by MELISSA WICKHAM

THE LESTER VAUGHAN SCHOOL might not have made leaps and bounds in the area of academics in the ten years it has been functioning but it certainly has become one of the "powerhouses" in athletics.

Principal of the St Thomas institution, Alvin Carter, made this assertion yesterday during a morning ceremony themed Celebrating Ten Years – The Way Forward in the school's auditorium to mark its tenth anniversary.

Before students, teachers and past principal Ezra Barker, Carter said in its short life, the school had been a force to reckon with in the field of athletics with names like Ryan Brathwaite and Dario and Kierre Beckles who had become "virtual household names".

In addition, the cricket team had demonstrated its prowess over the years, said the principal, and students had been making a name for themselves in weightlifting like Brandon Inniss, who not only won his division at the Pan American Juniors but has qualified for the World Juniors in India and the Commonwealth Juniors in Canada next year. Others such as Christopher Clarke and Altmark Applewhaite have taken the school's and the country's name abroad, travelling as far as the Slovak Republic to compete in weightlifting competitions.

The school choir also excelled when it won the festival competition for schools in December last year.

"The Lester Vaughan School may not have awakened the world in terms of academic performance although it is fair to say that it has more than held its own, but in areas of extra-curricular activities and sports, it has certainly forced the world to stand up and take note. Let me say here that CXC results for school year 2006-2007 have shown an improvement of ten percentage points over those of the previous year."

Carter added: "There is no doubt that the school has, in a very short period of time, made its mark on the Barbadian educational landscape. Our focus over the coming years is to seek to move academic performance to match those of sports and other extra-curricular activities. This will take a little time as there are some variables which have to be considered.

The aim though is for excellence in all things and this can be achieved with a determined focus by all and a judicious mix of the various areas of endeavour."

Yesterday's event marked the beginning of a year of celebrations that will include a walk through the community, a concert, a cruise on the MV Harbour Master, an open day, a garden fair and tea party, and an awards dinner and ceremony.