BEGINNING OF FIRST TERM NEWSLETTER 2023/2024 SESSION

Dear Esteemed Parents, 

On behalf of the Board of Governors, Management, and Staff of Great PANAF Schools, I welcome you back to school. I am grateful to God for His faithfulness and protection over our lives during the previous terms and during the last vacation. Equally, I congratulate all pupils/students who performed well in the promotional exams. I am sure pupils/students are so enthusiastic and fully ready for the commencement of the first term 2023/2024 academic activities.

I also welcome specially the new parents who are joining the Great PANAF Family for the first time. For sure, you made the best choice of sending your ward(s) here and you will not regret it. YOU ARE WELCOME!!!

The new parents are required to carefully read the student hand book they were given and make sure their ward(s) comply with all our rules and regulations written in the hand book and other rules that are hung on walls at different corners in the school premises. Parents/Pupils/students must endorse their signatures on the last page of the student hand book.

THEME FOR THE TERM

The theme of this term/session is “Achieving Moral and Academic Excellence”. The concept of “Character and positive thinking skills” will form part of the theme. Related topics will be discussed during our mentorship assemblies and practical lessons would be demonstrated. We decided to pick this theme to enable us restore the moral and academic values that has been lost.  We are full of hope that at the end of the term/session, we will be able to achieve this greatness in both moral and academics. The confidence and composure of our learners during exams would be restored.

Let me inform our new parents that the foundation of this school was laid basically on moral standard; it is part of our mission to nurture our scholars in a moral environment. Moral lessons are given during mentorship, class assembly and the general assembly. We encourage parents to complement our effort by closely monitoring them when they are at home and also find out who your child’s mentor is, so that, you can monitor their participation in these sessions. 

 Academic Development

Academic activities for the term as usual, will be based on theoretical and practical classes. Skills acquisition such as bead work, soap/candle making, shoe making and painting are integrated in our curriculum to ensure that our learners acquire skills that may help them achieve their dreams after leaving school. Equally, extra lessons, intervention lessons are also organized to meet up with school work and assist those with problems in various subjects. In line with this, first contact maths muse is introduced to further probe students’ level of assimilation and comprehension of the subject.

We hereby inform our new parents that 60% total score is our pass mark; this means that every student must score at least 60% and above in all subjects. Therefore, students in Basic (JS) classes must have a minimum average of 65% including Maths and English as the requirement for promotion to the next class. Those in SS classes must have a minimum average of 60% including Maths and English as their requirement of promotion to the next class.

Seminar/Workshop

In preparation for resumption of the 2023/2024 academic session, a seminar/workshop was organized for teachers on the topic “Handling and managing pupils/students with Negative Attitude towards Learning”. Some of the negative behaviours were identified such as: Absent mindedness in class, sleeping while class is going on, Wet blanket attitude, copying notes while lesson is going on, emotional trauma, pupils/students distract others from learning, too much access to social media and so on. These issues were thoroughly discussed and solutions were proffered. 

BOARDING FACILITY

The school hostels offer the boarding students a better opportunity to run away from time-consuming distractions at home, and concentrate on their studies. Also, they are alienated from the hustle and bustle in the metropolis/streets which attract attention and eat up time. Interested parents can enroll their ward(s) in the boarding house.

There are separate hostels for boys and the girls, and they are well –equipped and wholesome. They are fed with sumptuous African delicacies. In addition, there are resident hostel personnel employed to supervise the day-to-day activities of the students in the various hostels. Resident nurses and visiting doctors take care of their health. In fact, it is an opportunity you should provide for your child.

Please contact the school principal for more information on this.

SCHOOL UNIFORMS AND TEXTBOOKS

The school frowns at a situation where students/pupils wear worn out, torn or tight school uniforms to school. It is an eyesore for a student/pupil to appear drab and in an unauthorized uniform within the school premises. Therefore, parents are encouraged to ensure that their children appear resplendent in their uniform by purchasing new uniforms from the school.

Most importantly, it is required that at the beginning of a new session, the text books for the new academic session should be provided so that the students will be able to participate in class activities and also be able to revise at home and do their homework. Parents should, as a matter of urgency, buy the recommended textbooks for their children please. Textbooks will be inspected at the commencement of the new term.

