Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022 Part 2

By Jairus Kaylo – Head Teacher SBM School

(vi) GRACE LULU’S SURPRISE WHEN SHE WON THE SBM SCHOOL SPIRIT AWARD
This is a special award that is only presented at the end of each year. Every teacher in the school is asked to nominate a child who has an outstanding dedication to his/her learning and demonstrates our school values of care, courtesy, integrity respect and discipline. All nominations are vetted by teachers until a consensus is reached. Sometimes when there’s no consensus, a vote is taken. The identity of the pupil remains anonymous at all times until the award is presented during a ceremony presided over by the school directors and members of board of trustees. All pupils are asked to congregate in the school cafeteria\hall for the announcement of the recipient. An overwhelming majority voted for this year’s winner, Grace Lulu who is a total orphan and the first girl at the Good Life Orphanage. Grace is in class 7 and was chosen because of her kindness, modesty and tremendous maturity.

Everyone was in agreement that Grace is a deserving winner and she smiled all the way with a cash prize of Ksh 10,000, a pair of black leather shoes, a school bag, a primary school level encyclopedia and a black forest cake. Her name was also added to the school spirit plaque with previous winners. The previous winners of this award are students who have continued to be exemplary in higher level institutions such as; Zakaria Sande (2019) is in Maranda High School, a boy’s national school which ranks consistently in the top 10 in Kenya in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) national exams. Due to his humbleness and high levels of self discipline, Zakaria was offered a full secondary school scholarship by Gideon Mung’aro,former Kilifi North Member of Parliament and currently the chief administrative secretary(CAS) in the Ministry of Lands, Kenya. Cynthia Achieng or Chebet (2018) is in Ngala Memoral Girls High school, an academic giant in the region. Kevin Nyale and Harrison Mgoti (2017& 2016) are excellent students at Shimo la tewa High school, popularly known as the “Mighty Shimo” a Coastal academic giant. The school was the only national school in Coast region with a candidate that scored A (Plain) in the latest KCSE exams. Leah Onesmus (2015) is a finalist at the Mpesa Foundation Academy, a state of the art, co-educational and residential High school offering both the Kenya National Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate (IB). Special thanks are due to Eileen Fray and others who sponsor the SBM school Spirit Award.

(vii) DEMOCRACY IN THE SCHOOL SETUP
The children who are in school now will be the leaders in the future. Why not then, inculcate a sense of democracy in them?. We involve students in the democratic processes for a number of reasons which include :- When the norms are formed by both the teachers and students, it makes for a more cooperative working atmosphere and harnesses the considerable weight of pupils’ opinion as opposed to authoritative guidance which only provokes rebellion among the students. Students know much about the issues affecting them, more than teachers in some instances. We hold elections to the students council every year and provide them with structured opportunities to explore actively on aspects such as student welfare issues, discipline issues, access to extra-curricular activities and their relations with each other. Each year we treat the student leaders with a special trip to Nyali Cinemax in Mombasa. For many, unless those who are re-elected, it’s their first time to watch films and plays in a modern theatre and a lunch thereafter at the nearby 5 star resorts, such as Hotel English point and spa, Royal Court Hotel, Nyali City mall etc.

(viii) VOLUNTEERS
This year we only had locally-based volunteers due to covid-19 related travel restrictions in many parts of the world. Next year hopefully, it will be amazing if all our wonderful volunteers come and support us again. It was a pleasure to be visited by “Yasmin Said” who was born & had her education here in this region (Ribe Girl`s High school in Kilifi.) ”Yasmid Said” was the lead character in a Kenyan Prime Television drama series “Maria” and a recipient of an award for best lead actress in TV Drama at the “Kalasha Awards” in 2020. She spent quality time with the girls at SBM school and the GLO encouraging them to work hard in school despite the well known economic hardships and poverty in the region.

(ix) NEW FREE SCHOOL UNIFORMS AND SHOES
100% of our children are from the lowest economic backgrounds and purchasing uniforms regularly can be a costly endeavour to their parents. Around nine tenths of these children have their school uniforms as the only clothes. It appears weird but walking around the streets of Mtepeni on weekends and non-school days, a significant number of children are spotted wearing school uniforms, for many it’s their only outfits and that’s why the school strives to provide all the children with free perfect uniforms after every 2 years. A parent “Stephanie” Who has two kids in the school wrote (Translated from Kiswahili) “Thank you for supporting me with their uniform costs and enabling me to send them off looking so smart. I’m a very, very proud single mum today.”

(x) ACADEMIC CLINICS
Good two-way communication between families and schools is necessary for student success. These are aimed at monitoring the progress of the learners & are carried out by the teachers, parents and pupils hence the name academic clinic. The main objective is to overcome challenges in the learning process so as to bring up an all round child. This year as a result of easing of some covid-19 regulations, we’ve been able to bring back the academic clinics and we’d like to express our gratitude to all parents and guardians who go out of their way to attend and support us during the termly academic clinics.

(xi) END OF SCHOOL YEAR PARTY
As Kenyans we really do enjoy having Mbuzi (goat meat) at any and every huge occasion, or quite honestly, even at a small gathering of friends.
We had a wonderful school closing ceremony on 22nd Dec 2021. The event marked the closing of the year with a Holy mass in the morning presided over by Fr. Harrison Yaa from Infant Jesus Catholic Church Mtwapa and thereafter a party for our students and staff. A variety of food was served, “pilau” being the main. Pilau is rice flavoured with spices, often mixed with pieces of meat, a popular Kenyan dish at Kenyan parties.
We`ll also used this opportunity to provide authentic reflection activities that helped our students really think about the year and what’s to come.

As we end the year, I would like to express our HUGE GRATITUDE to you our volunteers, friends, well-wishers, donors and sponsors for your continued financial and material support, work and commitment to our children’s education. The Maher family, Maguire family and the Board of trustees, we are very thankful for your positive messages and kind thoughts that you’ve showered us with across the year.

Without your support, our hands are tied.
Wishing you and your families good health, happiness, peace and prosperity this Christmas and in the Coming New Year 2022.
Thank you and God bless you all.