thora Best. Notwithstanding this, academics were also important, and I passed for my first choice Holy Name Convent. I therefore wanted to provide an instrument that would help to inspire the students to be their best self and recognise students who excelled in both arenas,”  said Wickham.

Over the past 16 years, the school selected six finalists from Standard Five, who have been consistent from the time they entered the school. Wickham would meet each child individually, following which the children write two essays on topics that explore their creative thought process.

The finalists and winner(s) are recognised at the School’s Annual Achievement Day in front of the entire school. “This we have found to motivate the younger children who work assiduously towards achieving the LWAA over their future years at the school,” added Wickham.

Finalists for 2023 were Saryah Mohammed, Kyra Thomas, Kelsey James, Israel Mayhew, and Addison Ashby. The overall winner was Kriselle Francois, now a Form 1 student at St Francois Girls’ College, Belmont.

Principal Nathalie Faria and her team of dedicated teachers, supported by Wickham and her team of volunteers, executed a truly high-quality event to recognise the hard work of the students. Faria emphasised the fact that “St Dominic’s RC continues to collaborate with all stakeholders in nurturing and providing a learning environment which will continue to inspire students to maximise their God-given talents as they aspire to reach their fullest potential.”

—Imagine Media International