The privately-run Central Christian School, at Rey Hill, has graduated its 2015 Class comprising eleven students. The graduation, the 9th so far, is sending another batch of well-trained and religiously-sheltered children to Campus B of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School in September.
Speaking at Monday evening’s graduation ceremony, Pastor Dwayne Adams, who is also a Campus A teacher, spoke on behalf of the Pastor Cecil Richardson and School’s Board. “We are proud of our students and this is a milestone coming to the end of grade six,” he said in part. “It’s been a long time coming and we know that it is not the end of the road. We believe that our students have had a very good start here at Central Christian School.
“The Central Christian School plays an important role in Anguilla. It is a unique institution offering both academic and Christian education. We thank our Principal, our teachers and the parents and guardians who have enrolled your children here. We believe that the school has much good in Anguilla.”
In her report, the Acting Principal, Ms. Maria Reid, said the school opened in 2000 to pre-schoolchildren and since then had grown significantly. The primary department commenced in 2001 with grade 2 students who were now continuing up to grade six.
“Today is a culmination of years of hard work,” she went on. “It has been a journey that started with tentative steps for some, but it has taken us to remarkable heights. We have encountered some trials along the way, but we have also experienced some exceptional moments and created memories that will be remembered for years to come.”
She advised the graduating students to continue to strive for excellence and to work hard to achieve their goals in their upcoming new school environment.
Following the earlier years of graduations at the school, and the continuing education at the comprehensive school, a number of Central Christian School graduates have done exceptionally well. This was pointed out by Mr. Ross Guishard, a teacher at the school. He reported that some of them had already graduated from universities abroad and were continuing to make the school and Anguilla proud of them.
Miss Sabrina Connor, a former Central Christian School student, now a sixth form student at the Comprehensive School, was the keynote speaker. She spoke about adjusting from a religious education school to a secular school and the various challenges posed by peer pressure and the new school system. She advised the graduates to remain focused and to continue to be guided by the basic principles they were taught at the Central Christian School.
The graduates are Solomon Bannister (Honour Roll and Five Year Award), Lucien Baronnier, Cheidyn Bryan (Valedictorian, on Principal’s List and Five Year Award), Dionte Edwards, Joshua Fitzpatrick, Chavez Gumbs (Honour Roll and Five Year Award), Jaheim Gumbs, Tenika Hughes, Reniqua Proctor (Honour Roll), Adil Salouana and Jewanne Singh.