YOU’VE DONE IT!!!

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Congratulations! You did it! You have completed your BSSEE! No matter what happens, your parents are proud of you, and I am too!

Best wishes for the future.

Bajan Mom

PRAYERS AND BEST WISHES FROM BAJAN MOM

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Good morning, everyone! To our Common Entrance Exam sitters, we are all rooting for you! Today is going to be a wonderful day and will be over before you know it!

Keep calm, stay focused, and do your best. No one can require more from you.

See you after exams!

HELPING YOUR CHILD TO COPE BEFORE A BIG EXAM

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Your child has been through so much this academic year. Literal storms such as Hurricane Elsa, figurative storms such as the aftermath of those literal storms, and the consequences of the medical and socio-economic storm that still rages in the form of COVID-19. Exam stress has its own metaphorical, meteorological impact, and on the eve of the Common Entrance exam (BSSEE), it is important to keep your child calm . . . not the calm before the storm, but rather to encourage calm so that the exam is not viewed as a tempest but rather a gentle breeze that will nudge them to the next stage of their academics.

Here are a few tips to help your child feel more at ease before the big day. . .

Get a Grip on Your Own Stress and Anxiety

It is natural as a parent to feel stress and anxiety on behalf of your child as they face an external examination. What is not healthy, however, is when your child is made aware of your stress and absorbs your feelings of anxiety and make them their own. Do what you need to do handle your own stress, whether it is through exercise, talking with other parents, a soothing lavender bath, whatever you need to do to curb your feelings of disquiet. If these techniques do not work, worry secretly, your child should not be privy to your fear.

Look out for Signs of Stress in Your Child

You may ask your child how they are doing and the answer is “fine,” however, pay attention and look out for outward manifestations of stress such as social withdrawal, irritability, negative thinking, headaches, digestive upsets or sleep irregularities. You can help them handle their stress in ways that you have found helped you such as exercise, calming music, social activity or a good night’s sleep.

Open Communication and Active Listening

Talk to your child. Ask open-ended questions and actively listen to their responses. Do not talk over them and ask follow-up questions for clarification, letting them know that they are heard and understood.

Be Rational about What Happens in the Case of Poor Performance

If your child articulates that they are worried about bad grades, be logical about what happens if this does occur. Life will not be over and assure your child that you have considered every eventuality and whatever happens, they will be fine because their parents have them covered. Furthermore, let them know that you know they have done their best to prepare and no matter the result, you support them.

Focus on What Can Be Controlled

Keep your child rational. Focus on what can be controlled such as limiting their screen time before bed, ensuring they get to bed early, they are eased into their exam morning, they eat healthily, and plan for any eventualities that could impact getting to the exam in a timely manner.

Plan A Treat or Activity to Do Together After The Exam

This is already a Barbadian tradition, as has been indicated over the years by droves of Class Four students in fast food restaurants after exams. Still instead of surprising your child or making a unilateral decision about what will happen, divert them by allowing them to be engaged in the planning process. It is fun, distracting and gives them something to which they can look forward.

Good luck and God bless. I will continue to keep your children and you in prayer.

WHAT YOUR CHILD COULD EXPECT ON JULY 28TH, 2021

After so many delays and so much uncertainty, your child is several steps closer to the Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination which convenes on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. They have been taught, they have learned and they have practised, and now they are on the cusp of finally sitting the examination for which they so ardently prepared. There are some important tips and reminders for this year’s exam which you can find here. I will briefly outline what their day could be like in the simple scenario below, with important considerations appearing in bold:

Lisa does not live very close to her examination centre, so her mother wakes her at 6:30 am. Ideally the centre is thirty minutes away by car, but with the anticipated traffic, Mrs. Brown anticipates an extra half an hour could be added to their commute.

Lisa had been so anxious about the possibility of being late that she had asked her parents to let her have an alarm clock, at least for that morning. Mrs. Brown, however, did not think that was a good idea to have her daughter startled into consciousness. She was concerned that such a sudden waking may cause or exacerbate any anxiety so she chose instead to gently wake her little girl at the appropriate hour.

