Dear friends and well-wishers of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Comprehensive School Kenya. I trust my July letter gave you news about the school both in writing and in pictures on school life and activities.

THIRD TRIMESTER OF SCHOOL YEAR

August 27, 2024, the schools in Kenya resumed learning after a break of four weeks, and for that reason at this stage of the school year I will share some news on the second trimester of the school that covers the month of May through end of July 2024.

Last May reporting back to school after Easter break was very much interrupted by heavy rains that were all over the country bringing untold sufferings to parts of Kenya, landslides were experienced in some areas of the country coming down to people at nights with flash floods burying people alive in their sleep. About 60 miles from where the school is, over 53 people lost their lives, over 250 families were displaced, and some are still camping in some school compounds.  We did not hear about  any of our school families seriously affected by these flood but most of the roads from remote places were impossible. It took some days for all the students to report back to school but eventually everyone was there the learning and other school activities were in expected running.

HIGHLIGHTS SECOND TRIMESTER  MAY TO JULY  2024

1. After converting one classroom into a Science lab the work I supervised in November last year, (see pictures in last blog letter) we also had to purchase teaching equipment and apparatus. There are many items needed for teaching  physic, chemistry, and Biology. PICTURES OF TEACHERS RECEIVING THE
2. ITEMS
3.   

2. We also purchased tools that go along with the science and Agriculture courses. PICTURES OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS RECEIVING THE ITEMS

JOINED ACTIVITIES WITH OTHER SCHOOLS :  This year the schools were allowed to have activities such as inter-school’s games and athletics that were banned in the years of COVID-19.  We share pictures of other schools visiting Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Comprehensive School.

TRADITION AND CULTURE: Besides academic and contemporary school activities we do not forget our traditions and cultures, and these are promoted and encouraged by the new curriculum. Here our students in their customary imitations.

LIVE- STREAM MASS WITH FATHER SYMON 14 THOUSAND MILES AWAY

In my last blog letter mentioned that we bought students a large smart TV . One of the things they love with this news TV is that they can connect and follow live-stream Mass with Fr. Symon on Sunday morning at St. Max Ontario NY. They are ahead of us with 7 hours and so when I celebrate Mass is their late afternoon. My nephew tells me that once they get it going, the children remain glued on the TV until it is over, they feel as if they are part of the congregation with me in the Church at Ontario. (pictures)

EDUCATIONAL TRIP: Each year it is encouraged, when possible, for a school to plan an educational trip for students, especially those in top grades. Such trips should be to areas or places where the students may learn or see things, they have learned in the course book, geographically, or Historically.  Such trips have not taken place for the last four 4 years because of COVID-19. This year the school was able to have a successful trip with about 25 of our students. PICTURES

NEW CURRICULUM

We still call it new even though it was implemented eight years ago with then  grade one learners who are now in grade eight and second year of junior high.  This new curriculum continues to give us challenges at the beginning of each new year as we continue replacing  old curriculum textbooks with new curriculum textbooks “Thanks to the friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Comprehensive School  who keep donating each year and the Bord of Directors of the charity that manages the donations. We have been able to get new books and learning materials for each new year and next year will be the last one, having started nine (7)  years ago. We understand  that the new curriculum will continue being new until next year when we shall have our grade nine the top middle or junior school class.  After grade 9 the students will be expected to join High Schools in 2026 away from where they will be taking grade studies.

BUILDING AND REPAIRS

The school is now 19 years since the construction of the first building (8) classrooms started and 16 year since we enrolled the first students. There have been repairs and improvements. We have been able to place floor tiles in all classrooms. Before this we replaced concrete cement floors almost every three year after sealing potholes in them a few times. With tiles we will not be doing that for a long time, and it is easier for cleaning.

We have also replaced some old desks and chairs with 105 new ones and for those who have been visiting the school website or Facebook you have seen the work I supervised last year during my visit there. Setting up one of the classrooms to be a Science Laboratory is a major requirement for the new Curriculum and this was an undertaking that needed about five thousand US dollars. With respect to all our donors, allow me to mention that we used a donation of $5,000 from the Will of Margaret Patricia Doyle to set up this Science lab. Most of our readers will remember that we also used a donation for her Aunt Gertrude Doyle to construct a prayer room (Chapel) attached to sisters house in the School.  Margret was a teacher and I wanted to  remember her by using her gift to educated  children in Kenya Africa. She always encouraged me in my efforts to educate children.

A report from the Headteacher and other school staff indicated that learning and other school activities have been going on well since the Third trimester started as they prepare learners for the end of the school year.

We thank all our school friends for your continued support.

Fr. Symon Ntaiyia    email: frntaiyia@yahoo.com

School website:  http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org       School Facebook is attached to website

Or Google  Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School

To friends and well-wishers of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School.  You will be seeing a School logo “Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Comprehensive School”, this is the way we are to call a school that has Junior or middle grades 7,8.9 after the very much talked about and written new syllabus system of Education in Kenya.

It is over six months since I  traveled from Kenya back to the US last November after very busy time seeing to a number of projects especially the Science laboratory in the School. You will have seen the news and pictures I shared while I was still there. My last week  became really busy for me and the workers in School, Intensive work was going on putting finishing touches on the science lab both inside and outside. The fume chamber was being completed inside and the gas containers chamber outside and we were to have water and gas connections for the lab. There was also work on drainage pipes from the laboratory and chemicals wastewater pit.

We were also working on purchasing and mounting a new digital TV for students that is very much welcome by the students because apart from other programs they can see Father Ntaiyia via live-streaming celebrating Mass every other Sunday 14 thousand miles away from Kenya.

While all these was going on we were anxious because we were expecting the results of the public examinations that our closing 8 graders in the old system of education took two weeks after my arrival to Kenya. These are the candidates for whom we had the parents come to school for prayer day. It is natural to be nervous as we wished all of them to make it. As I disclosed there before, four  days before my return to the US the results were out and were good. 39 out 42 made it for High school and the 3 below pass marks are good to go as well. Many children have strong pass, and the parents, and community were happy. We thank friends of the School for helping to give hope to so many. In April our Head teacher informed  me that most of our candidates were able to go to continue with their studies at High School level.

With satisfactory results for children, I was ready to get back to the US and left the workers doing some of the remaining repair work that needed to be done before the children return back to school in the first week of January. As you may conclude from the past reports, we have the  first and  the second class of Junior High that is (grade 7 and 8) in 2024 and in 2025 we shall have grade 9 and from here the students will go to other schools for (10, 11 and 12).

I had ordered textbooks for all the courses of grade 8 before I left Kenya, and they were delivered to the school on December 15^th.2023. which means we were prepared for the new school year that started in January 2024. The BOD of Father Ntaiyia Charity gave funds from donations we receive from friends of the school.

January the school year started well in January but for usual traveling especially for the families that live in remote places. For the first time we enrolled children for grade one who are day schooling because they are too small to be boarders and for that reason only a few who can easily walk to school on their own.

Learning  and other school activities have been going on well, we have enough teachers to cover all the courses (subjects) in all grades following the new curriculum and following  assessment of previous year all children were promoted to next grade meaning we are doing well in the new curriculum. Our students we very happy and excited to have a science laboratory for the first time in our school as most of them have never seen one before and were eager to be shown inside it by teachers.

School assemblies take place every Monday and Fridays morning before classed and evenings after classed. The teacher on duty and Headteacher bring announce to the students any matters that need attention.

On the same days, formally, the National flag is hoisted, and the National anthem is sung. This is done in all schools in Kenya. From the morning assembly the learners go to classrooms.

The effects of pandemic and drought are still very clear in that many families and communities have not recovered fully. We see this in the enrollment of children as the number continues to be smaller. Public schools have recorded very high enrollment because the government is giving free education and maybe the parents feel now that there are no public examinations any more every school is the same, especially when they do not have to pay school fees. Because of this at the beginning of the school year 12 of our ongoing students left our school.

The economic situation in Kenya continues to be challenging. A report by The World Bank in the Kenya Poverty & Equity Assessment 2023 Report states that after the pandemic in 2020, the gap between the rich and the poor widened.  Leaders are advised to connect the poor to economic growth, strengthen households’ resilience to adverse weather shocks.  It is pointed out that that arid counties (Maasai Districts like Narok where the school is being one of them) in Kenya experience the largest negative poverty impact due to Climate Change despite having the highest baseline poverty rates. Kenya is advised to expand social assistance programs such as hunger safety nets to help reach less-well of households.

Each year I notice an increase in young people in towns idling and when we announce some casual work in the school, we have had High school and University graduates come to work for some pocket money or even buy food for their families.

http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org
Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

One of our major project during my visit this time is converting and equipping one of our classrooms into a science laboratory as it required now by the new system of education in Kenya with our junior high school. This has been the activity that has kept me busy the whole week. It required different professional to come and do their part different days making it possible for the next team to come fit things on what has been installed by the previous team.

The first team brought in tables and high stools for the science room, and worked for three days, assembling, and fixing them.  

The second team came and fitted sinks water and taps and this took two days.

The third team worked on electricity (power) and this took one day and the fourth the team and to fit the draining pipes, fitting for the gas and water pipes. Meanwhile we were building a gas cylinders chambers outside the classroom and a fume chamber inside the classroom.

Water 

WATER CONNECTION

This far things have gone very well, and I am looking forward to have it completed before I leave for US. Fr.

KENYA: ANOTHER WEEK: October 29^th. was the last Sunday of our exams candidates in school, we let them go for an early Mass and a walk that brought them almost to lunch time. After lunch and a short break, they went back to review work in readiness for the first three papers of their examinations the following day. I visited them at about 4 PM and we had about 40 minutes together, I talked to them about the importance of the exams for a short time and then we ended up on questions and answers on various topics. I think this made them relax a little after which I left them to continue with their preparation work.

Monday 30^th.was a tense day for the candidates and school community. It was the first day of exams and they had three to do, two in the morning and one in the afternoon.  The second day of exams seemed easy for everyone the candidates were already used and adjusted to what they had been waiting.

The three days of exams were over on the Feast of all Saints at midday, and I was waiting to congratulate them and to take pictures with them. They busted into song of goodbye bye-bye and became emotional when I told them may be for some this was our last time together

The school community celebrated All Saints day and the end of exams with a meal together with our candidates. After the meal they were left free to return schoolbooks and other items then do cleaning and packing

for departure the following day. Some parents however come for their children that late afternoon.

Thursday November 2, by 9 AM our time seven hours ahead of NY, all the children had been picked up by their parents or relatives for home.

The school compound and buildings became empty but for a few workers who were cleaning places. I had a general meeting with all the people working in the school and we looked back at the year that has ended as we think of preparation for next year.

(visit Facebook for more on Kenya, and pictures) Fr. Symon

Dear Friends and well-wishers

KENYA WK 2:  The prayer day in the school on October 21^st., brought many parents together and most of them do not know each other but have their children in a common place Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School. After a happy visit with their children, they left late afternoon for home, leaving the students to continue with the remaining few days before the end of the trimester. Here and there as the parents were wishing their children success, one could witness the emotions of love and hope.  They knew in a few days they will come back to take their children home, some for a long break and others for the last time in Father Ntaiyia School.

Monday Oct 23^rd.  Life was back to routine in the school after excitements of parents visit on prayer day. The End of the year exams and assessment were the main activities for the following two days. Wednesday Oct.25 we had general assembly in the afternoon in which we talked about the ending of the last Trimester of the school year 2023. We also continue to encourage those who are waiting for the public examinations, those waiting for assessment and also wishing the continuing students a restful break. The following day parents came early to take the ongoing children home for they have to be out of school during the examination days. The number of students was reduced almost by half.

I have a few days to continue enjoying the company of children who are taking the exams after which they will go home, and I will remain with some workers doing some repair jobs and purchasing of some needed items in preparation for next year especially for our second junior school class grade 8 for the first time in 2024.

We had a “Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School Charity” BOD members meeting on October 17^th. a day before I left, and five of us deliberated and approved projects and repair works for the charity to fund this time. I will see to them while I am here.

The school location and the surroundings had little rain some weeks back and is green for now, but people have not recovered from setbacks of the drought. Politically the country is calm but like any other country affected by what is happening in other parts of the world that keeps cost of living to continues being a major concern. My grandnephew who works for me in the school told me that the traffic in our hometown and in other major towns is thin now as many people cannot afford to keep vehicles on the road because of the price of fuel (gas). Even though I know from school shopping’s for the last three years we have seen costs of items going up, by visiting some stores and open-air markets this time I personally realized the economic changes. I believe if the rains and weather would favor the people, they can as well benefit from sale of their farm produce.

Keep our candidates in your prayers.

Fr. Symon

KENYA :  Oct 22-2023

I had it announce the weekend before I left that I was visiting Kenya. This time I left earlier than I always leave for November. The ongoing school trimester has with the students will mark the end of our old system of learning in Kenya. They will take their final public examination at the end of this October.  Most of the schools here hold a prayer day for candidates and we invite their parents and other parents who may wish to join and visit their children that day. I had worked out with the school that this day was Saturday October 21 and so I arrived on Oct 19^th. after 13-hour of nonstop flight from New York to Kenya and then a two-hour drive to my hometown.  I rested well on Friday to be ready for the eventful day.  Many parents came to join us in prayer, and some brought success wishes cards and decorations for the candidates. As you may have seen in pictures, we had over 300 people in the school compound. After Mass and a brief speech, we let the parents visit with their children and they were all over sitting in family groups sharing meals they had brought.

Among the visitors were 5 of our former students who came to visit their siblings and were very happy to see me and to let me know how the fared on after leaving our school.

The coming week I will be at the schools as we keep encouraging our candidates, and the ongoing students who will be taking their end of the year exams before leaving on Oct 27 for a long break. Keep us in our prayers.

Fr. Symon   

The 2023 school year in Kenya started in January resuming the normal school year calendar after the three years of on and off School interruptions by COVID-19.

Our second trimester began on 8^th May 2023. It was the longest term in the academic year with fourteen weeks. Being the longest trimester, it was also the busiest in academic activities and co-curriculum activities. Our blog letter comes three weeks before the end of the school year.

THE SCHOOL POPULATION

Fr. Ntaiyia Jubilee primary school comprises of six classes/grades with the following number of learners.

We had 71 girls and 93 boys, giving us a total of 164 learners in the school. The number of girls boarders is 64 and day scholars were 28.

The term began with 12 teachers, 5 females and 7 male teachers. Besides that, we had 9 support staff making a total of 21 employees who earn salary from the school. I wish to mention that grade seven is in the new curriculum (first class of Junior High) and class 8 is the last of the old curriculum which is facing out this year all over Kenya.

FATHER NTAIYIA- VISIT

Father writes “A month after they started the second trimester, I visited Kenya and the school the US and was with there for the full month of June 2023. My visit always brings a joyful atmosphere to the school community and to me as well. I practically go to school every day from my place about 4 miles away and I have an office in the school. I hold meetings with individuals who work in the school offices, the teachers, and other employees. In my office I inspect school records, registers and both logbooks that must be recorded each week by the teacher on duty and each week by the Headteacher. There are many pages to read in these books that must give me a picture of how things go in school. Other important attention includes, and projects funded by our BOD from our Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee school 501 (c)3 funds that may have been going on before my visit. I also visit our County Education offices to make sure we are in good standing for what and that the required reports from the school get there in time. I meet with the students during their various activities, and some days join them when they have their tea or lunch.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Headteacher report indicated that since the trimester began, teachers were committed as usual to their work as soon as the allocation of courses was done for each of them to respective grades and classroom. Teachers were also taking extra time to work with slow learners especially. As in past years, attention is being paid to our final and last class of Public examinations. This will be the last class to take public examinations marking the end of the old curriculum. They will also be the last class to take secondary (High School) studies for 4 years in the old system which is taken away from Father Ntaiyia School. It was observed that learners were also showing interest in their learning by being punctual and attentive and participating well in learning activities. Learners efforts came out clearly when they did their end trimester examinations because there was improvement in the results of all grades.

