The Division of Culture kicked off the National Schools Arts Festival on Monday.

The festival which took place at the Old Mill Cultural Center saw six secondary schools participating in choral speech, choral music and vocal solo competitions.

The Convent High School was able to win gold medals in all three categories.

Teacher, choir master and talent coach, Leeandra Lander says that the students practice all year round and this is what contributes to their achievement.

“We thank our school for always providing the opportunity for our students to thrive; not just academically but also in the creative arts. The Speech Chorale and Choir work all year round which gives them the constant practice and confidence building they require. It was the first time for everyone at Schools Arts, and they challenged themselves to be their best! Now we can bask in three golds!”

To receive a gold medal, the school had to score between 85-100 points; a score from 75-84 received silver while 65-74 points received bronze; a total score below 65 received a certificate of participation.

The other results were as follows:

In Choral Speech:

Wesley High School- Silver

Pierre Charles Secondary-  Bronze

The Castle Bruce Secondary,

North East Comprehensive and Dominica Community High School received certificates of participation.

Vocal Solo was an absolute treat which saw all participants receiving medals.

In addition to the CHS,

Pierre Charles Secondary and the Dominica Grammar School also received gold.

St. Martin Secondary,

North East Comprehensive,

Dominica Community High and the

Portsmouth Secondary all received silver medals.

In the Choral Music segment, NECS and WHS settled for silver while the DGS and the DCHS settled for bronze. CBSS received a certificate of participation.

The live performances may be viewed on Emonews fb page.