Whitfield State School students top state in two national exams
These two Cairns students are among the smartest in the state and they’re part of a program for gifted children designed to nurture their amazing skills.
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THE future is looking good for two Whitfield State School students who topped the state in recent maths and English exams.
Saxon See Kee, who just finished Year 5, was placed in the 100th percentile in the Australian Mathematics Competition, a nationwide test for students from Year 3-12.
Lucy Seaton, who will start at Trinity Bay State High next year, also excelled in the University of New South Wales’ International Competition and Assessment for Schools – an English test which students throughout the country and South-East Asia sit every year.
Both students are part of the school’s gifted education program run by Annette Ryan.
The teacher said this year was the third time Saxon had scored highly on the maths test.
“A few years ago he was in the 94th percentile, last year he was in the 96th percentile, and this year he was in the 100th percentile. There were very few errors,” she said. “There is some quite advanced problem solving in this test; they want maths to be practical and give children like Saxon a chance to level up.
“Lucy won the same prize back when she was in Year 2. There was a medal ceremony in Brisbane but her family wasn’t able to attend. We certainly made a big fuss of the students here at school.”
Ms Ryan said it was as important to focus on challenging high-achieving students as it was to help those struggling.
“This group can be a forgotten group because people say we don’t have to worry about them, they’ll learn anyway,” she said.
“But they need to achieve, there’s no need to keep them waiting while everyone catches up. They’re a bit harder to teach because you have to be on the front foot.”
Originally published as Whitfield State School students top state in two national exams