10-y-o from Old Harbour smashes PEP with 99% score

But one of the biggest stories from the tens of thousands of students who sat the annual examination, which albeit had to be scaled down in light of the pandemic, is that of 10-year-old Kimbrianna Watson, who registered a 99% proficiency score on her paper.

An early starter, Kimbrianna was only five years old when she began her primary education at Old Harbour Bay Primary and was either top of her class or at the very least in the top group during her time there.

Her parents tell Old Harbour News in an interview that their daughter – who attained the second best performance in the school behind Alexander Hibbert – was always on track to deliver.

“She’s pretty much mature in everything she does and is very responsible,” mom, Kimeka Watson, said.

Kimbrianna will turn 11 at the end of September, one month into high school life at Ardenne High, which was her second choice behind Glenmuir High.

Despite having three children at home and being a primary school teacher herself, Kimeka said Kimbrianna didn’t show any negative effects of the pandemic which forced school online.

“I could leave her and know that she would stay in class and she would get her assignments done,” she said during a telephone interview with the family from their Old Harbour Glades home.

“What I worried about was actually pulling her away from the screen, let her know she has to go outside and play,” she added. “But that’s her nature. Now that she will be going to high school, she’s already started to look into the subjects that she will be going to do and actually started learning about the foreign languages. So it’s just who she is.”

The family said they have faced criticisms claiming they are pushing too hard on their daughter but the mother said that’s far from it.

“They’re thinking that for a child that’s so young it must be the parents pushing the child like that. But that’s not the case for us. We watch how they are managing and then we can use that to judge whether they need to go or we need to pull them back,” said Mrs Watson who also started high school at age 10 during the common entrance era.

She continued: “I think she is a little more mature than I was then.”

Kimbrianna is the eldest of three siblings. Her two brothers: an eight-year-old and another who is four. And it’s no surprise they have a very protective sister.

Husband and father Brian Watson, who selected Ardenne as one of the schools he would love for his daughter to attend, is excited.

“It’s a good feeling. It makes me feel blessed really,” said Mr Watson, who is an employee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Though high school will prove to be a bigger challenge, the Watsons believe online school provides an opportunity to gradually ease their little bright spark into high school culture. “We will be there coaching her along,” said Mrs Watson. “But we know that she is set on her goals and she loves to learn, so I’m not worried that she’s going to excel but I know that she will definitely need us.

“She will make us proud not just academically but how she carries herself… because we are grounded in our Christian values.”

Working from home was little bit harder during the pandemic, Mrs Watson admitted. Her tasks sometimes leave her no choice but to take her kids with her to school.

But during family time the educator, who is also a member of staff at Old Harbour Bay Primary, finds fun and creative ways to reinforce lessons Kimbrianna would have learnt in her classes online.

It was a nervous wait for the PEP results but now Kimbrianna is exciting about going to high school. “It’s just a new experience,” she said in a tiny tone, while indicating that she hasn’t given much thought about what she hopes to become in the future.

A fan of visual arts and mathematics, Kimbrianna may not know what she wants  to do in the future just yet, but clearly wants to “leave an impression” at Ardenne.