We, however, experience absenteeism of some learners during the Trimester. This occurred mostly when some learners had to be sent home to go and ask parents to bring school fees. The economic hardships are felt at homes as well and this would have learners wait for some days before the parents can get a fraction of the fees needed.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL — JUNIOR SECONDARY 

2023 school year ushered the first class of Junior School following six years of preparation of New curriculum (CBC). Junior School will be grades 7,8 and 9 and will be hosted in elementary schools as directed by the Ministry of Education in Kenya. The pioneer class of the CBC (new curriculum) joined Junior School this year as the first cohort of the new system.  In the same year, learners sitting the last (KCPE) end of elementary school public exam, currently in class (grade) 8, will transit high school old system in High School.

In this first class of Junior school, we have 35 learners who have already settled well, and their courses are being taught reasonably in spite of many uncertainties in the last two years about this new system.

We are thankful once again to our benefactors who donated to “Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee school charity” making it possible for its BOD members to funds enough textbooks in all subjects (courses) making us better than many school. The learners in this class have enough materials for learning including a single desk and a chair for each student funded by the same charity. The Junior school uniform made our learners noticeable and together with their parents they thanked Father Symon who bought each of them a pair of school shoes as a gesture of welcome to the first class of Junior school in our school.

Further, BOD members make funds available for small projects, textbooks for other, repairs and lately the charity finance placing tiles in all our eight classrooms and purchasing 105 individual desks and chair in readiness for the Junior School grades 7, 8 and 9 who according to the new education system in Kenya will be hosted in the elementary schools.  Equipping Junior School with what is being required now is going to be very expensive, especially for private schools because they do not get any government financials assistance.

CLASS EIGHT   This year we have 42 pupils in this class who are the last candidates for the old system of education. They will take their public examination at the end of October 2023 ending the old curriculum in the whole Country. As in any other year the teachers are doing their best to prepare these candidates for this exam that will determine their future education after their six years of learning in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School.

FISCAL CHALLENGES  

The country has and especially our area has been experiencing a devastating spell of drought, which had been on and off for six seasons, leaving behind a trail of famine, undernourishment, loss of crops and livestock, disrupted livelihoods, increased poverty, and weakened many families that rely on simple farming.

Like any other institution we have experienced a great challenge in terms of economics that is brought by the high cost of living. The cost of food and essential commodities has increased each year for the last three years as compared to previous years. The abrupt change in climate in the school locality has experienced severe drought; this affected the parents since most of them are pastoralists. This interfered with the economic activities and the parents were unable to pay school fees even as we attempted to increase school fees.

I will be visiting Kenya during at the end of October through November, I will have time to access the school activities during the first year of new curriculum. I will also be with out last public examinations candidates as we close that old system in our school as well.

To all Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School THANK YOU  for walking with us especially during these difficult economic times

I will be sharing more news on development and small projects soon on the website with pictures soon.

Thank you for joining us in educating young people in Kenya.

Fr. Symon

KENYA-SCHOOL NEWS FEBRUARY 2022

It has been a while since I last shared news from my home Country Kenya and mainly on the Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School. The last blog letter with many pictures in the school website was almost a year ago. We are happy to report that over 220 boys and girls in this school have been going on with their studies amidst challenged of on and off school due to COVID-19 interruptions. There have been other unbecoming happenings faced by the people in my homeland, due to prolonged drought and economic shortcomings that are being experienced all over the world. We are thankful that we have had no cases of COVID in the school even though some families related to members of our school family have lost loved ones

Despite fears and uncertainties, we have been able to keep the school open and for that to have been possible we have counted on cooperation of parents who have been able to keep their children in school and we have counted on support from our friends of the school like you here in the US. Thankfully friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School donations during my 40^th. ordination anniversary in December 2020 and Christmas season 2021 have been very supportive.  Your gift to the school by check or online donations is treasure, spent wisely, and have true impact via the nomadic families and their children who learn in Father Ntaiyia School. We get information about our past students and are happy that some of them are doing very well after we prepared them in Father Ntaiyia School.

We had a Board of Directors (BOD) meeting for the Friends of Father Ntaiyia School Charity that takes care of donations. This BOD operates from here in Ontario NY and not in Kenya as someone asked in the past. The charity is registered here in NY State.  We are thankful to be able to give this service on behalf the Friends of the School and each year we present our tax returns that are well accepted. The secretary of the charity has just sent acknowledgement letters to those who donated recently. I am glad to welcome new friends from St. Katharine Drexel who after learning about this school have joined in donating.  Although I have not been able to visit Kenya as I usually do each year, we have had some small successful projects such as textbooks, repairs, and maintenance that the Charity funds, the charity also pays school fees for a few students.

The Kenya school year calendar that usually starts in January and ends in November has been disoriented by COVID-19 such that the current year started on July 26, 2021, and is ending on March 4, 2022. Because of this and uncertainty of pandemic some parents were not hesitant bringing the little ones (3^rd. graders to enroll in a boarding school) to enroll in our school far from home. We registered ten little ones this year and five of them are day schooling. Because of pandemic as I mentioned in that year-old blog, many school were closed in Kenya and for that reason we got some pupils coming from such school to join our school.

Prolonged drought and confusion of pandemic have affected many people in Kenya, when rains fail people who depend on their small farms or animals for livelihood are badly affected. Many domesticated animals have died, and the recovery from drought takes a long time. We have had a few parents not able to pay for fees of their children and when it accumulated, they simply did not bring he child at the end of a trimester or end of the school year. Prices of many items including food and teaching materials have gone up in the sores and shops

I have mentioned in the past that Kenya is changing the system of Education that has been on almost 40 years to a new named Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) we are already in the 3^rd year of the new system and up to now its future not clear.

    I will be sharing more news in school website with pictures soon.

Thank you for joining us in educating young people in Kenya

Fr. Symon

HABARI NEWS: JANUARY – APRIL 2021

In my last blog at the end of 2020, I mentioned that the school in Kenya reopened in October after being close in March 2020 because of COVID-19. I further stated that this resumption of studies, was for Grade Four, grade Eight and graduating class of High school for their second term (trimester) of the school year. This means that grades one, two, three, five, six and seven did not resume learning until January 2021 when all the students resumed together including 4^th and 8^th graders after Christmas break.

Early January 2021 the ministry of education in Kenya released the school schedule for the next three years starting January 4, 2021. This was going to be the second trimester for most learners who have been out schools since March 2020 and third term for grades 4 and 8 who had had their first term from October to December. The normal school calendar in Kenya will be expected to resume in 2023 when the crash program to recover time lost to the Covid-19 outbreak is expected to end. The news for reopening the schools for all students was very welcome although there were many questions regarding the safety of the learners and Covid-19, but the good experience of the trimester between October and December which grades 4 and 8 had completed made the parent to trust that learning institutions are safe for the learners, teachers, and all other school staff. Parents were not hesitant in bringing their children back to school. SEE PICTURES

FATHER NTAIYIA JUBILEE SCHOOL: We were looking forward for the learners of all grades to come back. We also had confidence on the experience of the trimester we had gone through in COVID-19 era between October and December even though we had less than half of our enrolled students. Like all other school in Kenya our students resumed in January for the second term (trimester) of the school year that is 2020. Our staff teaching staff and other members of school community resumed their duties as well. SEE PICTURES:

CHALLENGES:  Everyone was to be made aware of the new situation they were in regarding being in compliance with COVID-19 rule. Father Ntaiyia informed the Headteacher that the rules have to be mentioned practically on daily basis and be practically taught. A few of our students were transferred by their parents to other schools. We also hand a few pupils joining our school in different grades and this was understandable after seven months put of school. Three of our teachers also left for but we were able to recruit new teachers to replace them.

Most of the parents are having difficulties paying school fees and it is understandable because of effects of COVID-19.  Some lost their employment, and farmers cannot trade in open markets.

LEARNING: All grades went on as expected with learning activities, the 8^th graders were preparing for their last trimester in our school and 4^th graders were taking their last trimester before joining 5^th. grade in July this year. The teachers and all staff kept doing their work and gradually as the semester advanced the ministry assessment for 3^rd and 4^th. graders were conducted while the rest of the students made in their internal examinations. Third graders had their practical assessment.

SEE PICTURES:

SPORTS ACTIVITIES: Because of the pandemic, the schools in Kenya have not been allowed to have inter schools’ competition in games and athletics. Our staff, however, organizes some internal sports activities each trimester. It appears from their story and pictures that the students and staff had a very happy and successful day on this. After the games there follows celebrations with refreshment. Tea or Soda (juice) with bread is always a treat for our school children in some parts of our Country Kenya. SEE PICTURES

FAITH FORMATION: As I mentioned in the past, faith formation in Schools is allowed in Kenya. Both public and private schools allow stents to be taught and practice their faith. Parents, however, must be involved in decision making for the faith of their children especially when they are underage. With the help of the priests in the parish and their catechist our students get faith formation and Mass each week. The non-Catholics are not required to change their faith. Each year we have some of our students baptized and make their first holy communion and also receive confirmation when the local Bishop is confirming in the Parish. The parents are happy and thankful that this is done when their children are in a boarding school. SEE PICTURES

TRIMESTER BREAK: Before public examinations take place, the continuing students go home for a break leaving the candidates on their own for their public examination in the school. After taking their end of trimester internal examinations the students left on March 19^th.                             SEE PICTURES

PUBLIC EXAMINATION FOR 2020: Elementary school grade 8 public examination for 2020 was done in March 2021 that is the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) SEE PICTURES

As in every year the candidates were treated to a well-wishing and good-bye party.  They had a meal with the staff before they returned all the schoolbooks and other items for the last time during their years in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School.

This national examination that ends elementary schooling for those who take them and from there the students go to High Schools. There were 1,179,182 million candidates sat the KCPE this time.

SEE PICTURES

The results of the National examinations were out on Thursday April 15.  We had 61 students and the results indicated that 53 were above the pass mark for joining High Schools. The remaining 8, six will have no problem finding private High School and the other 2 hopefully will continue with education in some ways.

Our best students had 379 out of 500 points while the best student in the country had 433.  Considering that school calendar was interrupted by the long closure occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic and a 16.4 per cent drop nationwide. I am happy with the results and congratulate our students, teachers, and other staff. I wish on behalf of the BOD of Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School, Inc… to thank friends and well-wishers of the school as we also share this joy with those who visited me with a card and donation for the school during my 40^th ordination anniversary.

DEVELOPMENT: We had 2021 first BOD meeting for Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School 501 (c) (3) Charity – organization that manages donation for the school. We are thankful to Friends of the School’s and well-wishers especially during Father Symon’s 40^th. anniversary for the gifts to the school. We worked on financial reports, update on the school in general and review on the projects in 2020 and 2021 projects. The details on what has been done and will still be done this year will be deliberated in our next meeting in July if not before.

Schools resumed learning on May 10, 2021. for what is now the third trimester of the year 2020 for grades 3,5,6, and 7. We have 165 students in the school now because 4^th. graders are out on a long break and will come back as 5^th. graders in July when we shall have shall start a new school year. We shall also admit our 3^rd graders for the new year who will join Father Ntaiyia School for the first time.

With my prayers,

Fr. Symon Ntaiyia    email: frntaiyia@yahoo.com

School website:  http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org

Or Google  Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School

HABARI NEWS: THE END OF THE YEAR 2020

COVI-19 HAS EFFECTS ON PRIVATE SCHOOLS

On Wednesday July 15, 2020, a Kenyan local newspaper reported that more than 300, 000 learners are likely to miss classes when the academic year begins as private schools hard -hit by the Covi-19 pandemic remain permanently shut.  The same paper stated that majority of Kenya’s 11,000 private learning centers are reeling under the coronavirus sting, with many unable to pay workers and foot bills.  In the same report Kenya Private Schools Association said that more than 1,000 learning institutions may not be able to take back their pupils and students next year and that some have shut down after being evicted from their rental premises while others have lost employees as they could not keep them on payroll. It was reported that about 109 private schools were not able to get back in business when schools reopen. They have folded up because of having no income for months.

The closure of the institutions is likely to add to the headache of parents, who already are struggling with keeping children at home after the President ordered schools closed in March 2020. Private schools employ hundreds of teaching and subordinate staff, now rendered jobless “Teachers have deserted schools that have not no money. Some parents had not cleared first term fees, “and this has made the already bad situation worse”. Some schools have had their electricity and water disconnected due to accrued bills.

FRIENDS AND WELL-WISHERS OF FR. NTAIYIA SCHOOL: I share such a report in appreciation to you Friends and well-wishers of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School and to also let you know that over the last ten years, Father Ntaiyia School has managed to meet running expenses from school fees paid by parents. We have been able to maintain affordable school fees and we have not increased our school fees for almost eight years. We have not ended any school year owing money to anyone. We pay our salaries, suppliers, and utilities in time. Although like any other learning institution we also face many uncertainties, you will be pleased to hear that when the government announced that the schools were to be reopening on 12^th of October 2020, Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School was ready to welcome our learners and resume school activities without delay. I attribute this healthy situation to the good management of school fees we receive from parents for their children and the good use of the gifts we receive each year from friends of the school who donate in the spirit of “no gift is too small”.   SEE PICTURES

REOPENING OF SCHOOLS: In the first week October The Education ministry announced that the school were opening in almost a two weeks’ time.  It was also made clear that students in Grade 4, Standard 8 and Form Four (final year in High School) will be the first to return from October 12, 2020.  The ministry further mentioned that National examinations will take place in March 2021, with KPCE (8^th graders) exams beginning on March 22 and ending on March 24.

The news on reopening of the schools thought welcomed by many, had a stream of challenges. Many schools had not been taken care of since they were closed in March, many needed cleanings and clearing of overgrown vegetation and whatever may have needed repairs.

Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School was ready to receive our students back any day, we kept our buildings clean and the compound was well kept thanks to my grandnephew John who supervises such works. We, however, had to prepare for the rules and precaution regarding concerns of safety measures to protect learners from Covid-19.

BOD FUNDING PROJECTS 2020:  The preparation to reopen did not take us off-guard because on July 22, 2020 during second BOD meeting (for the Charity that manages donations we receive from Friends well-wishers of the School). We discussed and approved funding projects that could be done when the children were away during COVID-19 break.

1. Rainwater harvest from the front of the house that sisters use in the school including the additional roof of the prayer room added to it. This needed a water tank base, a water tank., guttering. SEE PICTURES
2. 

2. The charity also accepted to fund partitioning of a room making a bedroom in the sister’s house from their former prayer room after the congregation of sisters appointed another sister in the school SEE PICTURES
3.  

3. Landscaping, tree planting and fencing. We planted trees in parts of school compound and fenced the areas they were planted to keep the students out of them until the trees grow. SEE PICTURES

4  The Charity BOD members accepted to meet expenses of paying salaries for the staff members who were working in the school during the COVID-19 break, they also helped to pay for social security and hospital insurance for every staff member during the seven months of the break. We had no money coming from parents in form of fees because the children were at home.

