HABARI NEWS: 2019
Dear Friends and well-wishers of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School Narok Kenya. This is following last blog that reported on end of last year activities in the School when I visited. The school re-opened in the first week of January for the first trimester of the school year 2019. As I have often mentioned the School year in Kenya starts in January and ends in November with public examination for graduating class. The School year has three trimesters whose timetable is given by the Ministry of Education in Kenya for all schools. The school activities are expected to run for 14 weeks that ends in the last Week of March or first week of April. During this period the students are expected to cover syllabus and extracurricular programs for all students in the country in respect to their grades and age. Greetings from us here in school. This year our students reported well without travelling difficulties because the weather was good. With our 2018 graduating class of 44 having left, we expected our ongoing students and new third graders as well as a few to join other grades. Unlike the past few years when we only got 10 third graders, this year we had over twenty.
SCHOOL ENROLMENT JANUARY 2019
| CLASS | BOYS | GIRLS | TOTAL |
| 3 | 13 | 9 | 22 |
| 4 | 17 | 15 | 32 |
| 5 | 18 | 18 | 36 |
| 6E | 18 | 15 | 33 |
| 6W | 21 | 11 | 32 |
| 7E | 11 | 23 | 34 |
| 7W | 17 | 18 | 35 |
| 8W | 20 | 21 | 41 |
| TOTALS | 135 | 130 | 265 |
The Headteacher Mr. Chepkwony reported that the Students and the teachers started the first trimester well and school activities including required registration of our candidates of this year’s public examinations. This exercise goes on in all schools’ final classes (8th. graders) in the country. It is good to mention that while other Head teachers must go to register their students in retail computer kiosk and paying to have the work done for them, at times it may takes days, our Head Teacher is very good in computer and does everything in his office in my school where we now have W.I.F.I. thanks to our friends and the BOD of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Charity that sponsored this project
SCHOOL PERSONNEL: This year we have 13 teachers who are tinned and qualify to teach, a matron, 3 office personnel,4 domestic personnel, 2 maintenance staff and a night watchman. The School employs 24 people who earn salary to help their families and educated their children.
THE SCHOOL IS SELF SUSTAINING : It is ten years since the school opened the doors and enrolled the first students. As its proprietor I wish to say that the school has been self-sufficient and has been maintain itself or surviving purely on revenue from school fees paid by the parents. For the last ten years, even though I have been doing my work in the US I have placed the school in such a way that is able to operate financially well without borrowing (taking a loan) money from anywhere to pay any functioning expenses. The school has never for those years owned anyone money or having unpaid receipts. This is a culture I have instilled that budget projected on school fees is monitored and accounted for by those who work in the school. And the parents know and understand that we do not get any other help but from what they pay.
DONATIONS FROM FRIENDS OF THE SCHOOL: As I have mentioned in the past many times, these donations big or small have been going in capital projects, repair and maintenance and not in day today running of the school. Because of these donations are such a great help we have been able to keep school fees affordable for poor families. Reading about the projects and the pictures I have place in this blog is a clear account on how the donations are used by the BOD of the charity that receives and is responsible for these donations.
2018 EXAM AND RESULTS: Father Ntaiyia School 2018 public examinations candidates had their exams while I was in Kenya and the results were out when I was still there, and I was the first to get the news. We had 44 students who took this examination. Pass mark (points) for students to go to government High Schools and County High schools by invitation is 250 points out of 500 of which. We had 33 students above this. Those with about 225 points can go to private High Schools that are affordable and of this we had 6 students. There are factors that may affect final examinations. It helps to first analyze and understand all possible reasons for success or failure before we make negative conclusion. Our best students were among those who have been in our School for long and weaker are those who join in between. We must allow other students to join in other grades to keep the student number reasonable, as I have mentioned in the past some of our students leave for other school before our final class with them. The reasons for this vary just as those who come to us from other schools. It must be understood that some of these children come from remote areas where learning is not as expected. Some of the students who come claiming to be 4th graders cannot do 3rd graders work. They improve under our teachers and some of them make that 250 pass points
FATHER NTAIYIA JUBILEE SCHOOL (CHARITY) BOD MEETING: We held our Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School (Charity) organizational BOD (the board) meeting on January 24 and 1) Review Minutes From October 2018 the board Meeting. 2. Review 2018 Donations that come mainly with Christmas greetings (& a few early 2019 donations). 3. Annual Financial Report. 4. Update on Approved Projects, 5. Close out of receipts from 2nd half of 2018, 6. Computer teaching Center Update. I reported to the members of the board about my trip to the School in October / November 2018. The report included the welfare of the students and staff and the school in general. I also reported and gave financial report on the repair and maintenance, the new school projects I had requested the BOD to sponsor and which I supervised during my visit. We deliberated also on the BOD meeting school fees for some students with money that is given by donors who mention that their contribution should help with tuition for children
CLARIFICATION: During our BOD quarterly January 24, 2019 meeting, we reaffirmed that The Friends of Fr. Ntaiyia Jubilee School, Inc 501(3)(c) charity (the charity) was formed and incorporated on March 4, 2015 at the request of Father Symon Ntaiyia. This non-profit corporation was created, with its own mission and by-laws, to support the school and other projects involving the education of youth in Kenya. A new board of directors was formed to support this mission. We understand that this charity is not solely formed to fund raise for the Fr. Ntaiyia Jubilee School, nor can we have any involvement in the operation of the school. We respect when funds are designated to the School that they must go there. We can fund a project so long as it is for education of young people in the country of Kenya, preparing them to lead productive lives. The school must apply (request) for funds for projects and the BOD must approve. Progressive and completion of the project and Accountability must be submitted to the BOD by the supervisor of the project.
