PRINCIPAL’S REPORT - Saint Elizabeth Mary Girls Secondary School

12^TH APRIL 2024

ST. ELIZABETH MARY GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL

TERM ONE 2024 REPORT

TO: The School Patron

CC: The School Director

INTRODUCTION

Greetings from St Elizabeth Mary Girls Secondary School Community as we come to the end of Term One Easter Holiday on the 27^th/03/2024.

The term commenced on the 5^th of January 2024 with form two, three and four classes awaiting Form one 2024 intake from 15^th/01/2024. Until closure of the term 05^th/04/2024.

Summary on the term’s activities

(I)Academic Report:

School opened on 05^th/01/2024

KCSE online report received in parts until 06^th /01/2024 when we received all reports and teachers worked on analysis of the same per subject (Report has been submitted through the school Deputy Principal and School Administration).

Academic strategic plans:

Assessments and concerns discussed with parents, learners and teachers form 4 (15^th/03/2024), form 3 (22^nd/03/24) and form 1 and 2 (26^th/03/24), completed reports reflected on 2024 academic projections and actions plans as per school reports through secretary Sr Mary Esther.

Dismal academic performance in KCSE 2023 necessitated revamping of teaching staff by School Executive Committee led by School Director to reinforcement learning, three teachers; Mr.Wasilwa ( English), Mr. Winda ( Mathematics)and Mr. Kosome (Chemistry), were employed.
Teachers 2023 who did not report in January 2024 necessitated search and interviews of new teachers. Most affected areas: (Business Studies, Mathematics, Agriculture, and Biology). We got a graduate teacher from Kisii University for Agriculture and Biology, hence later, Mother Superior boosted same department with a TSC teacher for Agriculture and Biology. Both worked collectively to ensure Milestone One Project Report).
Milestone One Computer Studies Project Report was completed and submitted at the same time.

KCSE- 2024 Candidature:

We had twenty –seven students, we managed to fill the gap to the minimum requirement, hence, we have enrolled thirty students for the 2024 KCSE candidature. This implies the students will now sit for KCSE National Examination within the school.

Saint Clare CBC pre- primary/primary school

The CBC section was assessed and registration process should be completed by May. The School Principal and Administration will follow up with health and education departments at the county before they come to approve.

Science Laboratory Developments:

Thank you for the inbuilt wall units and cupboards for the chemical storage and essential science equipment for Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The assessment on the transformation was verified by the science department. Currently most essentials requirement is water flow points for use during the practicals, apparently side sink piping along the windows.

Formation of Academic Committees

Academic committees comprising of parents, teachers and school management was formed during parents days and they will meet on 07^th/05/2024 to actualize the following academic reinforcement strategies for action:

(i)Symposium in Term Two.

(ii)New set book academic reinforcements for Form 3 and 4 classes.

(iii)Syllabus coverage.

(iv)Internal and external examinations.

(v)Bench marking.

(vi)Joint evaluation examinations.

Principal’s initiative on academic lunch program.

Following dire need for academic reinforcement, thirty minutes lunch break was converted to academic group discussions per class supervised by the teachers on topical areas for different subjects according to the subject allocation for study.

Term Two co-curricular activities:

The school has to decide on which activities to involve in considering capability to take part. The following are the co-curricular activities for term two:

(i)Ball games (football/netball).

(ii)Dances(Cultural dances for music festivals).

(iii)Poems/poets/coral verse.

(iv)Athletics.

Term One 2024 Cultural/Beauty Contest Day

The school had creative and innovative cultural day and beauty contest depicting ‘’How to handle bullying in schools’’

Beauty contest results:

Miss St Elizabeth Mary Girls High School (Ashley Mary Gorretty-Form 2).
Runners up (Natasha-Form 4)

(Jackline-Form 4)

Most creative and innovative item (Carpenter emulated painting in the right attire and demonstation –Imelda-Form2).