SCHOOLS FINALLY OPENED ON MONDAY OCTOBER  12, 2020.  The resumption of studies, which saw Grade Four, grade Eight and graduating class of High school report for their second term (trimester leaving out other learners who number about 12 million in Kenya.  Forth grades are the pioneer class of the new curriculum and eighth graders and expected to end their 8 years of elementary education with a public examination.  SEE PICTURES

We made good preparation for reopening and this was not difficult because I am in constant communication with the staff in school especially Mr. John who represents me and works as my foreman in many ways. Understanding of the rules regarding COVID-19 was primary and so teachers worked out on social distancing, we placed water points with barrels for hand washing available for students all the time. I had to employ a person to be at the school gate all the time during the day to make sure that all the required regulations are adhered to by those coming in the school. Classrooms and Dormitories were worked out in respect of social distancing. SEE PICTURES

Learning and all school activities went on well during the short trimester, we had no case of COVID-19 and students were able to complete their work in time for end of trimester examinations. The crash second trimester took about 10 weeks, with schools closing a few days before Christmas. It will be a short holiday for the candidates and Grade Four learners as they will resume classes on January 4. The Ministry of Education had indicated that all (grades) the students will resume in January and by now there has been no announcement to change that.     SEE PICTURES

FATHER NTAIYIA  40 YEARS AS A PRIEST

December 7, I celebrated my 40^th. anniversary, our Parish Life Committee formed a Celebration Committee and below was a very successful plan on the weekend prior to the actual day of my anniversary amid the challenges of the year 2020    SEE PICTURES

Dear Friends of Father Symon

Please join the celebration of Father Symon’s 40 years as a priest!

Please save the dates:  December 5 – Receiving Line, and December 6 – Anniversary Mass.  All protocols of Covid-19 will be followed, including face covering. We welcome you to come and spend a few moments with Father Symon to share with him whatever is in your heart.

Receiving Line –  Saturday, December 5, 2020, at St. Mary’s Parish Center

Open House Receiving Line, 10:00 AM to 12:00

Greeters will meet you at the Parish Center door

A slide show of Father Symon’s life displayed in the Parish Center

Basket for cards and messages will be available

 Mass –  Sunday, December 6, 2020, at St. Mary’s in Ontario

Anniversary Mass, 8:30 AM

We will follow the seating arrangements already in place for Sunday Mass

Mass RSVP, with the number attending (315)524-2611

You may already know much of Father Symon’s heartwarming story.

Born from a humble family in Narok, Kenya, Symon Peter Ntaiyia was needed at home, herding sheep, goats and cows. Yet, at age 10, he was enrolled in boarding school, while his Maasai community moved with the herds. His Catholic education began with primary school, and after passing exams following elementary school, he became a catechist. During the next two years, the seeds of his vocation were sown.

In 1969, as a young man, he entered Seminary, and in 1980 he became the first priest to be ordained among the Maasai community in Narok. From early in his priesthood, he realized the importance of quality education for Maasai children. Six years after his ordination, he started a high school for boys. Most of the boys are successful in life, and thirteen are priests.  Following his 25^th anniversary as a priest, he founded The Father Symon Jubilee School for Nomads with the help people in America and especially those in the parishes he served.

Father Symon’s American sabbatical in 2002 was followed by a five-year extension. He was then incardinated in the Catholic Diocese of Rochester, New York. Father Symon’s assignments have included parishes in Avon, Gates, Owego, Elmira, Sodus, Ontario/Williamson/Walworth, Palmyra /Marion and Macedon. Having shepherded parishioners through clustering and merging, he is pastor of two parishes in western Wayne County—St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Katharine Drexel, supported by Father Anthony Amato, Parochial Vicar.

For his commemorative prayer card, Father Symon said that the people of these parishes “. . . have all touched my priestly life in many ways. I entrust them all, together with my own humble priestly life, to the care of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and our own.”

Parish Life Committee and Celebration Committee

SCHOOL COMMUNITY AND FATHER NTAIYIA’S  40^TH ANNIVERSARY 

This celebration found the school community still in school about two weeks before their Christmas break. The Parish Priest of Narok Parish celebrated Mass of thanksgiving with the school community. This was followed by brief speeches and songs before they were all treated to an extraordinary meal and soft drinks.    SEE PICTURES

Wishing Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School a Happy and Healthy New year

Fr. Symon Ntaiyia

Dear Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School Narok -Kenya,

May this find you and your loved ones safe and healthy it has been a while since my last school’s website blog and School Facebook letters. You can always visit these sites from our Parish websites front page or google Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School and of late we use Facebook

There has been changes with the School News since my letter after returning from visiting the School in Kenya late last year especially the impacts of COVID-19. Each month since March I expected to share on what is going on in Kenya, but all the expected news ended in wait and see next time.

FIRST SCHOOL TRIMESTER  2020:

Before interruption by covid-19, Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School-Kenya had re-opened for the new school year on Monday 6^th Jan 2020 for the first trimester. The ongoing student came back last January eager to know how the final class they left in the school taking public examination at the end of 2019 faired on, they wanted to see the results and find out how their former schoolmate did in examinations and what High School each of them has gone to. They came back to changes of repairs and other works that I supervised after they left for the long break in November, painted classroom, repair desks and chairs, repaired floors of their dormitories or classrooms and other development that make the school a better place for their learning. We also have new textbooks for students and especially for the new curriculum that will be needed each year for the next four years we also have teaching materials for teachers.

                SEE PHOTOS => SCHOOL REOPENS JANUARY 2020

Our teaching and non-teaching staff in keeping with our custom were in School to welcome the ongoing students as well as the new students who were joining our school for the first time. Some of the new students were third graders our starting grade each year and others who applied to join higher grades. Accompanied by their parents there is always a moment of excitement and the head teachers welcomes them in the office to make sure that they have all the requirements for enrolment before registering them as our new students. Sometimes the excitement for the littler ones is not lived long for their mood changes when they realize that the parents were going to leave them there when they go back home. We try to ease set back by assuring the little ones that their parents use cell phones and can call the office or the matron and talk to them thanks to the technology of our time. This makes the little ones feel … after all my dad and mom are not far away.

SEE PHOTOS => NEW PUPIL

Teachers, the matron, and the responsible students are always ready to assist the new students as they settle in the school for the first time. Learning, Class work and other activities had started and were going on well guided by school timetable and the school bell that does not leave much room for many other activities. However, there are things to learn and get used for the new comes in a new place. This year by mid-March we recorded higher enrolment of students than we ever had before: There are 141 girls and 139 boys a total of 280 students. 

 SEE PHOTOS => SCHOOL ASSEMBLY

COVI-19 AND SCHOOLS IN KENYA: On March 15, the President of the Republic of Kenya ordered for the closure of all schools in the country after Kenya reported her first COVID-19 case.

On Apr 26, the government announced that Kenyan schools will remain closed for the next one month, following a directive by the government in measures aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus. The extension begun on May 4^th; the day students were supposed to return to school from the April Holidays that started much earlier due to coronavirus pandemic that has paralyzed most operations in the country.

SEE PHOTOS => COVI-19 SCHOOL CLOSE

Most of our staff members are at their homes with their families but for seven including 3 Nuns who work in school. We are all concerned about the continuing spread of COVID-19 and fear that it may uncontrollably impact communities in the rural areas more if it gets there. The government of Kenya like any others is reinforcing guidance instructed by her health authorities. One of our school families informed me over telephone conversation that, many  families are facing endless challenges because for them to have commodities they need from shops they must go and sale their farm produce or animals in open air markets in order to get cash and this is not possible now.

I have been reaching out to some of our school families on phone instructing them to talk loud and clear to others to take the COVID-19 very seriously.

REOPENING THE SCHOOLS: Although it had initially been indicated that schools would open their doors in September 2020, the government has now ruled that out and has warned that sending our children to school soon might put their lives in danger as the infections are still on the rise.

As it is said here before, there should be no hurry in the reopening of schools until when we are sure there would no danger to the lives of the students. Faced with this uncertain environment, on July 7th, 2020 Kenya resolved to aim at reopening all basic education learning institutions in January 2021. This assumes that the infection curve will have flattened. It is clear, therefore, that there will be no national examinations this year. The 2020 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) public examination for end of elementary school and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) for end of High School candidates will now sit their exams later next year.

DEVELOPMENT: Our readers will remember that one of the projects The BOD of Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee school sponsored Oct/Nov 2019  that Fr. Symon supervised in Kenya was construction of a prayer house attached to the house the sisters use in the School. This prayer room (chapel) was completed in late March 2020. The local Pastor who celebrates Mass for Sisters was available to bless and celebrate the first Mass in this room on Holy Thursday.

SEE PHOTOS =>BLESSING SISTERS’ PRAYER ROOM

The BOD of Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Charity had the first meeting this year and deliberated on various projects we sponsor with funds donated by our friends. Records that are necessary were reviewed for preparation of our federal and New York State nonprofit organization annual filling for 2019 that has been successfully submitted.

School Update

• 2019 school year was very successful
• 264 total student enrollments in the year.
• Father Symon did a good summary in his latest Blog.
• Student to teacher balance remains good
• Domestic care staff also working out well
• Food & supplies for students is keeping up well
• Parent cooperation with tuition payments is very good.
• School fees paid for operating expenses reasonably good.
• Students were well prepared for the standardized exams and 38/39 passed the high school entrance exam. The remaining student is looking to attend a trade school

On behalf of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School community I thank all our friends and well-wishers for your prayers, support, and encouragement in all that makes it possible for us to provide for the students and their families. Our benefactors will be glad to know that we have very proficient members of the BOD of the charity that manages your donations. They love the school and are happy to be involved in the mission of the school giving hope to many.

Keep safe and in prayer

Fr. Symon Ntaiyia    email: frntaiyia@yahoo.com

School website:  http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org

HABARI NEWS: DECEMBER  2019 – MARCH 2020

I wish to start this blog letter with the news that the Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School had in 2019 good success with graduates moving on to high school. 38/39 students passing with very good scores. All moving on to high school. I Congratulate our teaching staff under the leadership of the Headteacher Mr. Chepkwony, his Deputy Mr. Victor Ochieng and all those who work in the school to make this happen. We are also thankful to officers of the Education office Narok and all our school parents for the moral support and encouragement. We cannot forget our many benefactors who have helped the school to be where it is now making it a learning institution mostly the Maasai children who are the majority in the School. As I write this blog letter I was informed by our acting head teacher Sister Agnes that Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School was recognized as the most improved private school in the area, the students and staff celebrated as they received a certificate and a trophy for this feat. Once again, I wish to thank Mr. Johnstone Chepkwony for his leadership that earned the school this recognition.

FATHER SYMON NTAIYIA VISIT: I went to Kenya for my annual break on October 16^th. 2019 and I was there until November 28^th.  Like every year I had very warm welcome by students and staff in the school. The general atmosphere in the school was great and School activities were going on well as the students were getting ready for the end of the year examinations. The country this time was calm, and politically seemed to be going on well all- over but for the usual political battling among the leaders that is ever in the news. Some parts of the country were dry but there were no reports of drought or famine. Early November it was reported that there were rains well distributed in the country and we kept having occasional rains and they are now reporting floods that have claimed lives in some parts of the country.

MEETING THE STUDENTS

In the welcoming gathering I acknowledge and welcome the little ones, 3^rd graders and any new student who may have joined Father Ntaiyia School during the year and who I meet for the first time during this visit. We stood outside the classrooms as in an assembly for about half an hour with almost all the students pushing at each other trying to come near me. They asked questions about my (safari) trip and home in the US and what I do, hardly would I finish answering one question before the next one is asked.

The ongoing students started their end of the school year examinations two days after my arrival and I was only able to visit with them during lunch break or after 4 PM. The teachers graded the exams and were ready in time for end of the year report. I was able to have a meeting with the teaching staff before the closing day for the ongoing students and were discussed a number of things relating to the school year, and the students’ progress as they end the year and head home for a long break. There was going to be another meeting before the graduating class takes their public examinations.

It has been my tradition that during my visiting the School we chose one day to celebrate my being there with School community. We do this with an exceptional meal for students and staff and last year we had it on the last Sunday October with all the students in the School.

We started our day with celebration of Mass with the intention of praying for success of our candidates, after Mass there follows entertainment songs and dance and then farewell speeches from two students leaders who share their experience and life in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School, speeches by teachers, school matron and the proprietor. Songs of farewell brought tears to many.

Thursday Oct. 24 was the closing day for ongoing students, we had a school assembly in our spacious Dining room and class teachers gave their reports to students. We also appraised and give gifts to our students who may have been outstanding on some school services and activities. At the end everyone student gets something and this time I brought many pens and pencils from Students of Wayne Central School in Ontario and some Willy Wonka T-shirt given by Gagliano family

from our parish. At about 4 PM the Headteacher declared the end of the school trimester and announce the opening date for the new year to be January 6^th. 2020. Some parents were already in the school and requested to take their children. Some students had to wait for the following day of which by 12 PM all the children had been taken by their parents. I had an opportunity of meeting some parents as they took their children, most of them whom I met for the first time were very appreciative of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School in many ways.

PUBLIC EXAMINATION:   Our candidates for public examinations in 2019 had to be in school for about a week after the others had left. After their examinations they also left Father Ntaiyia School for good. I visited them every day when they had a break from studies in preparation for their examinations.

Teachers kept them busy in what needed to be done and samples of past examinations. When the examination days arrived, they were conducted well by officers appointed by the Ministry of Education and a security officer who came to school before 8 AM after picking the examinations papers from the custody where heads of all schools had to go as early as 4 AM. The last paper was done at about 12 Noon on the last day of Exams. I was in front of the School offices where I waited for them and congratulated them, we took some pictures and let the go to prepare for the next events. School cooks and other staff had prepared a farewell lunch party which we share with lots of joy.

After lunch the students has time return all schoolbooks and other items that were in their hands and those who could, left that afternoon while the others waited for their parents the following day. I also had time to meet some parents of our class if 2019

EXAMINATION RESULTS:  Like last year the examination results were out in three weeks, and day they were announced we all got eager to know how our students did.  It is very possible now that each candidate can access their results online via cell phone from wherever they may be. This year we had 39 candidates and all, but one made it to High School. We had about 32% improvement of points from last year thanks to our teachers, other staff in the school and all the students for working hard. The one girl who had low points can still go to private high schools if parents want her to. After we received the results of our students, I call the teachers back for a meeting and we discussed the examination results the generally we were happy with the good effort this year.

HEADTEACHER:  Mr. Johnstone Chepkwony who has been in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School for about five years and has headed it for two years was offered a government job and had to leave at the end of December. As I mentioned in the past, we are glad to let our teachers take a job that is better paying and has other benefits that we can not offer. I thank Mr. Johnstone for his leadership in the school and for working diligently with Education Offices in Narok for the good of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School. I wish him and his family well.  I have appointed Sister Agnes who worked closely with him to be the acting Head teacher for now.

MAINTENANCE WORK IN THE SCHOOL:  Each year before I leave for Kenya, I ask the School’s maintenance to staff to inspect the buildings and items in the school for repairs and development that may need my attention when I visit. Staff in various department is also consulted.  This gives me ideas of what may need to be done during my visit and I make a projected budget that is required buy BOD members of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School Charity to whom I make request for funding of such projects.  We had a meeting before I left for Kenya and I presented to the BOD members an estimated budget of things that needed to be done during visiting the school. Once the BOD has accepted to fund the projects, I usually prefer to I go to Kenya first to see and evaluate the projects and prioritize them before I ask for the funds.

While in Kenya I made a list of things that needed to be done and I gave a projected budget and money was sent to me to start working on. 1. Dormitories floor repairs 2. Storage rooms / workshop 3. Roofing storage rooms /workshop 4. Painting wall of 4 classrooms 5. Extension of a prayer room in the house used by Sisters. 6. A refrigerator for Sisters 7. Year 2020 New textbooks for 4^th. graders and additional for the other grades. 8. A heavy-duty copier for the School 9. Three trucks of firewood 10. Repairs and electric wiring.

