Cul de Sac:---- The first batch of students to enroll in St. Maarten Academy’s CAPE programme are now in the final stages of preparing for their external examination slated to begin in June 2016.
St. Maarten Academy started CAPE in September 2014 with a cohort of 28 and according to the CAPE Coordinator, Roxanne Bloomfield, these students "are being prepared to be trailblazers in the wider society as they will be equipped with the requisite Associate Degree to enter any university or place of employment.” Once successful, they will be the first batch to graduate with their Associate Degree.
The Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Associate Degree is awarded for the satisfactory completion of a prescribed cluster of seven CAPE Units, including Caribbean Studies and Communication Studies. These qualifications are treated similarly to UK Advanced level qualifications.
Academy's principal, Drs. Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool, paid tribute to the outstanding achievements of the CAPE students as they marked this milestone during the schools’ Open House in February.
She lauded them on their performance in the May 2015 sitting of the CAPE Unit 1 examinations where they achieved 100% pass rate in Accounting, Communication Studies, Management of Business, Information Technology and Physics. Biology had a 75% pass rate, while Pure Mathematics recorded a pass rate of 42%. This achievement, Mrs. Baly-Vanterpool said, paved the way for them to become pillars in the society.
“I am looking for great things from you...You have proven that you are hard workers and that with dedication you can excel,” the principal told the scholars.
During her presentation to the parents, Drs. Baly-Vanterpool also stated that “this occasion is even more poignant as we are welcoming the prospective new first form student while preparing to say “God's speed” on your academic journey to our CAPE year two students.” She further stated that “this two-year journey at the post-secondary level at St. Maarten Academy will not only culminate in obtaining a Caribbean Associate Degree, but also getting placements in universities in Holland, Guyana, and Curacao, the US, Canada, and Jamaica.”
The CAPE programme at St. Maarten Academy allows students to transition into the world of work and understand the responsibility of a university programme while being able to accumulate college credits that can be transferred to a university of their choice.
The CAPE programme is a vehicle that can pave the way for a person’s academic future. To begin the journey of academic excellence, St. Maarten Academy is now accepting applications for the 2016/2017 academic year. This application period will end on March 31, 2016.
Academy to graduate first batch of Associate Degree students.