Hereunder are the highlights of the term’s activities and a few issues we want you to take note of:

• September 6^th 2023: international literacy day
• September 15^th 2023: international day of Democracy
• September 16^th 2023: international day for preservation of the Ozone layer
• September 21^st  2023: international Day of Peace
• October 1^st 2023: national Independence Day
• October 5^th 2023: world teacher’s day
• October 8^th 2023: World Mental Health Day
• October 11^th 2023: international of the girl child
• October 16^th 2023: world food day
• November 7^th 2023: National Cancer Awareness Day
• November 13^th 2023: world kindness day
• November 14^th 2023: international diabetes Awareness day
• December 1^st 2023: world AIDS day
• December 3^rd 2023: international day of people with disability
• December 4^th 2023: Christmas carol
• December 5^th 2023: fun fair

NOTE: These are tentative dates and are subject to change if the need arises.

Punctuality at school: We expect all pupils and students to be in school by 7:30 a.m. Classes start at 8:00 am prompt. Any pupil/student who reports after 8:00 am would not be allowed into the school premises. Please help the children get to school on time. If for any reason your child will be late or absent, call the Principal or the vice Principal on the following numbers: Principal 0703 1339702, Vice Principal 08061212163.

Hair Styles: This is to remind parents that the use of artificial extensions for pupils and students’ hair style is strictly forbidden. We want our children to look like school children. Girls must have their hair plaited, braided nicely or cut low for easy management. Boys must also have their hair cut low.  Fanciful and designer haircuts are not allowed

Footwear: Parents are reminded that only low-heeled black cover shoes on school uniforms and white canvas on PE wears are allowed for school, with white socks. Multi-coloured socks, sandals and shoes in fanciful colours are not allowed.

Hand washing: Please help us enforce the habit of frequent hand washing in our children, as a way of maintaining personal hygiene.

Pick-up time: Every child is supposed to be picked up by 3:00 p.m. from Monday to Thursday and 1:00pm on Fridays. Late picking of children may attract a fine. The fine will be paid to teachers on duty.

Sickness/ill health: A sick child should not be sent to school. Rather he/she should be given proper medical attention. Please always inform the school whenever a scholar is absent from school due to ill health. We also encourage parents to run malaria and other related tests for their children especially the boarding pupils/boarders. Proper treatment should be meted if the parasite is dictated. The new parents should ensure they fill the health form with assistance of their physician and also indicate if their ward(s) have health challenges please.

Assessment/Assignments & Midterm Project: Please note that student’s evaluation will be based on mid-term assessment, class assignments, computer based test (CBT) and end of term examination. Encourage your child to take these exercises serious. Students should always complete and submit assignment or midterm exercise on time and failure to return assignment at the appropriate date will attract disciplinary action.

Discipline: The school will discipline any scholar that disobeys the school rules and regulations in terms of putting on wrong uniform, wrong hair style, late submission of assignment, failing to submit assignment, quarreling, fighting, stealing etc.

Clubs: The school clubs are functioning effectively and our children are learning with fun. You are reminded that each child is required to belong to at least one of the clubs. The following clubs are very functional in the school: JETS club, Literary, debating and drama club, NAFDAC consumer safety club, Chess club, Karate club, book club, Music club, boys scout and Nigerian Girl Guides Association.

PAYMENT OF SCHOOL FEES.

Regarding your response to payment of school fees, we are also grateful to you; despite the harsh economy which had grave nauseating consequences on the income of individuals, you still made provision for payment of school fees.

 We appreciate you immensely and pray that God will enlarge your financial coasts. However, if you still have outstanding payments you agreed with the school authorities by way of promise, we expect that by now, you must have complied accordingly because defaulters of last term/session fees will not be allowed into the school premises.

Also, parents who may not be able to pay the full school fees are to pay at least 70% of the fees, the remaining 30% should be paid on or before mid-term break. Therefore, no student will be allowed into the school premises without the school fees teller.

Parents’ Teachers Association: The school appreciates the contributions of the PTA in general development of the school. Our offices are always open for any suggestion or observation. Management will continue to ensure your ward/s learn in a safe and conducive environment.

And lastly, compliments: The management and staff are grateful to you; our highly esteemed parents, for taking good care of the children during the vacation. We are wishing you a happy and fulfilled first term as we work in synergy to secure the future of these children. Together we can do it.

Thank you

Yakubu Gaiya

Principal