Lisa says her prayers beside her bed, then goes to brush her teeth and get her shower. She feels the last sediments of sleep drain off from her as she turns the faucet off. She temporarily dons home clothing since she does not want to get her uniform dirty. She heads to the dining room to eat and her mother has prepared a balanced and healthy breakfast which she enjoys. By the time she finishes she feels full yet alert and it is around 7:00 am. As she leaves the table and goes to brush her teeth and dress, she sees her mother emerge from the kitchen with her light healthy snack for her break and puts it next to the Ziploc bag full of stationery and supplies that her father had placed on the dining room table.

The family completes their last minute preparations and leaves home by 7:30 am. As anticipated, once they reach the highway they sit in gridlocked traffic, slowly easing forward in between short bursts of free movement. Thankfully, they reach their destination at 8:25am and Lisa enters the examination centre at 8.30 am after sanitising at the gate and having her temperature taken.

The invigilators ensure that the children are settled at their desks that are separated by the appropriate social and exam distance. The first paper, Composition, starts at 9.00 am, and is collected after thirty minutes. The English paper is then distributed and Lisa and her friends should be completed in one hour and twenty minutes. Once those papers are collected, the children earn a well-deserved thirty-minute break where they can use the bathroom and eat the snacks at their desks. Once they have returned, the Mathematics exam is convened.

Lisa finishes everything by approximately 1.15 pm and leaves the examination centre to go to greet a very happy and relieved Mr. and Mrs. Brown.

ALTERNATIVE EXAM FOR CHILDREN AFFECTED BY COVID DISRUPTIONS

While many cannot wait to get the July 28th Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination over with, there are those who have the option to sit an alternative exam if they have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The Ministry of Education made this announcement after students were recently quarantined due to two positive COVID-19 cases at their school. This alternative exam is scheduled to take place in the period from July 28, 2021 – September 1, 2021.

BARRELLING TOWARDS THE FINISH LINE – A Few Reminders for the Big Day (BSSEE 2021)

Years ago when you imagined your son or daughter sitting what was called the “Common Entrance Exam” in our day, I am sure a mask was not hiding half of your child’s face in your vision. You knew the stressors from your time doing the exam and you wanted to do everything in your power to protect your child from them or to prepare your child for them. Yet, how could you anticipate several breaks in teaching time which could affect their momentum? How could you foresee that as your child sprinted towards the May finish line of the race that it would be extended into a marathon to end on July 28, 2021? How could you predict your own feelings of uncertainty as with every increase in viral numbers there was the possibility that new measures could impact this traditionally important milestone in your child’s education? You could not, and like every exam-taker and parent this year, you needed to learn to adapt.

One of the best things that parents can do to settle their children’s minds and their own is to be as informed as possible about what their child can anticipate on the day, even though the unforeseen can occur. While flexibility and adaptability have been so critical this past year, there is comfort in knowing what should happen outside of any irregularities. So here are a few reminders below about what to expect when your child goes to sit the Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination (BSSEE) 2021.

DATE & TIME

The examination takes place on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at 9:00 am. It is advised that students arrive at their examination centres by 8:30 am to give them time to settle and to facilitate a prompt start.

COVID GUIDELINES

While there has been nothing officially published regarding COVID guidelines for the examination so far, based on the experience of students last year, and based on the current model that exists in schools, one can make some educated guesses.

For parents:

Traditionally, parents tend to gather outside of the examination centres to give moral support to their little ones. In this pandemic environment, such is not encouraged. For example, last year, mass gatherings outside the examination centres were prohibited. Parents dropping off or picking up their children were expected to wear masks. Similar guidelines are projected for this year.

For students:

It is most likely that students will be required to wear masks and to sanitise their hands before entry, in addition to having their temperatures taken. It may also be a good idea for parents to provide their little ones with a small, personal bottle of hand sanitiser for their use.

Students should expect that desks would be 3 – 6 feet apart and must wear their masks at all times except when they eat during their short break.

Students will not be allowed to share their belongings to each child should have his/her own equipment.

RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHAT TO BRING TO THE EXAM

Children should have all basic stationery:

• Clear pencil case or Ziploc bag to contain supplies
• Pencils – at least three
• Eraser
• Sharpener (preferably one with a container that can hold shavings)
• Ruler
• Clipboard (optional)
• Any necessary medication
• Extra mask
• Small sanitiser
• Healthy snack including small water for break (students need enough to hydrate but not too much to require frequent bathroom breaks during the exam which could break their momentum)

THE COMPOSITION OF THE EXAMINATION

The examination begins at 9:00 a.m. with the Essay. Completion of the essay should take approximately 30 minutes. The English paper begins around 9:40 a.m. Students have 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete. It is in two parts. The first section is 70 questions worth 1 mark each. It mostly consists of multiple choice and underlining the correct answers. The second section consists of 15 questions worth two marks each. It is important to remind your children about the importance of writing in complete sentences. If your child has a correct one-word answer that the student will receive NO MARKS for that answer.

There will be a half-hour break for snacks (nothing too heavy to eat so the children can concentrate better), then there is the Mathematics paper, comprised of three sections to be completed in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Part A = 20 questions for 1 mark each. These are basic knowledge and this is the simplest section. Part B measures the student’s ability to comprehend what he/she is doing. This “comprehension” section has 25 questions worth 2 marks each. Of course, this section is a little more challenging. Finally, Part C, the most challenging section, contains 10 questions worth 3 marks each. It measures the child’s ability to reason. Remind your child of the importance of showing his/her working in the columns provided. If the child has the wrong answer but the working makes sense, a mark or two may still be attained.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A CHILD IS ILL

What happens if a child is ill is dependent on how much of the exam was completed. If a child is ill and cannot attend the examination, arrangements will be made for the child to sit an alternative exam. If the child becomes ill after the first 30 minutes of the examination, the child will be marked as present and the completed exam paper will be evaluated to determine a grade.

RESULTS

I know that one of the pressing matters on parents’ minds, even before the exam is even completed, is when results would be available. Traditionally, the examination occurs in early May and the results are available in June. Obviously, this year will be different. Most likely results will be distributed in August, prayerfully with enough time for parents of first form students to purchase all that they need for their child’s first day in secondary school.

BEST WISHES

Information regarding COVID guidelines, and perhaps the timings within the exam, may be updated as details come to hand, however, the information outlined in this article is essentially what your family and you can expect on July 28^th. So keep calm and keep supporting your little ones. If you are spiritual, lift them up in prayer and always remind them that this is just one day, and no matter what happens, they are loved. Good luck and God bless . . . and I will see you soon with another article within the coming week.

Best wishes,

Bajan Mom

I’M BACK!

“New Year Celebration at Marine Drive” by Omii Todarmal is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

A pleasant day to everyone! It has been so long! Since we were last together so much as happened to all of us. One thing that we each had in common was the unexpected pandemic that upended our lives in ways that we could not imagine . . . but we are making it, we are conquerors. Even as we grieve the loss of loved ones, jobs, certainty and stability, we celebrate the blessings seen and unseen because we are still here, and we are still standing. That in itself is much for which to be grateful, even as we come to terms with what lies heavily on our hearts.

One of the blessings for which I am grateful is the opportunity to return to you with a little more regularity than in recent years. The site has a new look but the heart and commitment to bring you the information that you need has not changed. One important difference that I would like you to note is that there is no longer an email address to reference on the “About” page. This is because of the unfathomable amount of spam that resulted from such transparency. So there is a new method of contact, which is the utilisation of the contact form on the Contact Page. This lessens the chance of your important messages being lost amidst the scripted barrage of inconvenience that I must wade through to find your messages.

I have been happy to help hundreds of you in the past, and it will be my utmost pleasure to continue to do so. I am back and forth to and from our beautiful home for years at a time, but I am thankful for a Barbadian network who has been willing to assist me in my research to help me bring what you need to you. This will continue, whether I am on the island or thousands of miles away, because as we say in Bajan parlance “We is We.”

Take care and look out for new articles in the coming week, including information regarding the Barbados Secondary School Entrance Examination 2021 which takes place on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below or to send me a message directly by using the contact form. If the questions pertain to the exams and I am able to procure the information that you need, I will try to incorporate answers into the intended article.

Best wishes,

Bajan Mom