1. DORMITORIES FLOOR REPAIRS
2. 
3. STORAGE ROOMS / WORKSHOP

1. EXTENSION OF A PRAYER ROOM IN THE HOUSE USED BY
2. SISTERS.
3.  
5. A REFRIGERATOR FOR SISTERS
6. 
7. 2020 NEW TEXTBOOKS FOR 4^TH. GRADERS AND ADDITIONAL FOR THE OTHER GRADES.
8.       
9. A HEAVY-DUTY COPIER FOR THE SCHOOL
10. 
11. THREE TRUCKS OF FIREWOOD
12. 

I was able to get most of the work done and purchased items that needed to be bought but there was still some work left to be done under the supervision of my grandnephew and I was in communication with him after I returned to the US and all the pending work was completed in the first half of January 2020. Donations from Friends through Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Charity have helped us to maintain and repairs in this School as well as funding new projects such as those listed and pictured in this letter. The donations we receive from you whenever you give during the year and especially around Christmas have always helped our school budget in such a way that we have not increased School fees for the last 7 years and this has made us to keep school fees affordable for parents of our students.

Allow me to thank the BOD of Friends of Father Ntaiyia Charity through which we receive donations. Their commitment to the meetings and moral support of ideas that lead to success of such projects in the school making it better for learner.

Like any other year in the past, 2019 had own challenges to the school budget for the same reason that prices of many staple commodities we use in school continue to rise. Economic difficulties are also faced by families some of whom are not able to meet their school fees in time each trimester.  One consequence of incomplete fee payment is that some schools send students home until they make the payments which means the students who go home may miss classes for some days. Sometimes even the students who have completed their fees are not taught in those schools because of the meagre numbers due to those who have gone home. (We avoid frequent sending students’ home for fees in Father Ntaiyia).

HABARI NEWS: In the past I wrote a blog letter practically each month. There were many things to report on then as the school buildings were being constructed and parents visiting day was allowed in School. This gave us a lot of pictures and news. There is not much news now that major constructions are done, parents are no longer having a visiting day instead the students go home for one week half term break. It is very likely therefore, that Habari News will be once a trimester or when the news and pictures to share are available. As in many other countries this letter come to our friends and readers while our students are out of school because of COVI-19.

Friends and readers may have come across information that during my last visit in Kenya that I was interviewed by the National Television team in their studio and that was followed by an article on my 40 years ministry posted in a local media. Below are the links

https://youtu.be/7Z6lyj7bCHg
https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2020-01-25-kenyan-us-catholic-priest-looks-back-on-his-40-year-journey-of-serving-god/

With gratitude

Fr. Symon Ntaiyia    email: frntaiyia@yahoo.com

School website:  http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org

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

 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 (8^th. 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 4^th graders cannot do 3^rd 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 2^nd 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:

1. REPAIRS of our school office computers: We have 4 laptops for use in the school and like any they needed maintenance and antivirus.
2. Renovation of storage room to avail a classroom that was being used for storage, the pictures will show masonry and roofing work.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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
6. 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 8^th. graders this year because of their Public examinations but those is 7^th. 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.  1^st. 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 2^nd. for the third and the last trimester of 2019. This trimester will see our 3^rd. graders taking a national assessment test and our 8 graders taking their public examination early November.

Fr. Ntaiyia

HABARI NEWS:  END OF 2018

To all friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School-Narok Kenya. It is almost a year since my last communication and especially news on my school’s Habari News. Some of our friends will have read the news I shared in our parish bulleting on my last trip to Kenya while I was there, but this did not continue in the School website blog after I returned to the US because the website went down for some weeks. At the end of December when I notice there was something wrong with it, I requested a friend of the school who originally helped to set it up and has been maintain it, Mr. Ken Sheehan to investigate what was wrong. He was able in consultation with the Diocese of Rochester to have it in-service again by the second week of February. For friends who could not get the news via our parish bulleting I will repeat on my trip and experience in Kenya Oct/Nov last year.  It will be like a brief history that links us to what has been going on and what is going on now in the School.

I left for Kenya on Monday October 15^th. Flights were from Rochester, New York City, Dubai, Nairobi where I arrived mid afternoon       on Oct 17^th and headed for a two-hour drive to Narok my home town. I went to my residence as it was late for me to go to School that day. The following day I waited before going to school because the children were taking examination until four in the afternoon.

There was warm welcomed as usual when I went there and were all waiting for my arrival. I am always looking forward to meeting the little third grader and other new students for the first time. Then I would ask who the smallest of all and they, with loud laughter will point out at her/him. I then visit with the teachers and those in offices and other staff in the school. It does not take long before the children come around me again. On the second day I had a meeting with the head teacher for briefings and update me on several of school life. Saturday Oct 20 was a public holiday in Kenya like (Memorial Day in US) I decided to have good rest at my place because on such a day we let the students join the public in a local stadium for celebration. On this day also, St. Maximillian Kobe Parish which I serve in the Diocese of Rochester was hosting our annual seniors’ Breakfast and I was able to communicate by phone to them. They greeted me with an African clap of hand taught them.

Generally, it was dry in Kenya when I arrived, but it showed they had had good weather in the near past.  There was happy atmosphere in the school even though exams are usually not the best part for the student’s life. In a weeks’ time the continuing students were to leave for a long break until January while the graduating class was left in the School for their National Public Examination that was to end their studies in my school and determines their entrance to High School studies.

As I was writing a Parish bulleting letter for Sunday October 21, 2018 on the story of the Blind man of Jericho who said to Jesus “Master I want to see” it made me see education as light. I often picture if I did not go to school when I was taken at the age of 10 in 1958. Very likely I would still not have known how to read and write; maybe I would not have been a Christian or even a Catholic let alone a Priest. As I have said many times the best picture on this is when I visit my home village and meet my age group who did not get a chance to go to school. Their life and family life say it all. The other side of the same picture are those many boys I educated in a Diocesan boy’s School. I meet a good number of them when I am in Kenya who tell me how they are successful in life because they had an opportunity to go school in Lemek with me. Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School has given and will continue giving light to many. My mind went back to the words of the blind man who said to Jesus “My Teacher Let me see again”. And I ask all our friends join our prayers with that of the blind man for the grace of God to shine on those in need it so their eyes may be opened and remain opened.

Sunday Oct 21, we had first Mass with the school after my arrival and this was celebrated with liturgical dance by our students. Children put on their best and new song to show me that something new is there since my last visit. I must say I am at home with this. It was to be our last Mass with the whole School community this year. The Parish priests who normally celebrate Mass in Father Ntaiyia School every Saturday evening usually let me continue with Masses when I am visiting but I switch it to Sunday. Monday, students completed their internal examinations and teachers were busy grading while students had extracurricular activities.  Wednesday Oct 24^th. we had a good afternoon celebrating as we wished our graduating class success in their examination and a bright future after being in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School some of them for eight years.  The school menu was changed to fit the day, and after all the students had their lunch and the ongoing Students were set free to go and prepare for their departure the following day.

Next, I had lunch with all our teachers and other workers in the School. I do this every year during my visit to meet them all in a social gathering. The following day we assembled in the student’s dining room for the event of giving out end of the year reports to every student and after a few speeches the third trimester was officially declared ended. During this event we also acknowledge some students for their exceptional being or services to the others. This year I brought pens and pencils given by students of Wayne Central when I visited them before coming to Kenya and I distributed them so that each student had something (from US).  Friday Oct 26^th.some parents came as early as 6.30 AM and stated taking the children and this kept going on for the next seven hours when the last child was taken home. Although the candidates of the examinations were still in school I feit most of the children had gone and there was change.

CANDIDATES: We had the weekend of Oct 27 and 28 with the candidates of public examination after the continuing students had left for their long holidays. The candidates had their examination rehearsal with the invigilators on Monday October 29^th and started a three days exam timetable on 30^th.  Each day I went to meet them after their last paper of the day. All Saints day was their last day and I was waiting for them to come out at about 11.30 AM Kenya we were 8 hours ahead of NY. They all came to me and I congratulated them as they busted in Good-bye song ready to leave Father Ntaiyia School in the next 24 hours. A good sendoff meal had been prepared for them and teaching staff and other school workers joined them for lunch. After this they had time hand back the school items such as text books before starting to pack their personal items. A few parents came for their children that afternoon and they took their children while the others had to wait for the following morning. Friday November 2 parents came for their children and by 11 AM all hand left the school. Domestic workers were left cleaning and before they too left the following day for their break.

Without students for me the school was like a ghost town. There were three more weeks for me to be in Kenya and I had some work in the School that needed to be done when the students are away.

Now I had to embark on some work that can only be done when the students are away. Each year before I leave for Kenya, we hold our Friends of Father Ntaiyia School 501 Charity BOD meeting and discuss among other things what needs to be done in line of maintenance and repairs in the School during my visiting. We also discuss on new projects especially those we may have received specifically donation for. If funds have been given for a project, we respectfully honor the intention of the donor. Other Funds come from donation we receive during the year to help my School and especially Christmas time from Friends and well-wishers of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School

MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR WORK:

It is clear now from last two years that repair work is going to be a routine each year as the buildings are now 10 years old. Because of this we select the neediest repairs as we can not do everything in one year. Last November I supervised replacing new floor in two class rooms and part of the students dining room, new floor had to be done and some other work in a classroom adjacent to the Library that will be used soon as a computer lab. We paint each year some areas that were not painted since constructions.

NEW PROJECTS:

The Board of Directors (BOD) this year accepted to fund what is needed for computer teaching in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School as one of the new projects. We agreed that I initiate this project by preparation for a computer lab (classroom), solar power because power is very much unreliable in Kenya, installation of W.I.F.I.  and have these in place before purchasing of 25 computers and their accessories. Our aim is to equip one classroom with computers and required accessories so that different graders can go there for their computer course rather than trying to have computers in every classroom for now. In this case we wish to make is possible for groups 25 students each to have a computer session.

By end of November last year before I returned to the US W.I.F.I.  had been installed and was working very well. I used it to communicate with BOD members and were happy for its success. Next job on this was on computer classroom or lab. I invited an electrician and a compute installation expert, and they worked on what is needed in electric wiring, sockets and arrangement of furniture for students.  This was also done before I returned to the US.

SOLAR POWER FOR COMPUTER TEACHING

During our BOD meeting before I left for Kenya, I had requested them to fund a solar power project as a back up for computer teaching in my school. I presented the estimated budget that had been made for me by a Solar installing firm and the BOD had accepted it pending more information during my visiting Kenya. After I arrived in Kenya, however, and consulting further with the same firm, they advise that we should have the solar power as main power for computers and not as back up because it is more reliable than the main grid in Kenya. I informed the BOD members of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Charity about this new development which I made clear was going to cost twice the original quotation. The members accepted but advised that I get more information. I emailed a friend of mine from Austria who has been installing solar power in a hospital in Ewuaso -Tanzania and in Loita – Kenya Mr. Ludwig Mulleder and after several e-mail communications and phone calls between him and through me to Mr. Steve Dietl for BOD and Brian Kibiwot of Davis & Shirtliff Ltd (Solar)-Narok we settled for installation of solar power to be inverted into ordinary power and with possible extension for use in School office building and lighting other buildings. Consulting Ludwig was very helpful, and we thank him for sharing his experience and technology on installation of Solar power.

PUBLIC EXAMINATION RESULTS

As mentioned above on Candidates, the public examination was done 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 owned by parents and are affordable and of this we had 6 students.

After the results were out, I called the teaching staff and other staff back to school from their holidays for a meeting. We all reviewed the examination results and discussed other matters of the school. There are factors that may affect final examinations. The best students were among those who have been in this school 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.

TO BE CONTINUED…… From January 2019

HABARI NEWS: JULY – AUGUST 2018

Both teachers and students were busy in the last two weeks of July preparing for end of trimester examinations. These examinations test mostly the trimester’s syllabus covered during the three months even though there was a midterm examination half way through the trimester.

The end of trimester examinations may be done jointly with other zonal schools for this helps a number of teachers in such schools to assess the coverage of syllabus because all schools in Kenya must follow the same curriculum. Teachers have guidelines for marking or grading the exams that involve six subjects or courses. Teachers grade on the courses they teach and then they all compile the report on what points each student has. They further study their reports on the ranks of students and can find out the students who have made improvement and those who will not have done well. Each student’s report is then recorded in their report form that must go to parents. Parents may on their next visit to school, such as when the students are reporting back, decide to meet with a class teacher and discuss the report of their child. A class teacher may find it necessary to request to meet with a parent for the same.

Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School has grades 3 through 8 which means a child who enrolls with us as a third grader will spend six years before they graduate or leave for High School.  Currently our 5^th, 6^th and 8^th grades are double meaning each is split into two classrooms. This means we have nine classrooms occupied each time a class is being taught this year. There are 13 teachers in the school who share in the teaching program.  We have two sisters, one as an accountant and one for catering. There are two cooks assisted by a server and a school matron. There are two maintenance staff – one is a driver, there is a librarian and an accountant assistant. We also have a night watchman, and this comes to 24 employees who earn their salary from School and are able to help their families and take their children to school because of the employment they have with us.

SCHOOL LIFE: Generally, there has been good report on school life and activities during the second trimester that ended in the last days of the month of July. There were two trips made with our students that were very successful during this second trimester. One on school activities that took our students to compete at inter-county level and the second was an educational tour mainly for our final class (grade). Parents’ visiting day was also very successful and it was reported that they are happy with the school. Students have taken their work seriously and behavior and attention to proper school life was reported to have improved. We all know it is a challenge to have 274 children of different ages and grades in the same compound following one timetable but on the other hand Father Ntaiyia School is not the only school with the same challenges.

WHILE ON HOLIDAYS: Most teaching staff and other staff leave the school compound for their homes after students have left for a break. Parents come for their children early in the morning of closing day. Members of staff who want to go home to their families either leave after all the children have left or on the following day. About three teachers choose to remain in the compound but will have no school business assigned to them. Maintenance people, however, remain doing any kind of repair work that needs to be done while children are at home such as fixing broken desks and chairs. Places in the dormitories, dining room tables and benches all are inspected to make sure they are ready when the children return. Sometimes teachers may be invited to a workshop or seminars organized by the Ministry of Education on various reasons to improve or train them on certain aspects of teaching career. In such cases the school pays the fee for those who may attend.

WEATHER: As I had mentioned in another letter, schools face cold weather in the second trimester of each year in most parts of Kenya. This is because during the months of June and July the sun moves north of the equatorial region leaving cool and rainy climate. During the second trimester most of the new students are usually used to the weather in the school area, but rains may bring common cold and malaria.

Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School has good relationship with the neighbors and the community surrounding it. The stone perimeter wall secured the school inside it and for that reason we have no friction with the neighbors whose animals and chickens use to come into our compound through the unstable fence we had before. We can say we have had students who do not interfere with the neighbors and have never had any complaint from our neighbors about our students.

NEW CURRICULUM: Our readers will recall that I kept reporting on the development of talks and notifications that Kenya Ministry of Education was releasing regarding a new curriculum. There was a pilot project on it in some selected schools in Kenya with the aim of other schools implementing the new curriculum by last January.  Things seem to have taken a slow pace on this. It is understood that first, second and third graders are in the new system. In Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School we bought new text books for third graders and teachers are using them. This means for the next six years we shall be buying new text books each year as the new curriculum replaces the current one.

School website:  http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org  or Google Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School  Also Face Book

Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

5823 Walworth road
P.O. BOX 499
ONTARIO, NY 14519
1-585-613-8187

HABARI NEWS: JUNE   2018

The month of June finds students and teachers settled in for the second trimester. Both learning and extracurricular have been going on well in the school. The Head Teacher writes, “This month and July are usually cold for us here in Narok and other parts of Kenya”. While Father Ntaiyia tells us that where he lives is very warm this time of the year, our geography can make us understand that the sun moves north to give USA summer while we are left with cool weather. The cold weather however, affects our outdoor activities because the students must remain indoors most of the day due to weather.

