March, 2013 Newsletter - Loyola Jesuit College

From the PrincipalFr. Emmanuel Ugwejeh, SJ.In the following lines, I would like to briefly address some of the important issues that have come up since I resumedoffice as Principal.Open Day:I would like to thank our parents who participated actively in the Open Day activities of February 17th 2013.The College community is very grateful to you for your comments, observations and suggestions. The College isaddressing some of the genuine issues raised and some of the constructive criticisms made. It was good thatmany parents participated actively in the activities of the Open Day. But many parents were not present for theevent. Effective collaboration between teachers and parents would ensure that we give the best to the childrenthat God has given to us.Request for out of School Permission:I continue to encourage you to plan ahead. Plan ahead in order to anticipate the expiry date of your children’svisas and passports so that you would not have to rush to the college to ask for permission to allow you renewyour children’s visas and passports. There are too many requests for permission to attend passport and visa interviews.As I noted on my page in the December Newsletter, the frequent movement of students in and out ofthe College is quite distracting. It does not allow for total concentration on school work.Airport Trips on Vacation DaysTo better care for our students on their way home on vacation days, the College is asking more teachers to accompanythe students to the airport. The teachers will be there to help the students with airport formalities andensure that they conduct themselves properly. This is certainly an added responsibility on the part of the teachers,but they do this with the goal of “cura personalis” (care of the person) in mind.Early Check in for Abuja, Jos and Kaduna Students on Resumption DaysResumption days are usually very busy days for our teachers who ensure that students are properly checked in.They resume as early as 7:00 A.M. to begin receiving students, and close as late as 10:00PM. Many students waittill about 6:00PM before they can return. When many students return at 6:00PM, it becomes difficult for teachersto check them in before 10:00PM. To make the work of the teachers on duty on resumption days easier andto allow students check in and settle in quicker, I would ask that students who live within and around FCT,Jos, Keffi and Kaduna should arrive and be checked in before 3:00PM on resumption days. Doing this will reducethe number of students to be checked from 3:00 P.M. Because of issues affecting flights into Abuja and thetraffic situation within FCT; students using flights on resumption days arrive later than 3:00 P.M. If we are ableto check in students from within and around FCT earlier than 3:00P.M. , we can concentrate on those coming inwith flights later in the day.Dropping off Children on Resumption DaysI also ask parents who bring their children to the school on resumption days to do that as quickly as possible.They should have their last minute counseling, prayer and exaltation at home so that they just come and dropthe children off. Leaving the College immediately after dropping off the students will help them to settle inquicker on resumption days.GratitudeMy deepest gratitude to all parents who support the College with words of encouragement, constructive criticisms,time, talents and resources. May God bless you abundantly. Amen.14