2019 Parents Meeting

Oscar MC-ing a recent parent-teacher meeting.

The last Saturday of every month is Parents' Day at Alpha Omega.  This is when any parents who are able to make the trip can come on campus and spend the day with their child.  Boarding school can be a bit hard on kids, who are away from their families for at least nine month out of the year, so they really look forward to visits from their family.  Unfortunately, some parents live too far away or for various other reasons don't visit, so it can also be a hard day for some students.  We have been encouraged to see, though, some students with local family adopting a friend for the day, and inviting a friend who doesn't have close family to come sit under a tree and chat with their family and share the snacks their mom brought.  

On one of the parents' days every year, usually in September or October, we have a PTO (parent-teacher) meeting, during which the school administration shares what's been going on at the school and makes announcements about plans for the next school year, and parents are given a chance to ask questions, share ideas, or discuss problems.  

Ilampa (deputy headmaster), Godfrey (headmaster) and Lewis (school manager) sit at the administration table

Headmaster Godfrey speaking to the parents

Mbuzi Cup!

Watching a netball game 

As a special treat to begin the second term, the teachers in charge of sports (Oscar and Leah) organized the Mbuzi Cup.  The four forms competed with each other in games during sports time in the afternoon all week.  The girls had a netball tournament, and the boys had a soccer tournament. I posted a few photos of the boys playing football earlier in the week, so here are lots of pictures of the girls' netball (kind of similar to basketball) tournament! 

The form one and form two girls compete, while Leah (in black) referees.

'Mbuzi' in Swahili means 'goat'.  So, we had the Goat Cup.  And to fit the theme, the winning teams competed to win a goat to roast and a case of sodas.  The goats were bought live at the beginning of the week, and left to wander around campus eating grass and fattening up.  Every now and then they'd get somewhere they didn't need to be or where they were inconveniencing someone, and a student would be sent to herd them elsewhere.  They weren't particularly fond of being herded; I got a good laugh at Nelson John (form 2) pulling with all his might on their ropes trying to get them away from the sidewalk in front of the library.  One goat was determined not to move at all and the other was determined to go the opposite direction from where he wanted it to go.

A lot of people tried to find a shady spot from which to watch the netball game.

The students had a lot of fun with it, at least.  In the end, the form 3 boys won the soccer tournament, and the form two girls won the netball tournament, so on Saturday night, they had their promised goat roast to celebrate.  Jackson (Beth's son) was sad all day on Saturday because he'd been rooting for the form four boys, but they lost the championship game to form 3. 

Assembly on a Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful day, sunny and not too hot, here in Monduli, so this afternoon Teacher Gerald held an assembly outdoors.  They often have short assemblies outdoors, but for this one, he was giving out awards for the results of the exams they took at the end of May/first week of June before the break (from June 7-July 7).  The students scattered out to sit on the walls and edges of the newly-completed parade ground in front of the administration building.  

Congratulations to all of the students who finished on top of their classes!

Family Groups

We're trying something new at AOCSS.  The students have been divided into family groups (names after different cities in the New Testament, Corinthians, Galatians, Romans, etc., I suspect Lewis had a hand in that), each led by a different teacher.  The groups are each assigned a different part of campus to keep clean and things like that, but also they meet each week (usually on Friday) to be able to talk in a smaller group about things going on at the school, students who aren't getting along, etc.  Originally, I was going to lead a group, but in the final plan I'm not; with the Tanzanian teachers, they can take the opportunity to deal with issues in their own language.  My Swahili is improving, but I'm still not ready for that level of conversation.  

Safe Travels to the Allisons!

Fielden and Janet Allison have been missionaries in Africa almost the entire time since their marriage, and they are celebrating fifty years this month.  They have been here in Monduli working for the school since it began; in fact, Janet was the first headmistress, serving until we could find a Tanzanian headmaster or mistress.  They still live right next to the campus, and Fielden teaches Bible and life skills while Janet teaches English.  This year, she taught forms 2 and 4 while Oscar and I taught forms 1 and 3 (with me doing grammar and him doing literature).  

However, they have been invited to be missionaries-in-residence at Crowley's Ridge Christian College in Paragould, Arkansas for the fall term, so they will be heading back to the US soon.  They plan to return to Monduli in January, but as they will be gone for six months and this is the last time they will be with the form four students, who will graduate before they return, we had a school assembly at the end of lunch for them to formally say goodbye to the students and for us to say a prayer for their travels.

Below, Meleji, our Head Prefect (student body president would be the closest thing in the American school system), speaks on behalf of the students, wishing the Allisons Safari Njema (safe travels) and goodbye until their return.