Dear Parents and Guardians
The first term is over. I know every student’s name, I know the academic ability of all of them, I know all teachers’ birthdays, qualifications and phone numbers off by heart; I can find my way around Mwanza like that mouse can find its way around my kitchen; I know the price of a kilo of finest dagaa; I recognise the high pitch whine of the dog when another day passes without a walk and I can taste the difference between a Mars bar bought here and one bought in Sainsbury’s. It’s been a fascinating four months and so much has been taken in, processed and stored away. I now feel established and comfortable but not overly so, and in the next few months I foresee major issues to be addressed and decisions to be made if we are to keep Isamilo the best school in Tanzania.
In the meantime we can look back at a term full of successes. Pride of place probably goes to the TSA swimming gala that we organised so brilliantly and in which we did so well. Our performances of The Sound of Music were superb and I am so pleased that Whoops-a-Daisy Angel finally came good. Who will forget the sight of students and staff prancing along a cat-walk dressed in broken CDs and plastic bin liners? We marked Remembrance Day poignantly and a superb assembly made us think of the message of anti-bullying week. In the classroom, the day-to-day teaching and learning going on continues to be of the highest quality; you only need to look at the work given to me for ‘Headmaster’s distinctions’, at the peace posters produced in art and at the dance going on in secondary PE, to see the creativity inherent in what we do. Thank you to all those involved in all this; these people, students and staff, make the school the place it is.
Finally a sad thing to do; saying goodbye. Leaving us are Saaiqa Merali, who as Marketing Director, has worked really hard on raising our profile in the community and Imran Javer, who has been helping out with ICT. Thanks very much to those two and of course to Carol Newman, who leaves us today after nine years here. Ms. Newman has done so much for the development of the school and not just in Early Years. She will be sorely missed by us all. Personally, even in such a short time, I have come to value her judgement, her freely given advice, her ability to just get on with things in her no-nonsense style, her knowledge of how things work here and above all her friendship. On your behalf I want to thank her for her commitment, her phenomenal work rate, her teaching and leadership and her friendship to so many. Go well, Carol, you’ve been brilliant.
Happy holidays to you all.
Joe Davey
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