Reflecting on November and beyond.

Dear Parents and Mzuzu Community,

Here we are at this point in time as November gives way to December. How time flies. This week, like last, there are no birthdays to celebrate. However, we have so much to celebrate in any case after the fine couple of weeks we have had with Sports Days, Friday’s International Day, and Saturday’s visit to Kamuzu Academy. 

I would like to start by thanking the Primary School for putting on such an enjoyable day on Friday which was very much enjoyed by all. It was a very successful and impressive International Day, and I am told that we had 72 cars alone. Certainly, the crowd was well over one hundred. In the morning, the students visited each other’s classes to see and appreciate the work done and of course the amazing costumes. I must say they were so well thought out and very beautiful indeed. A bit later in the afternoon we had the parade complete with flags, music and information on Nigeria, Botswana, India, Japan, Zambia to name a few. Well done Primary and thank you. As Mr Glyn stated earlier, kudos to you all!

I was very proud also on Saturday to see our students competing so well with Kamuzu Academy. They were very kind to invite us to this inter-school competition. Our students were excellent in their attitude, demeanour, and behaviour. This was commented on by the KA staff as one of the best schools that they have hosted. 

The students looked fabulous in their new sports uniforms, and they played the part. They played with resilience, verve and vim and showed a never give up attitude. Thus, we acquitted ourselves very well indeed. In Netball, we started off slowly maybe due to nerves and not being used to playing such good opponents, but our girls came back very strongly and only lost 24-19. Basketball was more of an uneven contest. It must be pointed out that most of the students in their teams were AS and A level students and therefore older and, in some cases, bigger physically. Our students tried their best, but we lost 50 – 23. We competed well though. However, it was in Volleyball where our strength really showed.  Here we won 5 sets to 0 and in football where we won 2-1. This was an enthralling match played on grass and on a much larger field than our students are used to.  Well done students and well-done coaches and the PE Team. My thanks to you.

As a whole, the school is now entering the exams, assessments, and PTC’s phase. Please let us make sure that these are as professional as we can make it. We must stick to deadlines and be mindful that these is communication with parents either digitally and /or personally. An opportunity to show our professionalism and our ability as teaching practitioners. 

The theme in the Keys of Excellence of ‘Ownership’ continues. Please take the opportunity to speak to students about this value and reframe their behaviour accordingly. This key or value is about taking responsibility for our actions and choices: Be responsible for your thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. “Own” the choices you make and the results that follow.

When we take ownership of everything we do and say and stop blaming things outside ourselves for situations that occur in our lives, we have greater control. We may not be able to control everything that happens in our lives but we can control how we respond to what happens. By taking ownership of our actions we create a huge shift in our life. Ownership is a whole-life concept. We can take ownership of our education, our relationships, our fitness, our fun—all areas of our life. And when we take ownership we take pride and feel confident and fulfilled.

Thus, this week’s quote to ponder on: 

 
“We cannot have a world where everyone is a victim. "I'm this way because my father made me this way. I'm this way because my husband made me this way." Yes, we are indeed formed by traumas that happen to us. But then you must take charge, you must take over, you are responsible.” - Camille Paglia