Inter-Class Co –Curricular Competition held on 25^TH March 2024

Athletics 100M

First position-Nassy Form 1

Runners up –Mildred Form 4

Relay 4 by 100M

First position-Form 1

Runners up-Form 3

200M

First position-Form 1

Runners up-Form 3

Note:26/03/2024

Ball Games (net ball and football) not done due to harmonization of end term examination and Form 1 and 2 academic parents meeting. The inter-class ball games will be carried out in term two week two.

.Academic concerns

Boarding activities

It was realized during the parent’s academic assessment days for different classes that the following is affecting and resulting to mass transfer of boarder to day scholars and to other schools:

Boarding programs are missing and are not consistently followed, the parents expect the boarder to give us better results as compared to day scholars
Co-curricular activities for boarders are very minimal i.e. Programs for prayers have been put in place and some consistent while the other programs have not been fully put in play apart from the days of the weekend classes.
Time frame for every activity in the boarding and monitoring of the same appear to be lacking.
Medication of the boarders need to be looked into equally.
Most boarders seek to go home to seek for medical attention yet this can be handled in school through arrangements with parents/guardians.
There is NEED for boarders visit by their parents/guardian either fortnightly or monthly when they also come to pay fees and check on the academic/social progress of their children. This should be the first weekend to allow for fee payment to clear their fee arrears and handle their concerns with the boarding management.
Most parents are marking time with their children in the school giving them hope of transfer and this has weakened learning.

ABSENTEEISM

Absenteeism of the learners alters their routine behavior and academic performance negatively. The most identified problems include:

Regular learners fully participate in syllabus coverage ,note making ,class supervision by the teacher, academic consultations extra revision questions and discussions, academic group work according to the topics, while learners who are absent lack regular academic work done by other students. This has often given us below average performance hence affecting the academic target.
Some parents/guardians are not keen on academic progress of the learners. This demotivates the learner who does not work very hard to perform. This is realized in continuous negative deviation and report card no checked and discussed.
A number of students have medical issues which are never disclosed by parents on admission to the school only discovers this when it continuously affects the learner.
Students who take part in essential family chores hence they miss school for a couple of day from one to two weeks this interferes with the learner’s consistency in academic performance.
Consistent parental discussion on transfer of the learner interferes with the mindset to settle down.
On admission there is a list of text books both KLB and revision Requisitions which the learner should carry to school to ease learning this is never adhered to by 99% of parents. Though the school has purchased a few text books ratio of one to two learner in every subject.

Term Two projection

(i) Harmonization of working formula for the entire school administration on school management and policies.

(ii) Board of Management had expired thus urgent need to constitute one.

(iii) While the staff appreciates efforts to meet their salary need teacher capacity building in all subject, staff motivation as a family is very essential in different areas.

(iv) Administration capacity building and meetings are very essential tools in running a school and communication of the same at least termly meetings for school management and fortnightly meetings for school administration with concerned parties to oversee school progress and gaps.

Dream projection for the school.

We expect 75% C+ performance with consolidated efforts of everyone i.e. all stakeholders. To complement each other for this academic excellence as a team but not in parts.
Need for benchmarking to have more students in the school from all stakeholders from Forms 1 to 3 since we have the facilities to accommodate more students.
The school needs to construct a workshop for the applied and technical subjects which will also help in the upcoming CBC Saint Clare’s pre-primary and primary growth and development.
A well-equipped school library is urgent and long overdue, we need to be assisted to handle this in Term 2 of 2024. There is also a need for a big well-equipped laboratory for sciences and a dormitory.
There is a need for housing the following personnel in the school since we have the boarding; school nurse, school boarding mistress, and at least 2-3 teachers. Thank you for initiating administrative staff to be within the school (Sisters).
Need for a fire extinguisher for the kitchen, laboratory, and upcoming applied and technical workshop.
There is a need to work on the classroom floors using more lasting floor covering constructions.
We suggest a joint forum to identify all alumni students to meet in May.
Need for regular administrative staff meetings since there is a lot of individuality.
So long as we want to perform, we need to devise a method of sustaining form fours in school.

Conclusion

We want to thank the School Executive Committee and Management for the aesthetic environment for learning, enhancing school facilities, and reinforcing academic staff, non-teaching staff, and administrative staff.

Compiled by: The School Principal

For Management and School Community