SAC News

Jee’Von Pratt Named 2022 Br. Barry Gearman Salutatorian

Tue, 28 Jun 2022 20:42:00 GMT

Having earned a cumulative GPA of 3.93, this year’s recipient of the Br. Barry Gearman Salutatorian Award is Jee’Von Pratt.

Jee’Von made a mark early in his high school career by winning the Bahamas National Spelling Bee in 2017 while in the 7th grade. He went on to represent the Bahamas at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. later that year.

An aspiring mechanical engineer, Jee’Von was a member of SAC’s Google CS Club and travelled with the team to Dubai to compete in the First Global Robotics competition.

He was also a member of the St. Augustine’s College Debate Team, and won ‘Best Speaker’ on several occasions, helping the team to win the national championship titles in 2021 and 2022.

A impressive 1440 on the SAT put him among the 5th percentile of those who sat the test this year, helping him earn a scholarship to attend Howard University this fall. His academic success also earned him a feature on ZNS, highlighting his achievements.

Earlier this month, Jee’Von was named co-salutatorian at the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Iota Epsilon Lambda Chapter Honours Day Convocation, which recognizes the top male students at various schools throughout the Bahamas.

In addition to receiving an Overall General Excellence award, Jee’Von also won subject awards for English Literature, Computer Studies, Advanced Placement Mathematics, and Geography.

Congratulations to Jee’Von Pratt, our 2022 salutatorian!

Alexis Godet Named 2022 Sisters of Charity Valedictorian

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 18:05:00 GMT

This year’s recipient of the Sisters of Charity Valedictorian Award is Alexis Godet, an honor student in every sense of the word.

Alexis has been on the honor roll throughout her entire high school career, graduating with a 3.95 cumulative GPA.

In 2019, she was recognized by the Ministry of Education for receiving 8 As on her BJC examinations in 2018. Since she was in the tenth grade, she has been a member of SAC’s debate team, helping them to secure two national championships in 2021 and 2022, being named ‘Best Speaker’ at the latter.

In February 2021, she was highlighted as Student of the Week on ZNS, and in March 2021, she won the Nassau Music Society’s 52nd Violin Competition.

She is also a freelance violinist, providing entertainment at various events, and also lends her talents to SAC, playing at school functions whenever asked. Her excellence as a musician lead to her also being a recipient of the Music Recognition Award at graduation.

In June 2021, Alexis was named salutatorian of the Doctor’s Hospital Bridge to the Future STEM Student Program, having won three of the eight monthly challenges throughout the program. Moreover, in November 2021, she was recognized at the BAISS Service of Thanksgiving as a student leader, and in June 2022, she was nominated to represent SAC at the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Eta Psi Omega Chapter Honors Day Ceremony.

A member of the Student Council for three years, Alexis is well-respected and admired among her peers. In addition to receiving the Overall General Excellence award at graduation, she also received subject awards in Advanced Placement English Language, and Spanish.

Alexis also made SAC history as the first person to receive the Sonja Knowles Outstanding Female Award.

Congratulations to Alexis Godet, our 2022 valedictorian!

St. Augustine's College Celebrates Teacher Appreciation

Tue, 24 May 2022 17:43:00 GMT

Last week, on Monday, May 16, 2022, St. Augustine's College began its celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week. Administration showered teachers the entire week with prizes such as car washes, and gift certificates to Fusion and the Prescription Parlour to name a few.

They were also treated to breakfast and lunch on several occasions, while parents and students also expressed gratitude by giving a variety of gifts to their teachers.

On Sunday, May 22, 2022, Teacher Appreciation week culminated with a church service and brunch.

Staff worshipped at Ct. Cecilia’s Catholic Church, where Monsignor Simeon Roberts was the celebrant. Monsignor Roberts is no stranger to SAC, as he has assisted in numerous staff development seminars, providing spiritual guidance with his usual humorous candor.

We thank Monsignor Roberts for his warm reception at St. Cecilia’s. After mass, staff gathered at Fusion for brunch where they fellowshipped with one another.

Our teachers represent one of the pillars that hold this institution up. They are dedicated, hard-working, and committed! Without them, we could not offer the world-class education that St. Augustine's College is known for.

We thank them for the constant sacrifices they make to continuously show up for our students, especially given the stark changes that have been made to learning over the past two years.

We also thank Nurse Donna Saunders, our veteran school nurse, who spearheaded the organization of events.

See more photos of the week's events here and here .