         The highlight to the trimester’s events was the parents visiting day which was June 16^th.  as I have described this day a few times in the past, it is a day open to all the parents to come and visit their children and have some time with them in the school. We normally do not have any program for this visit. Parents come and meet class teachers for reports on the progress of their child; they may meet the Head Teacher when necessary and then they spend the rest of the day visiting with their child and have food together. The parents may be accompanied by their other children, especially the little ones and other family members of their family or friends. It is good to imagine and picture a sea of people in the school compound from all parts of the county and country. Many do not know each other but are coming together because they have a common place, Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School where their children are learning together.

EXTRACURRICULAR: School especially boarding schools may have internal supplementary activities for students out of the classroom to keep them busy each day. They may have games after classes in late afternoon when they may practice and learn ball game, athletics, music and drama. The students may be grouped in grades or boys and girls of different grades for entertainment of others. There are occasions when they may have to watch TV or videos.   We are further informed that, after-school activities give students a useful venue to socialize outside of the classroom, as participants must learn to work together and communicate with others sharing stories and experiences that may only be known to them from their families and villages. Extracurricular activities also give kids a chance to learn and practice new skills, many of which are useful later in life.

In Kenya system of education, like many parts of the world Scholars have taught that extracurricular activities include the opportunity for students to explore their own interests outside of school, the ability to learn responsibility and build character. Extracurricular sports also give kids a chance to learn teamwork, commitment and leadership. Other benefits of extracurricular activities include improving children’s socialization, keeping kids and instilling them with more skills and confidence care must be there to advocate a balance between school and extracurricular activities.

This second trimester in Kenya our students participated in music festivals that started with over 60 of our students competing at sub-country level with another school, then at county level where 36 of them qualified to go to inter county, forming teams with 14 other counties but did not get beyond this level to National competitions.  Three teachers who accompanied the students for four days to a town over 300 Km (190) miles from the School, reported it was an educational trip and successful. Along the way the students enjoyed many sceneries such as rivers, hills, plateaus as well and agricultural developments with plantations and vegetations not familiar to all. Our students did not continue with competition beyond this trip. All students and teachers returned to school safely and got back to learning.

EDUCATIONAL TRIP: As I have shared in the past blog letters we recommend a break in the routine for our final year students or eighth graders in which they take an educational trip with a purpose to essentially educate them. The trip is aimed at supporting what teachers have been teaching about some subjects and this may help the students understand the topic better. Taking students into a new environment gives them the experience of traveling in a group and teaches them to be respectful of the locations they visit. The students get the opportunity to see new places and this is advantageous to those who are less fortunate, and do not have the opportunity to make such a trip unless organized by the school. In Kenya like in many other countries students may have an opportunity in such a trip to observe many things they have been hearing or learning about such as geographical landmarks, wildlife, plants, birds and many others.  A week before the trips a teacher went to visit various places where they intended to take the students and make sure that it will be possible to visit and be shown around if necessary. Such a trip has to be approved by the Education Office in the county.

This year our school trip was to the surrounding of Nakuru the fourth-largest city in Kenya. It is the capital of Nakuru County and former capital of the Rift Valley Province. It is on the floor of the great Rift valley. The School’s primary aim was for them to view Menengai Crater located on the northern side of Nakuru. It is an extinct volcano and is said to be the single largest surviving volcanic crater in the world. As they travelled on the floor of the Rift valley, the students were able to see other geographical sites mentioned in their geography books and classes about the valley. This trip had sixty-six students, three teachers, school matron and a school driver who drove my van that had some students while a rented mini bus had the rest.

TRIMESTER: The second trimester has about four weeks to go before August break. After the music festival trip and the Educational trip described above, the students and teachers now will focus on class work and aim at covering the remaining part of syllabus and preparation for end of trimester examinations before August break. I have called the Head Teacher and his Deputy and discussed this important time left for students’ academic input so that they may work with the teachers making sure that everyone takes it seriously. I particularly mention attention that is needed for our final class who will have two months only before their final examinations after resuming studies during the third trimester that starts in September. During the third trimester there will be on parents’ visiting day, parents’/student’s prayer day as it has been in the past. The ministry of education in Kenya discouraged such events in order to have students focus on examinations and end of the school year in preparation for those who will be going to their next grade next year.

DEVELOPMENT: Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School – Charity BOD members had the second meeting of the year on June 15 in which after reviewing the minutes of January meeting, reviewed the donations that usually come at the end of the year around Christmas and after. There was also deliberation on financial report with respect to the approved projects and close out of receipts from during the year. The BOD also approved funds for the school to buy a water pump which will be used mainly for pumping water from ground level tanks to overhead tanks that will supply water to the buildings and an electric planer / saw for the School workshop to make work easier for our maintenance and repairs. The funds for purchasing these two items were sent to Kenya last month after our BOD meeting. The electric planer has been bought, tested and is working very well. We are waiting to buy the pump when it will be available in the local stores.

School website:  http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org  or google Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School

Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

1-585-613-8187

HABARI NEWS: MAY 2018

Dear Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School Narok Kenya.

The school reopened for the second trimester this year on May 2 after Easter break. Kenya has been experienced torrential rains in the last few months and this cause destruction in many areas affecting families and even school structures. Schools in some part of the country remain closed two weeks after re-opening for second term because of floods. Hundreds of school-going children had to stay home as roads were rendered impassable. The local paper Standard reported that “a few students who braved and walked through the flood waters, however, could not attend classes as most classrooms were filled with water. Facilities such as pit latrines were also submerged in water causing further problems in the education sector. Teachers in some areas of the country are said to have turn away students until the water levels reduces during the first week especially in day school.

Students of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School reported back at a very slow pace because of difficulties in transportation and fear of swollen rivers. Some parents and their children had to walk for some distances some taking two days to reach a town where they could get means of transport to Narok (School). Some of our students took as long as three weeks to report to school because of the rains. Torrential erode farm land and destroy cops that can not take a lot of water.

This trimester we were able to enroll a few 15 new students who had applied to transfer to Father Ntaiyia School. As the result of this we got a large number in our 5^th. Grade which has made us to split he class into two and are now looking for a for a new teacher. I am also informed that nine students transferred to other school from ours. As I had explained in the past, parents are free to take their children to other schools just as they are free to bring them to Father Ntaiyia School. There are various reasons that make this to happen, such as not being able to pay for school fees, relocating to other areas away from the school. Currently the we have 272 children in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School.

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES: Teachers and students resumed learning activities as students were reporting back. First tests have been made that are intended to bring students back to class after a break as well as connecting previous trimester work with the new. Apart from class work this trimester has Ball game and music for extra curriculum in which they are expected to compete with other school before the end of the trimester. Practice of Ball games has been hindered by the continual rains as this can only be practice outside in the fields. The school matron has informed me that due to prolonged rains many children are having common cold and malaria. She to take some children to the hospital practically every other day. generally, the school is back to normal learning after the break.

BAPTISM IN OUR SCHOOL: Religion is taught in schools in Kenya and is part of curriculum for public examinations. Some parents also allow their children to be catechized for faith and in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School we can provide this service given by the Priests of the Parish in which the school is and their catechist. Each year we have had students Baptized and even confirmed when the Bishop visits the Parish. May 27, there were 13 baptized and 5 made their first Holy Communion. Their parents who had given consent were invited to the celebration. Friends of Father Ntaiyia School by now understand we cannot turn away any child because of religion, and that we do not allow Catholicism to dominate the school such that others feel unconfutable. I am thankful to the Priests of the parish, their catechist and our school Sisters and teachers for helping the children embrace and practice their faith. In Kenya it is mostly in schools where children find faith.  Father Ntaiyia has often explained how he found his faith while in a public school with catholic teachers in 1963 about four miles from where Father Ntaiyia School is situated now.

EDUCATION IN KENYA

In 2003, the government of Kenya instituted a free primary education for all program, and then did the same for secondary (Hight School) education in 2008. As a result, nearly three million more students were enrolled in primary school in 2012 than in 2003 and the number of schools has grown by 7,000. Between 2003 and 2012. More recently, the impact of the free education for all program is reported to be seen at the university level, where enrollment numbers have skyrocketed, more than doubling between 2012 and 2014 as the initial regiment of free primary school children have begun enrolling in university studies.

Nonetheless, much progress in educational quality and access remains to be made in Kenya. It is reported that in 2010, one million children were still out of school, and while this was almost half the number in about ten years, it is claimed to be the ninth highest of any country in the world. Issues related to educational quality persist, especially at the primary (elementary) level, with illiteracy rates increasing among students with six years of primary schooling. Over a quarter of young people are said to have less than a lower secondary (High School) education and one in ten did not complete primary school.  I occasionally share such reports to give a picture of thanksgiving to our Friends who have supported Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School over the last ten years to realize such a learning institution that will continue to give hope to many families in many years to come.

DEVELOPMENT:  Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School Charity BOD postponed our April meeting for reasons that could not be avoided but hope to meet in the second week of June. It is through these Directors that we look in things that have been done and that need to be done with donations that come to us through the Charity. Most important is to finalize reports and expenses that were approved for last year and to look at what we need to do, or the school need this year that can be supported by charity fund. In the spirit of “no gift is too small” donations from our friends enable us to meet school expenses such as repairs, text books and other teaching materials. The year 2017 was an expensive year because of drought in Kenya staple foods and other school supplies became very expensive, but we were able to keep the year going without increasing school fees.

Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

HABARI NEWS: MARCH / APRIL 2018

The month of March is the last of the three months of the first trimester of school year in Kenya. When school begins the last month of their trimester, both teachers and students look into two major events to take place in the next four weeks. The completion of trimester’s work and extra-curriculum activities and end of trimester internal examination and the second event that keeps students excited each day are end of trimester break. Teachers and students are reported to have taken their work with more effort after review of their half term exams with the parents on visiting day. There is always a reason to find out why a student has stepped down in points or generally when they have done well. It has been noticed that more parents are taking an interest in discussing the progress of their children with the teachers during their visits.

    While academic learning is taken care of in the classroom there is out of classroom life that is taken care of by other staff members. Things seem to have improved in internal life of the school, kitchen and food, general cleanliness, games and generally community life. Such environment that makes students happy also helps them to pay attention to learning. I am thankful to the teachers and to all who work in the school. Some parents have noticed these positive changes during their visit and report that students are well taken care of.

The first two months of the year as I reported in the last blog were very dry, but the first three weeks of March had a lot of rain all over the country. Hopefully this will help with the farming so that staple (maize or corn and beans) food may be available and cheaper. It takes a while for people to recover from drought as early crops may take 3 months and animals may take about a year to recover fully. I mention crops and animals because for parents who are not employed for a salary these are their source of income that meets school fees for their children.

END OF FIRST TRIMESTER:   It is about a month now since the schools in Kenya went for Easter break. The teachers reported that the students in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School had improved in learning and other school activities during the first trimester that started in January. A good number of new students had been used to the school and those who needed extra tutoring to catch up with their classmates after transferring from other schools were reported to have done well. As I have mentioned in the past, the student who transfers to come to our school will have completed two or more years in other schools. Depending on the schools they come from some of them are very much behind the syllabus or are not on the same level in subjects (courses) as their classmates who have been in our school for a year or more. Once our teachers detect that a student needs more help to catch up with those in the grade they are joining in our school, then the student is coached.

EASTER CELEBRATIONS:   This year Easter found the students in school about a week before they left for April break.  I talked with all the students and staff when assembled in the students’ dining room, wishing them well for Easter weekend. I also reminded them that they should take their report forms and any letter given by the school to their parents. From the report of teachers and the pictures, the school community had a joyful Easter celebration and a meal together. This is always done when this Feast finds them in School.

LIFE AND EDUCATION IN KENYA :  In March 10, 2018, a Kenyan local paper reported that poor families, some even in Kenyan Capital City, opt for private schools for their children. A new study reveals that more low cost private schools have emerged and charge fees affordable to the poor and that more than half of pupils in the Capital County attend these schools despite the introduction of free primary education 15 years ago. A study reveals that “Most parents in slum areas make great sacrifices to avoid public schools and place their children in private schools at financial cost, because they believe most private schools offer better quality education than public schools.”

March 23rd, 2018, ‘Standard’ a local paper in Kenya reported that “Half of Kenyan children are born into hopeless poverty and, sadly, have few prospects of ever breaking the cycle of destitution.”  Simply put, they will most likely grow into poor adults who will bring forth another poverty-stricken generation. These are the shocking findings of the first ever study on child poverty.  Report by a boss of UNICEF, the United Nations agency that looks out for children states, “Helping those children avoid poverty and overcome its damaging effects will make a huge difference to their lives, their families and ultimately the country.”  Fears about bondage to poverty are informed by realities that such children would ordinarily miss out on education for lack of school fees. Schooling is believed and is the single most important breaker of the poverty cycle.  For me (Father Ntaiyia) this is a reality given the outcome of the High School I started in 1987 when I met many successful alumni who are now bringing their children to Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School, and as we now look forward to the alumni of the Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School who will soon be out of colleges and universities.

OSAS: OLCHEKUT SUPAT APOSTOLIC SCHOOL: The above title in Maasai means: Good Shepherd Apostolic school. This is the name of the Diocese of Ngong Boys’ High school I started in 1987 when I was seven years ordained. I was in this school for about ten years. Many boys who went to this school when I was heading it have been successful in life and many are family people now who are bringing their children to Friends of Father Ntaiyia School. The Maasai people say, “A hyena will never forget where it picked a bone.” About 10 of my former students in this school are priests. I am very pleased to hear that one of these priests, Father Anthony Koikai whose mother was my classmate in elementary school in the 1960s, has become the first alumni Principal of this school. He took over the school on April 15, 2018.

RAINS AND FLOODS IN KENYA AS SCHOOLS REOPEN: Schools are reopening this week for the second term (Trimester), but as reported by daily papers, parents and students are facing difficulties following heavy rains and floods in some parts of the country that have affected learning centers. The raging floods are reported to have swept away homes and farms and some learners do not have access to their uniforms and stationery. In some areas public learning institutions are hosting displaced families meaning some learners have no place to call home. It is a sad situation. I have been in touch with Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School and as the report goes everything is alright there for students to come back and start their third trimester. Necessary repairs have been made during the break. As I finalize this letter today  the schools’ reopening day, I have been informed that very few students reported back and that parents have been calling the school informing on difficulties of travelling because of the rains and floods in some areas where our students come from. Hopefully the children and parents who bring them back to school will have safe travel.

Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

HABARI NEWS: FEBRUARY 2018

The month of February has been reported to have gone on well in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School. It was reported that students were well focused in learning and other school activities. In the first place they may have realized that the changes with the New Year are there, they are new grades where text books and teachers have changed and class work as well has moved to a higher level. The teachers on their part made sure they are familiar with the workload for the semester and that they have the course books and learning materials required for them to teach. Father Ntaiyia School is in an area that has well equipped book shops that have all that is needed in schools and we have never had any problems purchasing what we need. I know from my (Fr. Ntaiyia) teaching in the past that Lesson preparation and working on schemes of work calls teachers’ attention to what they need.

One of the official activities during this time of the school year is computer registration of the end of the year public examination candidates and it is reported that all our students for this exam this year were successfully registered thanks to our competent teachers who can use computers.

DROUGHT IN KENYA

As I write this report, rains have been reported in some parts of Kenya. The President of Kenya has declared the current drought a national disaster last February. Last week, Kenya Red Cross started a campaign to raise money to feed 3.4 million Kenyans faced with hunger across the country. “We need to move first to tame the current situation as some of the counties have already crossed to the alarming stage,” he said. Kenya depends mainly on rain-fed agriculture. When poor seasonal rainfall is recorded throughout the year, the country struggles to feed its people.

