The twenty-third of November 2012 seemed like a normal Friday but at St Bernadette Mary School it was anything but that, this was the final day of the school year and the place was a hive of activity. The pupils were all at school from very early in the morning and at 8.00am the parents joined their children for a day of festivities.
The woman worked frantically at The GLO along with Joseph the Chef preparing Pilau for over seven hundred people. Lots of vegetables to cut and spices to add to the bubbling rice dish.
At the school the children were busy arranging the seating whilst hoping it did not rain which is very unusual here in Kenya, Papa Kevin & Mama Mary thought they were back in Manchester!
The day started at 8.00am with the celebration of Mass with Father Moses from Infant Jesus Catholic Church in nearby Mtwapa. We were very happy to have Sister Gertrude, Nico and Alan among our distinguished guests for what was to be an unforgettable day. Following the Mass each class did a short performance, some sang Christmas Carols, some did traditional dancing and some said poems. The highlight had to be the teachers giving their own rendition of Gloria in excelsis Deo.
We were all amazed when our KG3 came around the corner with their graduation capes & hats, they looked so smart and all got presented with a Graduation Certificate, it was a pleasure to see their little faces. When the new school year starts in January 2013, they will move up to Standard 1, the next step in their education.
We then moved swiftly onto the Prize Giving, these awards included Positions 1,2 & 3 in each class but we also awarded the ‘Best at Computers”, “Best in Handwriting”, “Best Mannered Pupil” to name but a few, every pupil received a gift and a certificate. Here is Papa Kevin, Sister Gertrude and Alan awarding some of the prizes.
It was time for the teachers to receive their awards and Mr Pius our Head Teacher received a special award for his Leadership skills, here Papa Kevin presents the very worthy recipient.
There was one very special award to come The Spirit of St Bernadette Mary which was won by Joseph Kai, this was the one every child wanted to win and Joseph’s joy at being the first pupil to receive this accolade will be the subject of our 7th Blog of Christmas.After such a busy morning everyone settled down to an excellent Pilau and thoughts of the new school year starting on 8th January 2013 was on the agenda.
We never realised just what an effect the school would have on The GLO and surrounding area, the children who attend school daily are so grateful that they are receiving a free good quality education and without our donor family from the UK this would be impossible. We are forever in their debt and May God Bless them.
Kevin and Mary,
Just getting the hang of these “Blogs” !
You never cease to amaze us, truly inspiring.
Hope you and your family have a very Happy Christmas. you deserve it. God Bless.
All our love,
John, Mary, Megan, Jack, Niamh, Orla, Caitlyn and Finn
Congratulations to everyone , what a great day you all had .St Mary& St Bernadettes goes from strength to strength! A huge achievement by all involved. Good luck for the new term, Godbless you all .xxx
Well done. Happy Christmas to everyone.
Congratulations to all the pupils and staff at St Bernadette Mary. Have a great Chrismas and a Happy new year.
The end of the school year is always hectic and very exciting. Congratulation to both Teachers and Pupils. I can’t wait until Umoja has a school too. I think we should meet together for sports days and football games when that day finally arrives. God bless to all involved. Happy Christmas. Love Lesley xx
Congratulations to all involved, the school has had a fantastic first year and a big impact on the GLO and the area around it. The children all seem to be so happy and eager to learn, keep up the brilliant work!!
Happy Christmas to one and all,
Love Laura, Paul, Sean, Joe and Carl Farrelly
Love reading these updates – the children look great in their graduation gear 🙂
Last photo shows Teacher Stephen giggling in the background, great to see him happy as ever! Congratulation to Joseph again on winning the prestigious award. Well done Kanoti also for being no.1 in your class!
Well done Joseph. You are a star!
Jana and Annie