Kobe Forbes and Jee'Von Pratt Named Valedictorian and Co-Salutatorian at Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Honours Day Convocation

Mon, 02 May 2022 16:28:00 GMT

Congratulations to St. Augustine's College seniors, Kobe Forbes, and Jee'Von Pratt, who were awarded at the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Iota Epsilon Lambda Chapter Honours Day Convocation on Sunday, May 1, 2022.

Jee'Von was named co-salutatorian, and Student Council President, Kobe Forbes, was named valedictorian! Kobe has a 3.88 GPA, while Jee'Von has a GPA of 3.93.

Jee’Von also received a prize for scoring the highest in the math test.

The Alpha Phi, Inc. Honours Day Convocation highlights the top male students from high schools throughout The Bahamas.

Well done, gentlemen! You have made us proud!

SAC Excels at the 2022 Penn Relays

Mon, 02 May 2022 16:02:00 GMT

On Wednesday, April 27, 2022, the St. Augustine's College track team traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia to compete in the Penn Relays.

They were accompanied by Dawn Johnson, Team Manager, Jason Edwards, Athletic Director, Coach Dianne Woodside, Coach Je'Vaughn Saunders, Acting Principal Marici Thompson, and Outgoing Principal Sonja Knowles.

Senior, Brandon Hutchinson, jumped 14.30m, to claim the bronze medal in the high school boys' triple jump.

The girls 4X100 relay team of Zaria Stapelton, Lacarthea Cooper, Nya Wright and Amari Pratt finished in 12th position out of 500 teams with a time of 48.68.

The girls 4X400 relay team of Lacarthea Cooper, Nya Wright, Amari Cooper and Reshae Dean finished in 16th position out of 451 schools with a time of 3:55.82.

The boys 4X100 relay team of Johnathan Fowler, Tumani Skinner, Joshua and Otto Laing finished 25th out of 521 teams with a time of 42.86.

The Boys 4X400 relay team of Clinton Laguerre, Jayden Plakaris, Tumani Skinner and Shimar Bain placed 12th out of 419 teams with a time of 3:17.30.

Zaria Stapleton, Lacarthea Cooper, Nya Wright, and Amari Pratt tied for first place in the International Schools 4x100m Relay with a time of 48.26.

Johnathan Fowler, Tumani Skinner, Joshua Miller and Shimar Bain placed third in the International Schools 4x100m Relay.

Well done, saccers. We are proud of you all!

St. Augustine's College Places Third at 2022 BAISS Swim Meet

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 21:37:00 GMT

On Friday, April 29, 2022, St. Augustine's College competed in the BAISS Swim Meet which was held at the Betty Kelly Kenning National Swim Complex in Nassau, Bahamas.

Our swim team placed third, and we are extremely proud of their efforts and would like to thank them for representing the Big Red Machine. We also thank Coach Daria Adderley '88 for organizing our student-athletes for the event. See more photos here .

Further, we would like to extend congratulations to those who won their respective events:

St. Augustine's College Students Attend 2022 Girls In ICT Conference Bahamas

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 18:24:00 GMT

On April 28, 2022, students from St. Augustine's College attended the Girls ICT Conference held at Fusion Superplex in Nassau, Bahamas.

The goal of the conference is to promote and maintain gender equality for girls and women in STEM/ICT.

They were inspired by women who hold various leadership positions in science, engineering, math, and information technology, and also learned self-defense techniques!

A highlight video of their experience can be found on our Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , LinkedIn , and TikTok pages.

Noah Albury Placed Second in the Bahamas Chess Federation’s Easter Chess Qualifier

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 14:02:00 GMT

Congratulations to 11th grader, Noah Albury, who placed second in the Bahamas Chess Federation’s Easter Chess Qualifier.

Noah will travel to will represent the Bahamas in the Chess Olympiad!

St. Augustine's College Debate Team win National Debate Competition for the 2nd Consecutive Year

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 16:09:00 GMT

Tumani Skinner and Team Win Bronze in the 4x400m Relay at CARIFTA

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 15:10:00 GMT

Congratulations to St. Augustine's College student, Tumani Skinner who, along with his team, won bronze in the Boys U17 4x400m Relay!

Way to go, Tumani. We are so proud of you!

Watch the race below. Tumani ran the third leg.

Nya Wright and Team Win SILVER in the U-17 Girls 4x100m at CARIFTA

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 13:23:00 GMT

Caleb Ferguson and Team Break CARIFTA Record in 4 by 100m Freestyle

Tue, 19 Apr 2022 12:55:00 GMT

Congratulations to tenth grader, Caleb Ferguson, who led his teammates to victory, breaking the CARIFTA record in the 13-14 4 by 100m freestyle to win gold! Caleb swam the last leg of the race.

