Linstead Primary Top Student Brings Hope To Single-Parent Household

Blossoming in a single-parent household sheltered by her mother, Head Girl of Linstead Primary School in St Catherine Rihanna Gyles is proud of her performance in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

That assessment is used to place students in secondary schools.

“I feel very good about my performance because I did my very best and scored the highest out of all Grade Six students at my school,” the aspiring doctor told The Beacon.

A break-down of the PEP results shows that she scored 94 per cent.

She also performed at the highest level (Highly Proficient) in three of the four curriculum-based subjects – Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. She was deemed ‘Proficient’ in the other subject, Mathematics.

Despite not being awarded a place at her first choice of secondary schools (Immaculate Conception), Rihanna, whose placement score is 369.6, is grateful to have been sent to one of her other favourites.

She will commence studies at Holy Childhood High, which is among the island’s most prestigious secondary educational institutions.

Judith Walker, the Linstead Primary teacher who prepared Rihanna for PEP, told The Beacon: “Rihanna is a par excellence student who is very academically inclined… She is responsible and dependable and is a student every teacher would like to have.”

In the meantime, Rihanna’s mother, Christine Allen, could not have been prouder of her daughter.

“I feel extremely great about her performance; she did amazing and I’m very proud of her,” she said while describing Rihanna as a disciplined, diligent and God-fearing team leader.

Allen, who ventured into parenthood at age 16, describes her journey as life-changing.

“Being a young single mom, it has been very hard. I had my daughter when I was 16 years old. She has changed my life,” she added.

Allen underscored the importance of prioritizing her daughter’s best interest.

“I don’t want her to go through the things I went through; that’s why I work so hard to support her. To be honest, it’s really rough at times, but I decide not to give up no matter what,” she further said.

Rihanna, who hails from Wakefield in the Linstead area, said some of the things she did to attain success include organizing a study schedule, testing herself, and eliminating possible distractions.

She advised other students: “Put God first in everything that you do, cope with your failure, and learn from your mistakes.”

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