SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - St. Dominic High School marked a triumphant milestone at its graduation 2025 ceremony on Thursday, December 18, themed "Virtual Beginnings to Victorious Endings".
St Dominic High School welcomed dignitaries including President of Foundation Catholic Education Dr. Marlon Halley, Executive Director Mrs. Lilia Aventurin-Hodge, Superintendent Mrs. Jacqueline Greene, Minister of Education Ms. Melissa Gumbs, and Keynote Speaker Ms. Tatia Brunings.
School Liaison Marie Richardson's Principal Report honored the graduating class's journey from pandemic-era online learning to academic excellence, while highlighting the school's growth, partnerships and community spirit.
Read the report below:
"It is my honor to welcome you to this momentous celebration—our graduation ceremony under the inspiring theme: “Virtual Beginnings to Victorious Endings.” This theme encapsulates the remarkable journey our graduates have experienced.
It reminds us that even when your trek starts in uncertainty—sometimes behind a screen—hard work, faith, and perseverance can transform your beginning into a victorious ending.
Reflecting on the 2020 school year, none of us could have predicted the challenges of starting classes entirely online. Many teachers, new to platforms like Google Classroom and Zoom, quickly became digital pioneers.
They overcame unstable internet connections and innovated on the fly—sometimes teaching writing assignments outdoors or conducting science experiments from their kitchens.
Similarly, our graduates turned their kitchens, porches, and even bedrooms into classrooms—often still in their SpongeBob pajamas, sitting on their pineapple under-the-sea sheets!
Some relied on mobile phone data plans when stable internet wasn’t available at home. That was true perseverance and dedication. And then there were the hilarious moments when “doppelgangers” hijacked lessons—those unexpected virtual guests caused by technology glitches. Teachers learned to use the waiting room feature very quickly after that!
Yet, these hurdles did not deter the St. Dominic High School community. The resilience, creativity, and determination shown by both students and staff have been truly inspiring. The virtual beginnings that once seemed daunting transformed into victories in learning, character growth, and school spirit.
I want to sincerely thank our teachers, administrative staff, and support teams who worked tirelessly to adapt and provide quality education. If you look around the school, you’ll still see reminders of those times—like the yellow footprints on the steps, painted to guide us back onto the school compound.
Those footprints belonged to a famous model—Mr. Persaud. Our gratitude also goes to the parents, board members, and PTA, whose unwavering support helped keep us connected and motivated. Behind every graduate is a family who stood strong at the virtual start of this journey, and for that, we are deeply thankful.
The opening of this graduating class’s final year (2024–2025) posed even deeper challenges. Our IT teacher, Mr. Paul, was out for most of the year, healing his heart. Then, just 61 days into the school year, our hearts were thrust into a kaleidoscope of grief with the sudden loss of our new Art teacher, Ms. Leonora Barbieri. Another group of students returned to online art classes with Mr. Sikkes, who taught dedicated lessons from his home in Italy.
With the efforts of Ms. Barbieri's friends, her DJ Calabash Group, and her family in Italy, they raised funds to create an Art Scholarship for St. Dominic High students pursuing Visual Arts in the IB Diploma Programme. The kickoff and official announcement will be in January 2026, to honor the month of Ms. Barbieri’s birthday.
Throughout 2024–2025, the school embraced exciting new partnerships—such as our collaboration with Harvard and the school’s Wellbeing Research Team (led by Mrs. Mighten, with Mr. Davis, Ms. Givans, and Ms. Richardson). St. Dominic High School was proud to participate in Phases 1 and 2 of the "Wellbeing in Schools" project, a global action research initiative that began in 2023 to enhance student wellbeing.
This prestigious project was sponsored by Harvard University, the International Baccalaureate Organization, the University of Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, HundrED, Jacobs Foundation, and Research Schools International. It aimed to understand how wellbeing impacts learning outcomes and to measure the effectiveness of wellbeing practices in schools worldwide.
Another remarkable collaboration was the Sint Maarten Harmony project out of Sweden. Under the guidance of Tania Bauder, this innovative initiative helped students and teachers explore human sensitivity through Argentinian tango.
Supported by Creative Culture Europe and the Goethe Institute, this interdisciplinary project integrated tango as a tool for physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.
The school saw its biggest update with four additional classrooms in a completed new tower. The building includes a lecture hall seating 50, a new business classroom, English class, and complete computer lab. St. Dominic High became a young 30 years old this past year, and the 30th Anniversary Committee’s yearlong celebrations further enriched the school environment. By January 2026, the C-Building and gymnasium should be ready. We are steadily growing up!