He also placed third in the 50m butterfly!

See the margin they won by here .

Dior-Rae Scott Breaks CARIFTA Record in U17 Javelin

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 19:25:00 GMT

On April 18, 2022, St. Augustine's College ninth grader, Dior-Rae Scott, won gold in the U17 Girls Javelin, setting a new CARIFTA record of 44.57m.

She now holds the world record for the javelin in the U15 category.

Just last month, Dior-Rae broke the BAISS record in the javelin under 15 girls division with a throw of 38.19m.

Congratulations, Dior-Rae. We're SAC proud of you.

Shimar Bain Wins SILVER in the 400m Hurdles at CARIFTA

Sun, 17 Apr 2022 12:25:00 GMT

Congratulations to St. Augustine's College senior, Shimar Bain, who placed second in the U20 400m Hurdles with a time of 52.83 at the 2022 CARIFTA games!

Watch the race below.

16 Saccers Named to 2022 CARIFTA Teams

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 18:03:00 GMT

Olympian Devynne Charlton '13 Visits SAC after World Athletics Indoor Silver Medal Win

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 18:56:00 GMT

Olympian, Devynne Charlton '13, paid a visit to her high school alma mater, The Big Red Machine on Friday, March 25, 2022. She was in town celebrating her most recent success, winning the silver medal in the 60m hurdles at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia last Saturday, March 19, 2022.

Because it rained heavily, the scheduled convocation did not take place. Instead, she addressed the student body using the PA system, and then traveled from class to class, greeting teachers and students. Click here to see her full address, and here to see a highlight video of her visit.

Charlton, who also visited her elementary alma mater, Sts. Francis and Joseph School, during her visit home, became overcome with emotion as she spoke of how grateful she is for the education she received at SAC.

"I think it was important for me to come back and speak to you guys just because of the opportunities that attending SAC has given me. [SAC provides] world-class education [and] world-class athletics, and I think both of those things really set me up for where I am in life right now," she said.

Charlton was accompanied by her mother, Laura Pratt-Charlton, also a SAC alumna. Her father, Dave Charlton, is also a supporter of the College, and both of Charlton's sisters, Lauren Charlton '09 and Anthaya Charlton '21, graduated from SAC.

Click here to see more photos of Charlton's visit.

De'Andre Forbes BTC Team Wins Junior Achievement Bahamas Product of the Year Competition

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 14:47:00 GMT

Congratulations to eleventh grader, De'Andre Forbes who, along with this BTC Vibe team of which he is president, won the Junior Achievement Bahamas product of the year competition.

His team created a Monopoly inspired game called Island Tycoon. This is De'Andre's second year being on the winning team for this competition. Read more here .

De'Andre, who is a 3.61 honor student, also placed third in the Eugene Dupuch Law School Council of Legal Education speech competition last month.

College of Saint Benedict and St. John's University Presidents Visit St. Augustine's College

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 12:45:00 GMT

On Thursday, March 3, 2022, St. Augustine’s College received a visit from the presidents of St. John’s University (SJU), and its sister school, the College of Saint Benedict (CSB), James Mullen Jr. and Laurie Hamen, respectively. Both schools are located in Minnesota.

They were accompanied by Alex Schleper, Director of International Admissions, Anne Sumangil, Director of Alumnae Relations, Peggy Ladner and Clif Britton, SJU Trustees, Mari Mullen, wife of SJU president, as well as Bahamian CSB/SJU alumni, Dennard Cleare, Terrance Bastian, Basil Christie, Alpheus Finlayson, and Philip Galanis, who is on the SJU Board of Trustees.

They were greeted by Marici Thompson, Acting Principal, and Benedict Dorsett, Assistant Principal.

St. Ben’s and St. John’s has a special relationship with St. Augustine’s College as SAC was founded in 1945 by a Benedictine monk, Fr. Frederic Frey, who came from the St. John’s Abbey. Many priests from the St. John’s Abbey taught at SAC, and many SAC graduates have attended SJU/CSB, including several SAC staff members, Brittany Basden '13, Joanna Bain '01, Ashley Foulkes-Moss '15, and Brianne Gibson '15. (They are also SAC graduates.)

Before St. Augustine’s College became co-ed, many SAC students received the Benedictine scholarship to study at John’s University. It was only offered to Benedictine schools at the time.

In 1961, CSB and SJU became co-ed. Four years later, in 1965, the then Xavier’s College, and all-girls school at the time closed the doors of their high school and sent their students to St. Augustine’s College, which then became co-ed. The girls who attended SAC could now be eligible for this scholarship, and many of them took advantage of the opportunity.

