Principal's Newsletter for Term 2, 2011

Despite the late start of this term, the School has done remarkably well to maintain the level of teaching and learning that you; as parents, expect of us. The School has done all that it can to mitigate the impact of the delayed start and as a result students have performed well this term.

The Entrance Tests for this term have been concluded. The School received far more applications than we had places to offer. Competition has been very healthy this year and I am pleased to be able to report the quality of next year's intake will be very high. Next year's cohort will again be full and we will, reluctantly, have to turn away prospective parents and their children.

The building work on the School Hall was completed just in time for us to have our Founder's Day programme. We now have a magnificent building centre stage in the School's complex, one befitting our status. Plans are still on ground to further enhance our building resources over the next year.

Founder's Day was a wonderful success and we were delighted to be able to celebrate with Oba Oladele Olashore on his 76th birthday. He continues to be just as energetic and devoted to the betterment of the School as ever. His enthusiasm, involvement and counsel is a comfort and inspiration to us all. However, the week of Founder's Day was somewhat hectic. We started off the week entertaining students from Day Waterman College with Year 7 sporting competitions: mid-week we did our Inter-team matches and events, concluding the week with the re-arranged AISEN Sport Festival held here at OIS. Six(6) other schools accepted our invitation and it was; despite the major re-arrangements we had to undertake, a great success.

We continue to develop our IcT provision at OIS. By the end of the term, the School will have coverage of all the academic areas and most of the hostels with a radio linked intranet. During the forthcoming holiday, we shall have installed an e-learning software package and staff will have undergone training. This will enable staff and students laptops to be used in class, under the control of the teacher I hasten to say. It is vital that parents unsure that students have with them their laptops for all their lessons, to use in class and to receive their lesson notes. Copying lesson notes from the blackboard/whiteboard will be a thing of the past and more time can be given to active teaching and learning.

The Prefect selection process will have been concluded by the time you read this newsletter and next year's set of Prefects will have been announced. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the current Prefects for a sterling job they have done over the last twelve months. Their input and the work they have done has made a significant contribution to the development of the School. I thank them and applaud them. To next year's cohort, I am sure that they will build on the predecessors' accomplishments and achieve even greater heights - Good luck.

Students and staff on the LUFP programme will be travelling to Lancaster University in the UK for their induction and familiarization programme this Easter. The School continues to invest in the programme as we will be offering; next year, an "A" level course to run parallel to LUFP. Students will also, hopefully, have new single independent accommodation next year. As you already know, the LUFP is unique to OIS and is a superb, less expensive and a guaranteed pathway to any UK university to study any course. Our students have been incredibly successful and students from other schools have already enrolled on next year's programme.

Former students of OIS continue to do well in their respective universities. One of our students is currently studying at MIT in the States, another has just been offered a place at Churchill College, Cambridge whilst one of our past students; who is currently studying at Oxford, has been awarded a prestigious overseas student scholarship.

Our current OIS students also play their part in contributing to excellence at an international level. Three senior students attended the Gifted African Students' Congress at Makere University in Kampala, Uganda. They were exposed to the use of mathematics and science in such diverse fields as code breaking, financial markets and aero-space. The School has entered in a number of competitions such as the International Mathematics and Science Olympiad, as well as the National Cowbell Mathematics competition. The students who have represented the School have done remarkably well and we hope they will progress to the next round.

The Federal Government has just informed schools that it is replacing the Junior School NECO examination with new examination and syllabus - Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and this will take place with immediate effect. Consequently, staff will be preparing and re-orientating our current Year 9 students over the next 6 weeks so that they will have covered the required syllabus topics and are adjusted to the new format. You can be assured that the staff at OIS are ready, willing and able to face this new challenge.

As I write this newsletter, Years 9 and 12 will have; by the end of the week, finished their mock examinations. I am sure that the results will give an indication of their performance in the external examinations, but more importantly will identify the areas where there are weaknesses and additional work needs to be done with their teachers.

The Extension Classes will be of enormous benefit and is the opportunity whereby the students can be thoroughly prepared for their various external examinations. For both sets of Junior and Senior students, this will be a long haul with very few breaks in-between before they finish in June and July respectively. I am sure that you will wish to join with me in wishing them God's blessings and we are confident they will be successful in the glory of His name.

On a much more domestic front, can I appeal to parents not to allow students to return to school from the Easter vacation with hair extensions and attachments. They will be asked to take them out immediately.

On a more positive note, I would also like to invite parents to encourage their children to take up our church's offer of providing confirmation classes for your sons and daughters.

In conclusion, can I; on behalf of the School, wish everyone a safe journey when they travel, good luck with the plethora of examinations coming up and a happy and enjoyable Easter vacation period. A final reminder that, we resume on Saturday 30th April, 2011.

Happy Easter.

Mr. S. A. Valentine
(Principal)

MORE NEWSLETTERS

Newsletter to Parents (03/06/2011)