Last year, we welcomed two new staff members: Ms. Wilson in the Performing Arts Department and Mr. Dros in the English Department. We also applaud the ongoing professional development efforts of our teachers, who are leveraging their learning to improve classroom skills.
Student welfare remained a top priority, with expanded counselling, wellbeing programs, and key behavior and attendance initiatives ensuring every student had the support needed to thrive beyond academics.
Our graduates’ achievements this year have been outstanding. Academically, many excelled in internal exams and external CSEC qualifications. We had 302 subject entries in this graduating class, and 100% of our graduates achieved college passes.
The CXC-CSEC subjects where students scored exceptionally well (attaining Grade 1s and 2s) included:
Biology and Physics, under Mr. Davis and Ms. Duffus (100% Grade 1s).
Spanish, under Ms. Ferrance (78% Grade 1s, 22% Grade 2s).
Music, taught by Mr. Amajan (50% Grade 1s, 50% Grade 2s).
Principles of Business, led by Ms. Daryani (46% Grade 1s, 54% Grade 2s).
Information Technology, guided by Ms. Givans (69% Grade 1s, 31% Grade 2s).
Human & Social Biology, with Ms. Constant (67% Grade 1s, 33% Grade 2s). Notably, under Ms. Constant’s guidance, Pooja Babani (currently in the IB Diploma Programme) made the merit list last year.
Additional Mathematics, under Mr. Johnson (82% Grade 1s, 18% Grade 2s), highlighted by our valedictorian, Sameer Chatani, earning 4th place on the Caribbean CSEC Merit list.
We express gratitude to all teachers who encouraged our students and worked tirelessly with them to be so exceptional.
In addition to outstanding CSEC performances, this year St. Dominic High School’s IB Diploma Programme 2025 candidates outperformed the global pass rate of 81% with a passing rate of 88%. Additionally, the average points for our passing candidates was 33, surpassing the global average DP score of 30.58 for the May 2025 session.
St. Dominic High School outperformed the world average in nine subjects:
Biology HL/SL;
Business Management HL;
Chemistry HL;
English A Literature SL;
Environmental Systems & Societies SL;
Mandarin ab initio SL;
Spanish B HL;
Physics SL.
Congratulations to Mr. Davis, Mrs. Daryani, Mrs. Mighten, Mrs. Liverpool, Ms. Constant, Ms. Pusey (Pamoja Online Education), Ms. Plein, and Ms. Duffus.
Out of 82,514 candidates worldwide awarded the diploma, only 11.5% achieved 40 points or higher. This year, two St. Dominic High students—Rahim Hussein with 41 and Lehar Marata with 40 points—joined that elite group.
At the close of last academic year, we had a school-wide promotion rate of 98.4%. These results reflect our longstanding commitment to academic excellence, student support, and holistic development. This marked improvement shows the school continues to grow with dedicated, committed staff.
From Basic Secondary Education and Caribbean Secondary Education Certification to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, St. Dominic High School’s legacy is striving toward victorious endings.
We reintroduced the House System to cultivate school spirit and deepen students’ connection to the values of their Houses: St. Bakhita, St. Maria Goretti, St. Michael the Archangel, and St. John Paul II.
Outside the classroom, our graduates shone in sports—thank you to the hard-working Sports Committee members who supported them and attended all competitions.
Thank you to Ms. Arrindell and her diehard dedication to the proposition, the moot, the rebuttal, and the art of debating. She guided students throughout last year so they could be the great debaters of St. Dominic High, demonstrating remarkable talent.
St. Dominic is truly one of a kind, molding young minds in diverse ways.
Looking ahead, we are excited to build on this foundation. Our vision for 2025–2026 includes expanding virtual access for digital partnerships, strengthening participation in interscholastic sports and competitions, and continuing character development initiatives. This class marked a new beginning for us all. Although they have reached this end, their next beginnings will not be virtual—they will be visionary.
To the graduating class of 2025: As you step forward today, remember you embody perseverance and triumph. You started behind a screen but now finish with heads held high as leaders ready to make an impact. Uphold St. Dominic High School’s core values of Knowledge, Creativity, and Respect. Keep the faith, challenge your limits, and remember every obstacle you’ve overcome is a stepping stone toward greatness.
May you go forth with courage, joy, and grace. Congratulations!"
Sameer Chatani, Valedictorian
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