The scholarship, now called the Presidential Scholarship, is open to all high school students, and the Honorable Glenys Hanna Martin, Minister of Education has signed a memorandum of understanding, committing to increase scholarships to students who receive the Presidential Scholarship from $10,000 per year to $11,000 for private school students, and $15,000 to $16,000 for public school students.

After receiving a tour of the SAC campus by Acting Principal Thompson, the CSB/SJU delegation gave a presentation to a group of eleventh graders.

President Haman spoke of the appreciation that CSB/SJU has for their students from The Bahamas, leading with the fact that in 2021, both commencement speakers for CSB/SJU were Bahamians.

Haman said that there are four things that comes to her mind when she thinks of Bahamian students, brain power, character, faith and family, and leadership.

“My son had a Bahamian roommate when he went to St. John’s, his first time living with someone [from outside of the United States]. It changed his life because of that person’s faith and family values. His roommate would come to our house every Thanksgiving,” said Haman.

While she admitted to the students that the main reason she came to The Bahamas was to sign for more scholarship opportunities for deserving students, she really came to extend an invitation to them to apply to CSB/SJU.

“There are 1700 Bahamians who have graduated from St. Ben’s and St. John’s and…I would like you to think of yourselves as welcome,” said Haman.

President Mullen added that “because you are remarkable people, you’re going to have opportunities in life if you go on to college. What I hope for each and every one of you is that college would be the most magical time of your lives. And I hope that for many of you, that magical time will come at St. Ben’s and St. John’s and I think it could be for the following reasons: The Benedictine tradition on which the school was founded is about community…It is about inviting every person to achieve the most that they can achieve. So, if you come to St. John’s and St. Ben’s, you will have faculty…who will know you, inspire you and work with you…You will have other students who will be your friends, and those friendships last for your entire lifetime.”

He also told students that they “will be challenged to be leaders” whether they choose to stay in Minnesota or return home, “and that is the magic that you will find.”

He ended with telling the students that “we would be honored to have you at St. Ben’s and St. John’s.”

Mr. Philip Galanis then gave remarks encouraging student to take advantage of the opportunities such as the financial arrangement between the Bahamas government of the Bahamas and the College of Saint Benedict and St. John’s University.

“I want you to recognize that education is the key that is going to unlock tremendous doors of opportunity. When I sat where you sat, about 51 years ago, I did have any idea that I would study philosophy or political science…I didn’t have any indication that I would study accounting at the graduate level. I had not an inkling of an idea that I would go on to become a CPA, and I certainly didn’t know…that I would be involved in the politics of this country [as a member of parliament]. What provided that opportunity for me was the education I got at St. Augustine’s …and at St. John’s and St. Ben’s. So, I want to encourage you to recognize that 51 years from now, you could be standing where I stand or an even better place than where I stand if you apply yourself,” said Mr. Galanis.

The St. Augustine's College Student Council then presented CSB/SJU presidents and Alex Schleper with gifts as a token of our appreciation for their visit to the Big Red Machine.

Caleb Ferguson and Maxwell Daniels Named to 2022 CARIFTA Swim Team

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 17:04:00 GMT

Congratulations go out to tenth grader, Caleb Ferguson, and eighth grader, Maxwell Daniels, who have been named to the 2022 CARIFTA swim team by Bahamas Aquatics.

Caleb, who trains with the AAC, swam 22.31s in the boys 13-14 50m butterfly, under the 28.51s CARIFTA standard at the Blue Waves 2022 Invitational at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex on February 26, 2022.

Maxwell qualified in the 11-12 division after competing in the Last Chance Meet on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex. Read more here .

The pair are among a 36 member team who will compete in Barbados at CARIFTA next month.

Seton Wins 2022 Interhouse Track and Field Meet

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 18:36:00 GMT

Two years ago, in a surprising turn of events, Leonard won the interhouse track and field meet, beating Seton who had held the title for many years.

On March 4, at the 2022 interhouse track and field meet, Seton reclaimed the top spot with a 148.5 point lead!

Results are as follows:

4th place: Leonard - 873 points

3rd place: Alcuin - 914.5 points

2nd place: Bernard - 961 points

1st place: Seton - 1109.5 points

Thank you to all the students, especially the house captains, who participated in making this year's meet a success despite the pandemic. We also thank our teachers, especially the house moderators, and other staff members who assisted, as well as parents, coaches, and friends of SAC who came out to support the students!

See more photos here .