More than three million Kenyans are facing hunger across the country and the Kenya Red Cross organization has already appealed for money in aid of the affected families.  Children remain the most affected by the drought as they are forced to leave school in search of food and water. One million children are expected to drop out of school this year should the situation remain the same.

The lack of potable water also raises the occurrence of water-borne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea. Donor agencies such as the United Nations are calling on the international community to help alleviate the drought effects. Urgent support in terms of food supplies and water are required for hundreds of villagers across the county. Our Head Teacher wrote, “There are reports that the rivers are almost drying up completely and this is really a serious problem that only nature can solve. In fact, if the situation continues, many people and institutions like ours will find it hard to get water for use. Even the suppliers of clean water in town have also shared the same concern.”

POLITICALLY it appears the country has not gone back to normal after the last elections. The government and the opposition seem to be at a rift on some minor issues and even though it may not affect learning in schools directly, communities are and so the students in a way are. We have a proverb:  When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. Meaning: elephants are so tough, that when they fight they can hardly hurt each other, as the grass that is being trampled by them is harmed greatly. Same as when two large entities battle, it is the smaller entities that suffer. In other words, when some leaders fight they might not be hurting each other but others around them are hurting just seeing them fighting.

NEW CURRICULUM

I trust our readers and especially Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School are already familiar with the on-going information on the change of education curriculum in Kenya.

Implementation of the new curriculum in Kenya continued to be discussed and the results of piloting does not seem to be very clear. For the first time we have been asked to buy text books for third graders in line with the new curriculum. We have ordered the books and the teachers are going to start using them. The current system has been criticized for being heavily loaded in terms of content and exam oriented.

The new system presents a standard shift on how the learning process should take place. It places more emphasis on learners’ mental ability to process issues and proposes a practical framework that nurtures competencies of learners based on their passions and talents. A lot of emphasis is put on what they are calling Continuous Assessment Tests over one-off examinations that has been proven to be an inadequate tool to assess a learner. Therefore, at the point of transition to secondary (High) school there shall be no national examination to sift the candidates. The challenges are, the path to its implementation does not seem to be well paved. First, it is believed that the most challenging aspect would be the cost factor. The new curriculum is meant to ensure all the children transition to secondary education. This means as it stands in Kenya now, more than a million more vacancies in secondary schools, thus increasing the demand for the secondary education five- fold in the country. This will require more teachers, more classrooms, and other facilities. That this will be possible, is another question without an immediate answer but fear that completion of elementary school level could be the end of education for most children. I must say it is a concern that has persisted in my mind (Father Ntaiyia) as I continue dreaming of a High School especially for girls. When the current curriculum was introduced the expectation was to prepare children for the job market. The question now is whether the new system – with all the good plans- leads to a repeat of the challenges brought about by the current system.

VISITING DAY:

The highlight for the month of February was the parents visiting day that was on Saturday 24th, a day parents come to visit their children in school. A week before the visiting day the students take their midterm examinations that are graded, and the results are among the reasons for parents to meet with the class teacher and share on the progress of their child. Some parents may want to meet with the Head Teacher and some if need be meet with the School Matron who mainly deals with the health welfare of the students.

From the Head Teacher briefing “The last visiting day, 24^th February, was quite successful. We had ample time to interact with the parents. As expected this day brought with it a lot of excitement especially to those who joined boarding for the very first time. Most parents appreciated the good learning environment at Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School and such comments always take my mind to all friends of Father Ntaiyia School over the years who have made it possible. Some parents requested we may also consider giving the students a mid-term break.”  Such a break allows the children to go home for a few days. I (Fr. Ntaiyia) would like to have further discussion with parents on this because the first two trimesters are longer now than two years ago. However, we need to consider transport cost and that such a break will not interfere with guidelines of syllabus outline and finally the schools now have two months’ break at the end of the year in Kenya.

After meeting and sharing with teachers on their children the parents, guardians or those visiting on their behalf have time to share with their children. They bring food to share and some of them come with siblings who are always eager to see their sister or brother. They also bring some supplies such as soaps, shoe polish, for the rest of the trimester.  For some parents it is the first visit if they have not had their child in a boarding school before and would be looking forward to seeing and hearing how their child has settled in and progressing. Most of the children like it and have stories to tell on their new school, friends and activities. Although all parents may attempt to make it on this day, we allow parents to briefly visit when they are in town so long as they do not interrupt their child’s school activities.

I commend our teaching staff and other workers in the school for the efforts they make to take care of the students. I spoke with five parents by phone on the visiting day and generally hearing from them that they are happy with the school.

Fr. Symon Ntaiyia

HABARI NEWS: JANUARY 2018

The school re-opened in the first week of January for the first trimester of the school year as per the timetable given by the Ministry of Education in Kenya for all schools. The school activities are expected to run for 14 weeks that will end in the first week of April this year marking the end of the first semester of an academic year. 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.

The Headteacher has reported that the pupils are going on with the studies as required and registration of our candidates this year for the public examination has started with the Ministry of Education. This exercise goes on in all the schools’ final classes in the country.

He has also reported that government has also launched a digital platform for registration of all learners and staff in all schools. National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) Every learner will be given a unique personal identification number which will be used in all levels (grades) of student’s learning. Each School will be given a code and password for logging in the system.

The Ministry of Education has also released a list of approved books for the new curriculum and this will start with 3^rd graders this year. Father Ntaiyia has discussed it with the Headteacher and instructed that the new books be ordered from Bookshop and teachers are to start using them with students as directed by the Ministry of Education in Kenya.

2017 EXAM AND RESULTS:

Public examinations were done, and the results were out while the ongoing students had gone home for a long holiday. They resumed learning with excitement of the performance of yester year candidates whom they left in school waiting for the exams and who will not return to our school for they (candidates) have left for High Schools. For the first week parents brought the students back as the former students who took final examinations were coming to school to see to the documents regarding their examination results and invitation letters to High School that sometimes are communicated through the school. There have been a few days of congratulations and well wishes by all.

NEW SCHOOL YEAR:

The beginning of every school year comes with a few changes in each school. With graduating class gone there is expectation of new students to join our lowest grade and sometimes other grades. Some parents for various reasons may decide to transfer their children from Father Ntaiyia School to other schools.

The school has received and enrolled new students in grades 3 through 6 and by end of January we have 252 pupils in school. We do not enroll new students in grades 7 and 8. The teachers have reported that the new students have settled well even though it is never easy for the small ones who are away from home for the first time in a boarding school environment.

New students regardless of the grade they come in, experience change, new teachers, school mates and classmates. The environment as well can be challenging to them as well as weather for those who come from high altitude areas. Class teachers must find out how prepared the new students in their class are to be in that grade and make sure they are up to date in syllabus and are able to move along in the grade courses. They have what they call tune up examination that they give as soon as the students are back form the Holidays, and this helps them to find out how the new students stand as well as having the ongoing students back to class.

FATHER NTAIYIA SCHOOL PERSONNEL:

Each year we have made sure we have the personnel we need in the school and this makes things easier for the life of the students in our school. We have three people in the building and maintenance / driver. Four in the domestic meaning kitchen and food services. The Matron, Librarian, two in the accounts and banking and twelve teachers. All our teachers are trained in the required standard by the Ministry of Education in Kenya for the job they are employed to do.

OUR FORMER GRADUATES:

We try to be in touch with some of our past graduates. We have news that practically all the students who completed with us last year got to High School. We have students from Father Ntaiyia School who are in Universities now after completing their High School studies and a few who went to two-year colleges after High School are working already. Our past students feel very free to come back to our school when they are in town, some even stay over night and I always feel happy to hear they feel very much at home there. Recently, Sister Pauline who headed Father Ntaiyia School visited a High School about 100 miles from Narok only to find three of her past students in our school there learning. It was a very pleasant surprising meeting.

SCHOOL ENROLMENT AS AT 20^TH JAN 2018   

Total  Boys 136  Girls 128 Total 264

               BOD MEETING:  We held our Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School (Charity) organizational BOD meeting on January 19 and deliberated on agendas that the members felt were essential such as an update on my trip to the School in October / November, welfare of the students and staff, the repair and maintenance that I supervised during my visit in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School last in 2017. We also did a review of donations that come mainly with Christmas greetings as well as a financial report and projecting for the New Year. Through Friends of Father Ntaiyia Charity we pay school fees for some students with money that is given by people who mention that their donation should help with tuition for children.

During this trip I transferred the Title Deed of the five acres lot on which Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School is built from my name on which it has been since I bought it in 2004 to the name of the School. The new Title Deed was issued before I left Kenya for the US.

KENYA

Although the elections ended in what appeared peaceful there is still fear that politically things are not going well. However, people are going about their daily lives as they should. Learning resumed well in January and the trimester is going well. The weather is reported to be dry in some part of the country, but this is not unusual for this time of the year although some farmers have lost some of the crops due to dry weather.

EDUCATION CONCERN IN NAROK COUNTY KENYA

Sunday January 28, 2018 daily papers carried a report that, Narok County Governor has ordered the formation of an education taskforce to establish why schools in the county perform poorly in national examinations. The governor is said to have expressed his displeasure with the public examination results posted in 2017 for both elementary and High Schools across the county. Most of the schools are public schools. The decision to form the taskforce was reached during a one-day education stakeholders’ meeting with leading practitioners in the education sector who agreed to improve performance (of learning) in the county.

The Governor is reported to have said: “The future of our children depends on education, so we cannot take chances with academic excellence.” He added that the results point to a major problem in the sector because even those schools that used to be academic giants have sharply declined in performance. Narok Senator who was also in the meeting called on all stakeholders in the education sector to help transform students and pupils in the County. “We are worried by the high percentage of failures in our villages.”

To friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School: I sometimes share such report and there are many of them in Kenya, to point out the reason for such a school as Father Ntaiyia where for the last five years our efforts and especially dedication of the teachers and staff have practically made it possible for all our students to make it in public examinations. Parents see the need to bring their children in a private school where they must pay school fees rather than to free public schools where learning and teaching is not taken seriously. The children in Father Ntaiyia School transfer from some of those public schools. Thank you all for your continued support that allows Father Ntaiyia School to keep school fees affordable for families who bring children there.

Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

HABARI NEWS: NOVEMBER 2017

My visit to Kenya this year was between October 15^th, returning November 27^th. I am still claiming the days of my holidays for when I was called back from Rome in 2014. Hopefully I will still have ten more days in 2018. Kenya has been a tense country because of nullified presidential elections in August and campaigns for the repeat election with a lot of uncertainty created by the opposition. Because of this, business as usual in Kenya had been affected from August and had not returned to normal. Learning in schools was also affected as trimesters had to be shortened meaning students went home early to allow for the elections to take place and in fear that some clashes could occur and find students in schools. Like every year I had very warm welcome by students and staff in the school.

MEETING THE STUDENTS

As in the past they already knew I was coming and the little ones or new students whom I have not seen were eager to see me as I was as well looking forward to meeting them. After a cheering welcome by children I took some time with them in the dining area and after about 40 minutes I went greeting the staff and other members of the school community. The next two days I felt I needed to rest from the long flights and long layover, but this was not to be, for I felt I should go to school each day and be with the children. This time students were busy taking their end of year examinations because they had to leave on Oct. 24, two days before the repeat presidential election. The teachers graded the exams and were ready in time. The morning of Oct. 24, parents started coming to take the children early in the morning. The last student was taken at about 2 PM. I had the opportunity of saying hello to most of the parents as they picked up their children on this day.

Those preparing for the public examinations this year had to be in school for two weeks after the others left before they also leave Father Ntaiyia School for good after their public examination. We had Mass for our graduating class (often I use our final class) with the rest of the school before they left; it was emotional for all of us because after Mass the students gave short speeches and songs for their departure after being in this school for six years.  This is the occasion when I wish to remember all the friends who have walked with us in the journey of establishing this school and I will never cease to say thank you on behalf of my people. There is indescribable joy in visiting Father Ntaiyia School again this year.

PUBLIC EXAMINATION:

After the continuing students left for their long break it was clear that the candidates were in examination disposition. Teachers kept them busy in what needed to be done and samples of past examinations. I also had time with them twice each week, I generally encouraged them to face the future after their studies in my school. Most of the time they had questions about America. My instruction to them on their examination was to read and understand the questions, to write with clear and neat readable hand writing. When the examination days arrived they were conducted well by officers appointed by the Ministry of Education and a security officer who came to school before 8 AM after picking the examinations papers from the custody where heads of all schools had to go as early as 4 AM. The last paper was done at about 12 Noon on the last day of Exams. We shared a farewell lunch party with the students. They then had time to return all school books and other items that were in their hands and those who could, left that afternoon while the others waited for their parents the following day.

EXAMINATION RESULTS:

This year the examination results were out in three weeks, the fastest ever in Kenya and this is because most of the papers were for the first time being marked by electronic machines. When it was announced they were out, we all got eager to know how our students may have done. Although there is possibility for each candidate getting their results online, it was almost impossible to get on, maybe because every family with a candidate was trying to get online. The following day we were able to get online and to download our students’ results. This year we had 62 candidates but three of our students did not make the passing grade. The rest made it and we can feel a good job was done. The three who did not make it can still go to private high schools if parents want them to. This was our largest class in our five years of examination. We always had less than 32 candidates. My expectation thought was a little higher than our score that did not go above 80% for any of our students.

MAINTENANCE WORK IN THE SCHOOL:

Most of the school buildings are ten years old now and there are indications that there will occasionally be repairs. Before I left the US, I had asked our school and a mason who works for me in Kenya and school’s maintenance team to inspect the buildings and see what needed repair. Swahili people have a saying, “ Usipo ziba ufa utajenga Ukuta,” that is  if you do not fill up a crack, you will have to build a wall.  In other words it means, “A stich in time saves nine.”  Occasionally there will be repairs and maintenance of School buildings and furniture.

I had discussed with Friends of Father Ntaiyia Charity – BOD that there may be repair work when I visit the school and that I was going to let them know what repairs need to be done in the school while I was visiting Kenya.

I started working without delay on my arrival to save time. I called two masons who worked for me before and they were available. We also got people for casual labor plus our maintenance people.

1. Our new offices started being used for the first time last January and they are using the furniture that was in the improvised class room office. Gradually we shall need in the future more equipment for offices. The first thing I had to start working on are the administration building convenience rest rooms that were bringing in bad odor in the corridors and my quick reaction was to move the restrooms though still inside the building. The way I worked it out after consulting with the architect is to move the restrooms under the base of the library emergency stairs that are behind the building. This will still have a door to them from inside the building. The original restrooms have been converted into a small kitchenette.
2. We chipped off the floor of the boys’ dormitory and one of the classrooms and the new floor was done and other minor repairs on building entrances and walls that needed repairs. There are also potholes in some buildings that we repaired.
3. The floor at the entrance of students’ kitchen and dining room needed replacing too and this was done, and the walls plastered (were not plastered before) and will be painted. This is where students pass daily three times to be served meals.
4. I saw the need to paint the walls of the corridors of the administration block and staff room with a lighter color (a light brown color) about a third height from the floor because of children holding on it as they walk in the building and repainting some inside office wall.
5. The Sister in charge of the students’ kitchen had informed me that there was a need to have a deep freezer. I purchased one of about 45 gallons and I left it working very well.
6. In the Sisters’ house they asked to move their chapel to another room in the same building and because of this we had to do some work of placing a sink in the room that was a chapel for the sister who will move in there.
7. Students’ stoves needed repair and replacing of chimneys; we called the company that installed them, and they have been done ready for next year.

2017 has been an expensive year in the school budget mainly because there was a prolonged drought and as a result prices of many staple commodities we use in school went up while at the same time the parents were not able to pay school fees in time or only could pay part of it. It was also an election year in Kenya and this added to the same because of uncertainty of stability. Learning was also disrupted because of the election and the children had to go home twice earlier than usual.