SCHOOL MAINTENANCES & PROJECTS 2018: Before I went to Kenya, we had our Board of Directors Meeting on October 11, 2018 and among other deliberations, I applied or requested for funds for repairs and maintenance in the school as well as for projects that included:
- REPAIRS of our school office computers: We have 4 laptops for use in the school and like any they needed maintenance and antivirus.
- Renovation of storage room to avail a classroom that was being used for storage, the pictures will show masonry and roofing work.
- As we all know, the school buildings are now over ten years and for that reason each year we expect to renew some wall or floor. Last year we had new floor for a classroom and section of student Dining room.
- I invite an electrician when I visit the school to inspect and repairs or replace any items that may require in order to keep things safe.
- In preparation for computer teaching which we have been waiting for a long time, the BOD accepted to fund this project and the first thing I had to do was to prepare a where computers will be installed and students will be taught there in turns according to their grades. I had to have a classroom that was built for this purpose ready by installation of power points
- I purchased Timber (Lumber) to be stored in the school for repairs in the school because it is difficult and expensive for them to be buying a few pieces when they needed.
2018 PROJECTS : I the last blog of end of 2018 I explained that the BOD accepted to fund computer teaching in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee school. The preparation for this project was to have WIFI and Solar power which I explained in the last blog and posted pictures of the to show how the work was going on. This was a great success such that as we waited to purchase computers and install them for students, the WIFI was being used and the solar power was being used by the students lighting our 8 classrooms and the administration block. The students now have partially reliable power, and this so because computer classes are held on Saturdays so for the rest of the weekdays power can be used to light for evening studies.
COMPUTERS FOR TEACHING IN FATHER NTAIYIA SCHOOL: Were bought and received by students with great joy (see pictures) and thanksgiving, the parents heard about the computer teaching in Father Ntaiyia School and were very appreciative that we have introduced in this School. I have shared this good news with the BOD. After the computers were installed the classes started in the second week of May after students reported to school for the second trimester. The computer classes are being given by a computer teacher who has been teaching at a Catholic Church computer School and has experience of over twenty years (see pictures). He conducts the classes on Saturdays in Father Ntaiyia School and each grade 4 through 7 takes turns. It was somehow late to involve our 8th. graders this year because of their Public examinations but those is 7th. grade may continue next year for two trimesters. I will share more on this project soon.
COMPUTER TEACHER: I had telephone conversation with the Computer Teacher and asked him his assessment of teaching in Father Ntaiyia School. The first thing he said is that the students are well disciplined and that they listen to instruction, they do not play with the machines and are careful. He mentioned that the upper grades picked the classes faster which is obvious. Some parents have appreciated the introduction of computer teaching in Father Ntaiyia School and on their behalf, I wish to thank our friends, well-wishers and Board of Directors (BOD) of Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Charitable Organization for accepting to sponsor this project.
SECOND TRIMESTER 2019: This trimester started well will good reporting of the children and learning and other school activities began well without delay. Generally, the weather during the months of the second trimester May to July is cold little drizzles that bring common cold to children and frequency of their visit to hospital. These months are cold because as we know the sun is in North where we are in Summer.
HIGHLIGHT OF SECOND TRIMESTR 2019: The government of Kenya has decided that some of the National celebrations that are usually celebrated in the Capital City should celebrated in rotation at County Headquarters. 1st. of June is a National Holiday in Kenya called Madaraka Day that is celebrated on the honor the day Kenya attained internal self-rule. This year it was celebrated in Narok Stadium just about two miles from Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School. This celebration brings the Head of State and many government leaders, foreign dignitaries and international guests together for celebration. The Head of State addresses the Nation from the venue of celebration. Our students and teachers were able to get into the stadium early enough to be seated at a very favorable place to see the events of this celebration with The President of Kenya just in front of them. I thank our Head Teacher and all the staff who organized this joyful happening for our students. They must have been in the National televisions and have many news to share at home.
END OF SECOND TRIMESTER: Before the end of the second trimester, our graduating class had a joined examination with other graduating classes from neighboring schools. This was followed by end of trimester internal examination before the students went home at the end of July for August break. The schools will resume of September 2nd. for the third and the last trimester of 2019. This trimester will see our 3rd. graders taking a national assessment test and our 8 graders taking their public examination early November.
Fr. Ntaiyia