Perfect PEP score!

Camron Betton recorded a perfect score of 100 per cent in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) Ability Test to ensure that his school, Northview Christian Academy, a preparatory school in St Ann’s Bay with just 47 students on roll at last count, got some well-deserved recognition.

He was one of just three students from the school who sat the PEP exam, the others being Jaedon Gray and Anishka Gordon.

Camron, who will attend York Castle High in September, told The Gleaner:

“I feel really happy because I made my parents proud and my teachers, too. When my principal called my mother and told her, she was really happy, and I was happy to see she was happy because of my performance.

“I was expecting that the results would be good because I know that I put in the hard work, so I knew that I would get a good grade; I wouldn’t say that I was expecting 100,” he added.

His excellent performance came as little or no surprise to those who know him well and how dedicated he is to his schoolwork.

His teacher, Violet White, who taught at Ocho Rios Primary School for 37 years before retiring and then returning to teach at Northview, indicated that along, with the long hours of preparation that Camron put in, prayer also played a part.

According to White: “First of all, I must give God the glory for what he has done. Almost every day I’ve committed my students to Christ and I ask God to inspire me as well so as to give them the knowledge, the wisdom, and the strength to go through to the very end.

“I remember the evening before exam day and I wished them all the best and Camron said to me, ‘Teacher, are you coming to pray for us?’ And I said, ‘No, Camron, I can stay home and pray for you.’ He said, ‘No, teacher, I want you to come and pray for us’.

“I’m a multi-grade teacher. I teacher grade five and six, and I had to leave the morning and go to the school and conduct devotion with them and come back online to teach my grade five.

“Camron is a very devoted student,” she added.

Principal Carla Beecher-Welsh was delighted at how well Camron performed.

“I feel extremely proud, and I must say that I’m not surprised because Camron and the other two, all three students, they’re hard-working and focused, especially Camron, he has a work ethic that is beyond compare,” Beecher-Welsh said.

Both principal and teacher commended the strong parental support system that Camron has at home, as they praised parents, Noel and Carol Betton, for their role.

For mom, her son’s performance brought real joy.

“It’s an absolutely great feeling,” Carol Betton told The Gleaner.

“I think I feel even more so elated because two years ago his brother, Noel Jr, who went to the same school, also got perfect scores, so to have it done two times it is really a good feeling,” she added.

Camron, in the meantime, is still undecided about his career goal.

“When I was a child I wanted to become a scientist, but now I’m not so sure because I realise that there are many other fields that I could work in,” he said.

But the lad who loves football and reading is certain about one thing – his academic excellence will continue at York Castle.

“Oh yes! I am sure of that,” Camron remarked confidently.