I wish to thank all friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee Primary School for your gifts especially at the end of the year (Christmas) that help us to go through such a tough year without increasing school fees.

School website:  http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org

Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

Fr. Symon Ntaiyia

HABARI: NEWS SEPTEMBER 2017

Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School like other Schools in Kenya re-opened for third trimester on August 28 after almost four weeks for break. Students and staff had traveled well to and from their homes for this break. During this school break, general elections were held in Kenya. We are glad that things went on well and are calm even though the presidential elections were nullified and are currently scheduled to be repeated next month. Reporting back to School for students was a little slow this time probably because it was about the end of the month which dictates availability of cash money for those who depend on salaries and even those who depend on selling their produce to have cash for use and fees for students. In a few days, however, most of the students were back and learning and other school activities were resumed without delay. Generally, for both staff and students life was as usual at their home areas during the break. Although drought had been reported in most parts of Kenya for the last few months there was no unusual report on this but for ordinary challenges that people face with life.

ACADEMIC REPORT:

Before going home for August break, the teachers had compiled a very encouraging report on how the students had been doing in learning per outcome of interschools end of second trimester divisional examinations. All grades (classes) had an area of progress and success. Such same examinations with other schools show that our teachers are following required syllabus and mode of teaching expected of all schools and using the right books and materials and keeping the students in the appropriate pace of learning. This is very good for our students and teachers.           I had called to congratulate the teachers through Deputy Head teacher for their efforts and especially for encouraging the students. We know students vary in ability to learn but each one of them needs to have hope that they will move on well in the next grade and year. Our teachers and students are grateful that we have equipped the school with what is required for teaching and learning. We have text books needed for use by all students and teachers at all levels. We also provide any supplementary books and materials for teachers.

HIGHLIGHT DURING THIS TRIMESTER

Parents visiting day has always been a highpoint in every trimester in our school, a day in the middle of the term when parents come to visit their children and the school in general. From last year however, the Ministry of Education in Kenya prohibited the practice of visiting day during the third trimester of school year. This is because it is short, about nine weeks or one month shorter than first and second trimesters and has preparation for final public examinations for graduating classes all over the country. Those not graduating are also having their final trimester in the grades they are in and are preparing to join upper grade in the coming year.  In Fr. Ntaiyia School we have encouraged having a one-day educational trip for our final class during this trimester before their final examinations and last days in our School. This happened successfully last year and we also had it this month.  This year the teachers planned again for a route where children can learn as they travel and visit places that may enlighten them, some of them see things they have learned about. This year was a one-day trip by bus to a City called Kisumu at the shores of Lake Victoria which is the source of river Nile that flows for about 4,250 miles north to Egypt into the Mediterranean Sea. Such a trip is amazing for students from Maasai land, especially those who have not travelled much. They see how other communities live in small farms and keep their few cows and sheep in a small area; they see plantations of various food crops; they see tea, coffee and sugar cane plantations. Headed by Deputy Head teacher, final class teacher, two more teachers and the matron of the school, the students visited and saw an Irrigation Scheme at a place called Ahero. An international airport where they saw planes land and take off, a weather station, a Museum and the landmark of East Africa, the Lake Victoria. The students returned to a waiting and welcoming community of staff and fellow students and you can be sure those who made the trip will have endless stories to tell. I thank all those who were involved in planning for such a successful trip. The parents are also happy that the staff took good care of the students during the trip and especially in making sure that the transportation was reliable and the trip was very educational.

SHORT TRIMESTER:

The government has adjusted the academic calendar for the third term to make room for the repeat presidential poll scheduled for October 26. The third trimester, which also happens to be the shortest term in the school calendar, was supposed to run for nine weeks. Schools opened on August 28 and the initial plans were to have all schools close on October 29 ahead of start of public examinations in School.  The Kenya Certificate of Primary Examination (KCPE) dates have not, however, been affected and will run as scheduled from October 30 to November 3. This is the public examination that all the students take before they proceed to High School.   Although it is still debated we are hoping that the repeat presidential election will not interfere with preparations for these examinations, and that it will be peaceful so that the students will not be taking examinations during a chaotic time in the country. Elections in Kenya have ended in a messy way in the past and we still have sad memories of loss of life and instability that persists.

THE NEW CURRICULUM IN KENYA

The pilot for the new education system was launched in April this year and the plan is to have it up and running in January. According to the Ministry of Education information in the daily papers on April 20, participating private and public schools were selected scientifically with rural and urban representation. It was mentioned that a report on the exercise will be presented to the Cabinet for adoption before being submitted to Parliament for approval by the end of this year. This may be the reason why not much has been said about the exercise because the country has been busty with elections that are not over yet as repeat elections for president are on the way. Hopefully we shall know what we need to do in preparation and implementation.

As reported in my last blog letter of July, in the meeting of BOD for Friends of Father Ntaiyia School Charity we felt the need to reserve some funds that may be at hand for implementation of the new curriculum. We would like to be ready to equip the school with whatever will be essential for the changes that the new curriculum will bring to the teachers and students.

To all our friends and well-wishers, thank you for your support.

http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org
Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

HABARI NEWS: JULY 2017

SCHOOL VISITORS: The month of July started with unexpected excitement in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School as Mr. Adam E. Jablonski and his family from USA visited the School. Adam had invited Father Ntaiyia for lunch about two weeks before leaving for Kenya. He and his friends have a mission in Kenya and are working among my people the Maasai community and a tribe called Luo community promoting education and health services. I got to know Adam through one of my parishioners and we have met about three time here in Ontario / Webster NY. The school community was happy to see him and his family and to know that we know each other. The school appreciated and thank them for the gifts they brought for students. Adam and family, you are always welcome to Father Ntaiyia School.

END OF SECOND TRIMESTER

2017 July is the last month of the second trimester in the Kenya school calendar. Teachers and students work towards their end of trimester exams that attest their three months academic work to be carried in report form to parents among other reports in the report form. Teachers have reported that the trimester went on well in a much better way because the new students and teachers are used to the environment of Father Ntaiyia School. The students left for their August break on July 28.

The opening and closing term dates of school trimesters in Kenya are directed by the Ministry or Department of Education as they apply to the Basic institutions pursuing National Curriculum in preparation for National Exams. The first and second terms (trimester) for pre-primary and primary schools runs for 14 weeks each, while third term lasts 9 weeks to allow for the national examinations both for Elementary and High Schools all over the Country.

Closing the schools at the end of July, however, was very much anticipated because the 2017 general elections will be held during schools’ holidays as many polling centers are in public schools. It is our hope and prayer that the elections will be safe and that our school community will have restful and peaceful breaks at home.

THE NEW CURRICULUM IN KENYA

There are questions that arise as I read more on the literature being released by the Ministry of Education on the new curriculum in Kenya.

First, currently going by the old system we have 8 classrooms that are supposed to cater for grades1 through 8. In the new system, we are well placed for primary (elementary) education but since we cannot bring below third grader children to a boarding school, we have been planning to start recruiting from 4th graders and making double classes (in each grade) to make use of our facilities.

Second, what will be required of teachers’ skills for the new system –  will they need more training, what about textbooks and other learning facilities that would be required by students such as the proposed electronics?

Third, in the old system transition of students from primary school to high school went by merits of passing the public examination. Children could move from any Elementary School to a High School of their choice or to private High Schools. In the new system, all children will be expected to continue with education past primary. It is not clear how children will be assimilated into high schools especially given that there are more primary schools than high schools.

Fourth, parents chose to take their children to private school and pay school fees despite free education in public schools. This is because they believed there will be better learning in private schools and a chance that their child would pass the public examination and go to High School. In the new system, there will be no factor of public examinations. Might this make many parents feel no need to take their child to a school where they must pay school fees?  On the other hand, it is inevitable that many schools and especially public schools not be quickly equipped with necessities for the new curriculum and parents who will notice this, will see the need to have their children join a private school that will be equipped? We must also admit that there are many challenges facing implementation of computer education in Kenya and it is not easy to visualize how they will be uniformly addressed.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

During the deliberations of BOD meeting of July 17, 2017, after Father Symon explained the initial steps regarding the new Kenyan Education Curriculum to members, we felt the need to reserve some funds that may be at hand for implementation of the new curriculum. We would like to be ready to equip the school with whatever will be essential for the changes that the new curriculum will bring to the teachers and students.

AUGUST BREAK

It was reported that students and staff went home for August break on July 28. As it can be imagined, children hardly sleep the night before the leave for home, they wait for the morning with a lot of excitement for parents to come for them. Some days away from the school bell and schedule. They will be with their families and neighbors and have a lot of stories to tell about their life in the school and their friends in the school.

They will be home for a month and hopefully general election will be peaceful and will not have clashes that may prevent schools resuming for the third trimester that is critical for public examination.

We celebrate the life of children in Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School with all our friends and well-wishers.

http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org
Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

HABARI NEWS: JUNE 2017

The Head teacher and teachers have given a very encouraging report on school in the month of June. Things have been going on reasonably well as both students and staff continue with their duties in focusing on the education of the students; teachers, teaching and involving students in other activities besides class work and students taking their role seriously. This helps the teachers to position the students in their right place and to know those who may need more help in various activities. There are clear indications that new students are used to the school environment and there are less cases of common ailments that usually affect new students because of the climate. The non-teaching staff also play their roles as expected of them for success of each child.

VISITING DAY:

This day is usually announced when students go for holidays so that the parents may know when they can come for a visit because it only happens once in a trimester. This time the visiting day was on Saturday June 24. Saturday allows parents who are working and who can only come on such a day to come. The weather was very good for transportation as most of the parents use public means and some may come from as far as over 80 miles (120km).

Apart from visiting the children the parents meet with the teachers who are ready to discuss with them their children’s progress both in academics referring to internal exams and school life in general. Some parents may want or wanted to meet with the Head teacher for some reason and these also get the opportunity on this day.

Unlike the visiting day of the first trimester when some parents of children who were enrolled in January come to school for the first time, visiting in the second semester is more relaxed, everyone know what to expect. The use of cell phones allows parents to be informed on what their child needs for provisions for the rest of the trimester.

The Head teacher informed me that parents’ visiting day was very successful and that teachers and students were happy to welcome many parents. Practically all the students were visited.

NEW CURRICULUM IN KENYA

A few times in the past I have mentioned in my blog letters that Kenyan government has been working on changing what is known as 8-4-4 (eight years of elementary school, four of high school and four of university) system of education which has been in operation for the last 31 years and its replacement with a 2:6:6:3 system. With the new system, the Government proposes that learners should spend two years in nursery, six years in primary, another six years at secondary (high school), and at least three years at the university.

The proposal for this change is that pre-primary and lower primary education should form the first tier of education called ‘early years education’ and the focus will be on fundamental skills.

Primary education will be divided into the lower and upper levels while secondary learning will be split into the junior and senior grades.

TESTING THE NEW EDUCATION CURRICULUM:  Before the month of May 2017 four hundred and seventy (470) primary schools had been selected across the country for pilot project testing the new education curriculum to start on May 29, 2017.  A total of 10 schools – five pre-primaries and another five primary schools – have been selected in every county. In each county, the schools were selected based on five criteria – rural public, rural private, urban private, urban public and special needs schools. It is said that the findings of the pilot would inform the next stage of the process.

No doubt such a strategy or any change is expected to give schooling a new concern in Kenya. Although the Government has stated through the education cabinet secretary that the new curriculum will not be too expensive to implement, some professionals say that could only be true at the lower grades of the new education system. Currently schools have limited facilities to offer most of the suggested courses in senior school, some of the new courses that in the past had never been offered in the current secondary schooling segment.

I would like to let all Friends and well-wishers of Father Ntaiyia School know that we are following the situation as much as we can. Father Ntaiyia School is not alone on these changes because there are other schools that are private and are also marking time on these changes. I will inform and discuss with Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School Charity BOD so that we may all be aware that funds will be needed to implement these changes for they cannot be without financial implication that any change may bring to our School. I have also developed a few questions that help our teachers to find out what is going on and the consequence involved.

DROUGHT IN KENYA: While drought is not over in some part of Kenya, recovery will still take longer and this keeps the prices of many things up. As much as the prices are high we are also experiencing unavailability of the staple foodstuff that we usually buy in bulk.  Our employees like any other persons are undergoing the same both at the place of work and back at their families.

ELECTION YEAR IN KENYA: Kenyans go to the polls next month in national elections. The vote comes a decade after the worst electoral clashes in Kenyan history when more than one thousand people were killed in politically motivated ethnic violence. Since then every national election brings fear that it could happen again. This time the European Union has warned against possible violence in the forthcoming elections, while an advocacy group said it had documented cases of intimidation and threats.

Schools will be on August break that begins a few days before the polls day. It is our hope and prayer that it will all be peaceful so that families may have their children back to school in time.

My people will always be grateful for the support of many Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School.

http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org
Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

HABARI NEWS: MAY 2017

The Head teacher and all teaching staff have evaluated the school activities for the month of May and the Deputy Head teacher has compiled a very encouraging report.
They have reported that the (trimester) term started well early in May. Students reported fine except for the usual delay of some students for different reasons ranging from transportation and sometimes weather. The teachers and other school staff are always at the school on the opening day to welcome the students back and to meet with any parent/guardian who may need to talk with them. Like in any other school all experience little encounters that are common in all learning institutions.

Teachers have reported generally on each class (grade) on academic development, wellbeing of students, and involvement in extra-curricular and things that need attention during this trimester such as items for activities like music.
Teachers have further reported that Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School has the required teaching materials for them to use in every grade (class) as required by the Ministry of Education. This goes along with the report that they are able to cover their class work in time and follow the syllabus as it is required. Students’ common exams with other neighboring schools help the teachers on how they are up to date with the syllabus and development of the learners. Through the same exams they are able to find out some of those students who may be slow learners and who may need extra help to catch up with the others.

This year we have two large classes that may need consideration of splitting into two. I (Fr. Ntaiyia) am in discussion with the Head teacher and those involved to work this out for it involves need for class rooms and extra teachers.
This brings us to another development I had mentioned before. For the last two years we have enrolled a small number each year in class three (third graders). This year we have 10 only and it is clear to parents and to us as well that the children at this grade are very small to be in a boarding school and take care of themselves. We have realized more applicants for class 4 (fourth graders) in boarding. We may want to be recruiting initially for enrolment in class 4 (4th graders).

Teachers and other staff who have been working in our school for a while have mentioned that there is better security in the school compound with the construction of the stone perimeter wall and gate. Parents who visit the school are happy as well that this wall has been constructed.
Teaching staff have commended and been thankful for the availability of teaching and learning materials in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School. They know that in some schools teaching tools are not available despite the Government providing a lot of money for them.

Clean water for use in our School has been boosted by the new water tanks for harvesting rain water. Although Narok town is still working on public water supply that is being used in various parts of the town, it may take a while before this water gets connected to our school and the neighborhood. I recently talked over the phone with the local leader for this water and he sounded promising although he did not give a time limit for it.
On general life in the school there are usual health cases such as common cold, and others that need attention. We take our students to a local public hospital and if things have to go further than that then the parents are involved.

KENYA:
Drought and its effects are still a major concern in part of the country especially in our area. Food costs are still very high and not available in bulk which makes retail prices still more expensive. Rains have been reported in some places but may not benefit crop farmers’ areas that it has come late.
2017 is an election year for civil government leaders starting with the Head of State. The election will be in the Month of August. Sometimes in the past such elections ended in a lot of bloodshed and loss of life. School will be home for August break after the second trimester and it is our hope and prayer that there will be peace.
Our School community tells me to say thank you to all Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School.

http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org
Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

HABARI NEWS: MARCH AND APRIL 2017

After my last blog letter on Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School, the school first trimester had one month left before breaking for the first school holidays of the year or as we like to know them in Kenya, Easter Holidays. There were many activities taking place during the month of March besides academic.

