WITH a score of 391.7 out of a possible 400 points, Jomar Clue enters Glenmuir High School as Clarendon’s top Primary Exit Profile (PEP) student to continue his family’s tradition of excellence. And his placement comes as no surprise.

“I was excited, but I only knew I was going to pass for this school. So, I was excited but not so excited because I wanted to go to Glenmuir. The atmosphere there is good and it is a good school with a lot of co-curricular activities,” Jomar told the Jamaica Observer.

Jomar said he feels “very good” being the top PEP student coming out of Glenmuir Preparatory School, and admits that he anticipates leaving his own legacy at the institution.

Jomar will join his older brother Jovan, who will be completing upper sixth form in the next school year. Their big sister, Tiana, and father, George, are also alumni.

Due to his outstanding performance in PEP, Jomar was honoured by carrying the torch at the high school’s recently held torch lighting ceremony.

At his prep school graduation, Jomar copped numerous awards, including top mathematics student, top boy speller, and invaluable contribution to football.

The 12-year-old achiever — a video game fanatic of very few words — credits his successes to the support received from his family, such as his parents’ investment in online and extra classes as well as his siblings’ help with homework.

His mother, Alethea, expected the outcome, noting that Jomar has always been a high achiever who is disciplined.

“It’s a good feeling. Excited. I knew he would have passed [for Glenmuir] based on the track record, because he was top student in grade five as well. He was the only one who got highly proficient in all the subject areas in grade five… And he’s hard-working. He does his work. You don’t have to push him. Once he knows he has homework, he’s going to get up and do it. He’s disciplined and I admire that. So I expected it,” she explained.

Both Jomar’s parents also believe their strict control of gadgets helped him to focus on his exam preparation.

“One of the things that we do to assist him is to limit the gadgets and the phone. I’ll give him those on weekends, Friday evening to Sunday. And then in the week, that’s out. So that helps him to focus,” the mom said.

Dad, who also serves on the school board at Glenmuir High, told the Sunday Observer that he was elated about his son’s achievements.

“I’m ecstatic, over the moon! I really wanted all my children to go to my alma mater. I really, really wanted Jomar to continue the tradition of going to my alma mater,” he said.

As a senior attorney-at-law, Clue gave Jomar wise counsel as he prepared for PEP.

“Preparing for PEP, it’s like preparing for life, because I told him — as I told all my children — that my duty is to ensure that they receive the best quality education to prepare them for life. And I keep telling them that there’s no guarantee; nobody knows what tomorrow brings, so they can’t depend on parents to be there to support them for life. They have to make sure that they acquire a good education such that they’ll be able to earn their own,” he stated.

Although Jomar does not plan to pursue the same career path as his father — as he wants to become a mechanical engineer – Clue said he noticed something different about his last son from a tender age.

“Quite a long while back I told my wife he is the smartest of the three children. She asked me why I said that, I said, because he comes across as the most practical of the three. He understands how to balance school work with play. So whilst being a normal child, he’s doing schoolwork, and that to me is important: Play and do your schoolwork. Because if you don’t do that, then you’re going to come under stress, and to me, I’ve never seen him stressed out at all,” he elaborated.

He said he admires that Jomar is open to new challenges, despite him being reserved.

“He plays football at school and challenges himself to play. And he gets involved in other activities. I was surprised when I saw him singing, leading the song at his graduation. I was really surprised. He’s really a well-rounded child, not a bookworm, and very focused. He is also very humble about it; he doesn’t flaunt it, which is good,” he emphasised.

Clue underscored that “parental involvement is critical in a child’s life” and goes beyond materialistic support.

Equally important is his children’s spiritual foundation.

“Children do much better when there is a good spiritual foundation… There must be a higher calling. There must be that foundation,” he said. “Jomar likes to go to church, to Sunday school. He doesn’t want to miss Sunday school, which is good.”