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St. Thomas Stars Credit Strong Parental Support for PEP Success

By: , August 18, 2022
St. Thomas Stars Credit Strong Parental Support for PEP Success
Photo: Michael Sloley
- Parents Mark Fagan (left) and Tamara Deans-Fagan (right), shower their son, Taheir Fagan, with an abundance of love and support.

The Full Story

Apart from the impressive academic achievements and destined-for-greatness attitude, the two top performers in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) at the Providence Kinder-prep School in St. Thomas have more in common than meets the eye.

Both boys tell of a simple secret to their years of academic excellence, and it is not mere hard work and determination; it’s also the strong parental support they have received.

Ajani Smith, 12, tells JIS News that the main lesson that guides him in his endeavours is to “listen to your parents, because they’ve been alive for longer than you, so they know more than you”.

The talented pre-teen has secured a place at Campion College, his first-choice school, based on his outstanding PEP results. He is currently gearing up to take high school by storm and has no plans of ever falling behind in his studies.

“I know for a fact that my parents will never let that happen. I can’t give up. Because of them, I was able to achieve what I have achieved and they pushed me to do my best. They got me everything I needed to be at the top so I thank them a lot,” Ajani says.

Ajani Smith, 12, will be attending Campion College in September based on his outstanding performance in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

 

Tahier Fagan, also 12, shares similar sentiments. “My parents are my motivation because they sacrifice so much. I don’t want to let them down, so I just keep working hard,” he notes.

The high achiever points out that the keen guidance of Mom and Dad was always present in his academic journey. “They would ensure that they looked through my books from time to time and see if there is anything that I don’t understand and help me to understand it,” he discloses.

Come September, Tahier will be attending the Ardenne High School, which was also his first choice.

Tahier Fagan, 12, is a high performer in the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) and will be attending the Ardenne High School in September.

 

This means that both boys will be travelling almost two hours from St. Thomas to Kingston each day for face-to-face school.

An unfazed Ajani, who had Campion College on his wish list for many years, says, “I look forward to the school, and I don’t worry about anything else – just my grades.”

Equally confident is Tahier who says: “I am not nervous because most of the time when I am on my way to Kingston, I just sleep through most of it.”

Furthermore, the parents behind these high achievers are confident that they will maintain their standard of excellence and share with JIS News the strategies they have used to encourage their children academically.

Ajani’s mother, Donna-Dean Telfer-Smith, who is an English teacher by profession, explains: “I am a disciplinarian but as a parent of a boy, you have to have certain methodologies and tricks to get to them. You can be stern, but there are times that you have to be relaxed, so that they can see that you are a real person.”

She recalls the experience of COVID-19 and the measures she and her husband took to support their son’s educational journey, amid unfamiliar territory.

“When we went into the online modality, I had to step in and ensure that he was focused, because as much as you know that they are brilliant kids, if you leave them unguided, they are going to play games and such. I had to ensure that we found a routine and that we stuck to it,” she shares.

Mrs. Smith ensured that her son was on time for classes, properly attired and grasped his lessons. Luckily for her, Ajani has always been a “focused and mature” student who is “wiser than his years”.

12-year-old Ajani Smith (right) can count on the support of his parents, which includes mom, Donna-Dean Telfer-Smith.

 

Tahier’s mom, Tamara Deans-Fagan, who is a customer service professional, made the point that, “It is a student, parent and teacher effort so you have to be involved in your child’s life in every step of the way, and we plan to do that”.

Tahier Fagan (centre) is flanked by his loving parents, mom, Tamara Deans-Fagan (right) and dad, Mark Fagan.

 

With the support of her husband, Mrs. Fagan allows Tahier to have an input in certain matters and teaches him to be confident, although she candidly admits that raising a boy genius, whose ambition is to become a Biochemist, keeps her on her toes.

Ajani, on the other hand, has not decided on a career. “I haven’t put much thought into it yet,” he reveals.

“I like the sciences so maybe a scientist and just for the fun of it, a YouTuber, and for the payment, a lawyer,” he tells JIS News.