One of the extra curriculum activity that takes place during this first trimester is ball game. The school trains their teams and then at a given date assigned by the Education office, local schools in a given area compete and form a strong team to the next level.  Father Ntaiyia School had over sixty-three participants in Soccer boys and girls, Volley ball boys and girls and Net ball girls. After the local competition we were able to have 32 pupils from Father Ntaiyia going to represent our school at the next level and these were 15 girls and 17 boys.

END OF FIRST TRIMESTER 2017

While the ball games were at their peak the students were also preparing for end of the trimester examinations. Prior to the end of trimester our final class had an interschool’s examination for the same grade and out of five schools I was told they ranked number two. This year we have a large class of 61 candidates and this is challenging for the teachers because marking or (grading) course assignment for all students takes a lot of time. It is my hope that all of them will make it in the final examination while at the same time we all have to admit that there are always slow learners.

End of trimester examinations went on well and were ranked before the students went home so that the academic report for each student is recorded in their report form along with other information to be taken by each pupil to parents.  Parents /guardians are expected to review the report form and if they are not able they may discuss it with the class teacher when they bring their child back to school after the holidays. Father Ntaiyia School makes every effort to involve the parents in the progress of their children, even those parents who cannot read and write are informed on what is going on.

Every first trimester of the school year brings new students to the school and our teachers understand that the new students come from different parts of the county or Maasai land; some may have been learning well and others may not. Teachers feel it is their duty to work hard and bring all the new students to the required standard of education for their age and grade and this is not usually easy.

SCHOOL LIFE:

Generally, school life has been going well during the first trimester and student population this year is more than we ever had before. We have enough conveniences we need for the 282 students thanks to friends of the school. The staff though has to be extra focused on supporting students through their journey in academic and other school activities.

Students reported back to school reasonably well starting May 2^nd after their Easter break and learning started well as expected except for students who were still on the way back to school. Sixty students have already been involved in music practice for extra curricula activities that takes place this second trimester of the year. This took them to local competitions that form a strong team with other schools for further competitions. I am not keen for students travelling  from the school because of the political campaign going on during this election year.

Teachers have reported that their review of the end trimester examination indicated that a good number of new children who joined various grades in our school this year who needed to be tutored to catch up with those who have been here already did well. As I have mentioned before in other letters, our new students at times come from remote schools where some of them may not have completed the expected syllabus for their grade and so find it challenging to move on at our school. Our teachers quickly find out the new students who need to be coached in order to catch up.

DROUGHT IN KENYA:

In my February letter I mentioned that the President of Kenya had declared the current drought in Kenya a national disaster. Most of our students’ home areas are affected by this drought which has killed some livestock and caused crop failure – creating food shortages. Without livestock and crops, farmers and pastoralists (Nomads) lose their livelihoods.  Most of the parents, however, have reported they are still managing with what they have left. In the School we continue to experience the effect of this drought not only by changes of weather but by the fact that prices of food have gone up more than 30% and is not very available. Some families have lost the source of their income but for those who may be employed, many of them have not paid for their first trimester school fees and some still owe for last year. National news report on deteriorating food situation, and that yearly inflation, or the general rise in prices of goods and services, rose to a five-year high in April this year. Cities and towns that depend on food from rural areas are experiencing high prices of staple food. I hope to discuss this situation with the School’s Charity BOD in our next meeting.

A latest report in local papers states that due to the prolonged drought and soaring food prices, the locals from pastoral community (Maasai) have been worst hit by food crisis and people living not far from our School are being given relief food. Many Kenyans are being forced to cut down on essentials.  Local papers however, have reported that 4 out of 10 citizens have in the last three months gone without food due to lack of money. A teacher is reported to have said. “At the moment, I can’t afford to buy bread, milk or sugar and we eat meat on rare occasions. If I spend on meat, my kids will drop out of school,” he says.

ELECTION YEAR IN KENYA

This year is election year in Kenya and with past experience it brings worries about the danger of a violent campaign. According to local polls, 70 percent of Kenyans say they are worried about a repeat of that violence of the past. “The fear of widespread violence erupting cannot be ignored,” said one of the Catholic Bishops. It is said that people are already witnessing that communities are beginning to be suspicious of one another, investors are wary of investing in Kenya, foreign tourists and other visitors are canceling their visits to the country due to security uncertainties, lenders employ a wait-and-see attitude, and the general economy of the country has stalled. Religious leaders are urging politicians to lower the political temperatures and are preaching peace.

Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

http://frntaiyiajubileeschool.org

February the second month of our first trimester finds already four weeks in school activities both in learning and curricular. Students have settled on the excitement of being in the New Year and new grade (class), new text books and some of them new teachers for some courses. There are also new students in various grades who are new to the other students, to teachers and other school workers and to the environment that has different rules for them that what they had been used to in the schools they came from to join Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School. This brings in many stories to be orally shared and joy to be expressed by those who have wanted to come to our school and have at last got a chance. However, teaching and learning calls for seriousness of being away from home.

TEACHING STAFF:

Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School experienced a big change as three more teachers had to leave the School since my last blog. As I have mentioned in the past most of the teachers we employed are trained hopeful of being employed by the government that gives better salary than private school can give as well as other allowances. For these reasons Father Ntaiyia is always clear that if a teacher or any other staff member gets a better paying job they are free to go. We had a setback though because our former deputy who had steered the school well for two trimesters in 2016 had to leave as well. Father Ntaiyia had expected him to be a great help to the new leadership in the school because of his experience.

Following the departure of these teachers we were able in consultation with Father Ntaiyia to recruit new teachers who came in time to continue with the teaching and learning of children without delay.

Besides students’ class work in the School that must be primary, the administration has to work on the 2017 (public examination) registration during this trimester. There are also extracurricular activities that include drama and ball games. According to the circular from the ministry of education, registration of examination candidates is to be done on- line. This process involved the candidates having to select their preferred secondary (High) verifying the details in their birth certificate and uploading the entries in the required website. The final report on registration has to be printed and signed by the candidates for the confirmation of the registration data. Candidates had to have their registration details confirmed by the end of February. We are glad to report that this exercise ended successfully under our new Head teacher and we are happy and thankful to Kenya government that has for the first time, decided to pay for all the examination fees required for every candidate in both public and private schools. The examination fees had for many years been paid by the parents, in both public and private schools.

VISITING DAY:

For readers who are familiar with your past report, this is once a trimester day when the school hosts parents to visit their children in school. The parents are allowed to bring food to share with their children as well as bring those supplies such as pens, copy books, soaps and other items that may be needed for a few weeks before this trimester ends. This is a busy day for students and staff as well. It is always picked to be on a Saturday in the second month of the trimester. If weather allows all students expect to be visited by at least a family member in case parents cannot make it. It is a day that is never less exciting for older students and young but it is always more thrilling for the new students and parents who are visiting for the first time, also parents who have never had their child away from home before. They enter the gate with their eyes looking all over and one cannot fail to notice the joy of them meeting their child. At times it gets emotional with mothers, those tears of love.

A week before visiting day the students take their midterm examinations which provides an opportunity for parents to meet with the class teacher and share on the progress of their child. Visiting day also gives our new staff members who are working among the Maasai people for the first time by coming to Father Ntaiyia School, a chance to meet them as they visit their children

KENYA: DROUGHT 2017

On 10 February the Government declared a national drought emergency, with 23 of 47 counties affected. The number of food insecure people more than doubled – from 1.3 million to 2.7 million. Some 357,285 children and pregnant and lactating mothers are acutely malnourished. Maize and beans (that form of staple food ) production in many areas is reported to have decreased by 99 per cent in some areas compared to the long term average. People have to travel three times longer than normal to access water. Pastoralist (nomadic) communities’ counties are losing their livestock. Data collected by UNICEF from 10 affected counties indicates that close to 175,000 children are not attending early pre-primary (elementary) and primary schools, primarily due to the drought’s impact. It is being reported that The World Food Program and the Government of Kenya continue to provide schools meals across the arid and semi-arid areas and in the poor informal settlements the Capital of Kenya and hard-to-reach areas, feeding about one and a half million. School meals protect vulnerable children from hunger and offer a regular source of nutrients essential for the mental and physical development of young children. A full stomach gives children an opportunity to focus on learning at school.

A daily school meal provides a strong incentive for families to send their children to school and keep them there.

NOTATION:

While public schools may benefit from such feeding programs, private schools like Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School do not get any help from the government even in such critical times because we charge school fees and for that reason we are expected to meet all our financial undertakings including salaries for teachers and workers.

In our normal situation the School buys staple food directly from the local farmers, but the problem we have now is that because of the drought the farmer’s crops have failed. Parents who depend on agriculture, therefore, have nothing to sell and animals are either dying for lack of grass and water or are too skinny to sell. This makes the available staple food in the markets expensive when many parents are not able to pay for school fees.

The record I have from School indicates that there are many parents who have not completed paying their last year’s fees which means the expected fees for this trimester have not been paid. At times we may want to send children home for fees collection but in such a situation of drought I advise that they remain in school because in some homes families might have no food. Rains are being reported but this does not mean there will be any change in the next 3 to 6 months.

FRIENDS OF FATHER NTAIYIA JUBILEE SCHOOL CHARITY

We have had our first meeting this year and felt we need another one soon to look into our development for last year and plan for what we need to do this year in the School. We are pleased to announce the realization of the rain water project after the rains came and the new tanks got a lot of clean water for children and staff in the school.

Kenya is hoping to change the system of Education and this has been talked about for some years but of late there has been a lot of discussion on it. Such a change may involve financial undertaking in a number of things such as text books and other learning materials, in-service courses/training for teachers, use of computers and other technologies. Kenya government has recently extended power to many remote places targeting the schools. I have shared with our BOD on these things so that when the time comes we shall be ready to fund some of these things with funds from our friends and well-wishers.

With loads of Thank You to Friends of Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School from the families that have Children in this school.

Fr. Symon Peter Ntaiyia

NEW YEAR AND SCHOOL RE-OPENING

Last year the school had a long end of the year school holidays, almost two months, November and December. Although there are many festivities at the end of the year people are always mindful of the ending year and the coming of a New Year. By tradition it is at this time of the year that results of public examinations are expected and this brings anxiety to both parents and the exam students. There is hope that this would go well and fear just in case the students did not make it. This is also the time for the parents to begin preparing their children to go back to school for the new year and new grade. Things that come to the mind of parents are like school fees as in the case of a school like Father Ntaiyia or other private schools where fees have to be paid; there may be need to replace school uniforms, stationeries and other necessities for life in a boarding school.

Schools in Kenya resumed studies January 2017 after celebration of New Year day at home. At Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School, when weather is good for public transportation most parents bring their children without much delay for beginning of each trimester and learning. As per our tradition our teachers and other staff members were ready to receive the students as their parents brought them. This is a welcome back to school that is very much appreciated. Learning begins as it is required by the curriculum and syllabus that aim at covering 14 weeks of school work during the first trimester that will end on 7^th April 2017.

OUR 2016 FINAL CLASS EXAMINATION RESULTS

As was reported in our last blog, our students who graduated last year all made their final public examination known as Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE). Father Ntaiyia Jubilee school, over the last five years, has consistently had practically all the students pass making it possible for students to continue with studies in High Schools. We are glad and happy with parents and our benefactors that our efforts have brought hope to many children and their families. The results are very much appreciated by the parents. Father Ntaiyia, who always follows very closely every step geared towards the success of learning program in his School has informed us that he has shared the news with Friends of the School. We are informed that all our students got places in various government High Schools in our country. We wish them and their families well as they prepare for their promising future careers.

FIRST TRIMESTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

As we embark with our school life, this trimester has its outstanding activities. In the first place it is during this term that we register our candidates for the final public examinations. Each year the Ministry of Education gives the date when this exercise is to begin and end and for this year it was 18^th January and will end on 28^th March. Unlike in the past when this registration was done manually, we are doing it online. With all the information required for each candidate, they have a chance to select the High Schools, and that is how they end up being selected and sent an invitation letter if they qualify to go to the school they choose.

This year, unlike in the past where this registration fee was paid by the parents, the government is paying for every candidate who will take this examination in both public and private Schools. Registration fee will be paid by the government though processing fee may be charged by the schools. In Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School 62 candidates this year (8th graders) will also benefit from this government offer.

This trimester has its official extracurricular activities as well; ball games and drama have been scheduled for February and March before the students go for competitions, which begin with inter- school level. Teachers play a big role in involving and training students in various games so that we can pick the best to represent Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School in competitions. These trainings do not interfere with learning because they are taken after class work and during free time.

NEWS FROM FATHER SYMON NTAIYIA

To all our friends and well-wishers, as I mentioned last year, I am encouraging most of our monthly blog letters to come directly from the teachers in the school. In the past I use to ask them what is happening, then I would write the report. It is easier for me to edit the report they send to me, and ask them for clarification where it is needed. If any of our readers may have a question on any of the subjects in our blog letter, please call or e-mail me.

RELIGIOUS SISTERS: It will be remembered that I wrote on Sisters leaving the Father Ntaiyia School because their new Superior for some reason did not want to have another house in Narok. After they left I consulted with the Bishop of the Diocese where the School is and he was willing to welcome any other congregation that would agree to come and work in the School. I had to look for the Sisters, invite them and then inform him. I requested another congregation of Sisters and after initial correspondence with them I invited them to visit the school in Narok so that they may know where they are being invited to. They visited the school before my visit to Kenya. After their first visit we involved the Bishop of the Diocese where they are based and my home Diocese Bishop. The two Bishops communicated on the issue and graciously allowed the nuns to come to Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School. It was made very clear to them that the School is private and so Sisters contract and terms of work there have to be made with Fr. Ntaiyia and the School.

Sisters made another visits to the School when I was in Kenya. We looked at the house they were to occupy and things that needed to be done before they came. Before we had two teachers housed ready to be used by 3 sisters. We have 4 sisters now and there is room enough for them. I asked them to continue for a month and make a list of things they may need or to be done. Their congregation is working on a draft contract on terms of their work in school.

We have two teachers, a cateress (domestic) and an accountant and so far they have settled in well.

STUDENTS: As usual we have new students who have transferred to every grade even. We did not get the expected number of 3^rd graders which is our primary intake class. We also experienced the same last year and it is clear now that most parents are now having their children start school at an early age such that they are still too young to leave home for a boarding school as 3^rd graders. In the future we may have taken our boarders from class 4. This year we have 68 new students, a number that represents about 24%. We have 282 children in Father Ntaiyia Jubilee School now. I have also been informed that students who graduated from our school first who did their High School final examination last year, four of them will join University for Higher Studies.

DOUBLE CLASSES: Because of having large numbers of children we had to split 3 classes into two for easy learning and teacher attention to children. We have room for about 280 in the dormitories and the other facilities can accommodate the same number.

TEXT BOOKS: My initial plan when I started the School was to have about 35 children per grade and two children sharing one text book of each course taught in that class meaning: for English there would be 17 text books, same for mathematics. When a class therefore ends up having more students we have to buy new text books for each subject or course, this is not considering when there is change to a new book by the Ministry of Education and when we have to replace the old books (used for a long time).

TEACHERS: Two of our teachers were employed by the Government; we have recruited two more to replace them and are teaching already. The other staff members are as we had them last year but for a new employee.

NEW ADMINISTRATION OFFICES: We started using the new administration offices, and they have been allocated for the various departments of administration. Teachers have been using their new staff room for almost a year now and soon each will have own desk there.

Fr. Ntaiyia