NewsLetter 10th Feb. 2008.pub - Loyola Jesuit College

The lion or lioness is the school’s mascot, and pride (a group of lions/lionesses) refers to the students of Loyola Jesuit CollegeVol. 7 Number 7 A Newsletter for Parents 10 February 2008INDEED IN THE DENThanks to our Fine Art Department, particularly Mr. Duncan Enekwachi Agwu and his students,we now have on our compound a visible representation of the LJC mascot—a roaring lion/lioness.Being Molded: Head Boy and Head Girl Pose with Pride before their Loyola LionThe above sculpture will henceforth welcome our parents, friends and other members of the Loyolacommunity, to our picnic ground. We anticipate that some may be “afraid” (of course, NOT the Pride)of going through the mouth of the lion. There is therefore concrete provision to meander around the lioninto the picnic ground. The Loyola Lion symbolizes a confidence rooted in excellence. On the schoolbadge, you find the lion represented on the bottom left half of a shield, a symbol of nobility and courage.

AnnouncementsAnnouncementsANOTHER OF THE GREATEST IN THE HIS-TORY OF LJC: WAEC has now released the finalbatch of last year’s WASSCE results, with LJCscoring more distinctions. Specifically, anotherstudent of the 2007 class, Abdurahaman Fatima,has made straight ‘A’s in the last WAEC exam.Yes, including Hausa and Chemistry, she madeA-1 in all subjects. Congratulations, as you jointhe company of John Yusufu, Odaro Omusi, etc,and enjoy your new status as a Great Loyolan!EXECUTIVE MEETING OF THE LJC PTA:There will be a meeting of the executive body ofthe Loyola Jesuit College Parents-TeachersAssociation on Sunday the 24th of February 2008at 12:00 noon inside the Conference Room of theLJC Admin Office. All our active PTA branches(Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Benin andWarri) should endeavor to be represented.VISITING DAY TALLY: To avoid the presentsituation where parents have to wait in a queuefor a long time before seeing their wards’ classteachers, we have evolved a tally system. Onarrival at the gate, every visiting parent willreceive a laminated Visiting Card that indicatesthe time you are to meet with your child’s classteacher. At the designated time and in the student’sclassroom, parent and child should be withthe class teacher. For this system to work, punctualityis key, and no parent is to exceed the allocatedtime on the card. Any long conversationmust be scheduled for another time. Please, weenvisage this would be of greater convenience toour parents, and we count on your cooperation.MAY THEY REST IN PEACE: It is with sadnessthat we announce the death of Alhaji M. B. Abhullahi(the father of Zeenat in SS-1A), who diedon the 2nd of January 2008. Please also rememberin your prayers the father of our nurse, Mrs.Roseline Egudu. May they rest in peace.WELCOME TO LJC: We welcome two medical doctorsinto the staff body of Loyola Jesuit College. Mrs.Onyinye Anyanwu and Mrs. Stephanie Ofoegbu arefrom the Garki General Hospital. With the physicalexpansion of the school clinic confined to the mindby financial handicap, we have now managed tocomplete the much needed staff expansion: sevennurses and three doctors now serve our students andstaff. Mr. Emmanuel Karami Dinglip joins us temporarily(for one month) to serve as a resource personfor our visually impaired students. Mr. Dinglip, witha B.Sc in Mathematics, is himself a visually impairedbraillist. We hope his services would enhance theMath performance of our visually impaired students.LJC WINS REGIONAL QUIZ CONTEST: On the17th of January 2008, LJC Lioness, Tolu Kehinde,was announced the winner of the First Bank Quizcompetition for the North Central Zone of Nigeria.Tolu has been invited for the National finals in Lagoson the 20th of February 2008. Best wishes!BULLYING: Bullying among LJC students has nowreduced to a tolerable level. We are grateful to ourteachers and particularly our new prefects. We nowconfidently encourage our parents to situate theirkids’ complaints in the context of sibling rivalry.While curtailing bullying, it would be unhealthy tostamp out the corrective gaze of the elder sibling.GRATITUDE TO A GENEROUS PARENT: ThePrincipal would like to thank a noble Loyola parentwho last term paid the sum of N300, 000 into theaccount of a less privileged student. He has chosento remain anonymous. May God bless you Mr.…CONGRESS OF WORLD UNION ANNOUNCED:The Seventh Congress of the World Union of JesuitAlumni/ae will be held in Bujumbura from the 23rdto the 27th of July 2009. The theme of the congresswill be “Ignatian Values and Development: AfricanPerspectives (www.jesuitalumni.org).2

ANNOUNCEMENTSFCT APPRECIATION OF EXCELLENCE: On the 30 th of January 2008, the FCT Education Secretariatshowed their appreciation for LJC’s record of excellence. Four students (Chinedu Arene; ChidubemEzeaka, though Mary-Ann Juma and John Yusufu have graduated) and two teachers (Silas Aor andKenneth Nnamani) of Loyola Jesuit College, were among those honored for making the FCT proudduring the 2006/2007 academic year. In a grand reception organized by the Education Resource Centre,LJC was honored for emerging first in the NNPC National Science Quiz competition. Also, last year’svictory by Chinedu Arene and Ezeaka Chidubem at the National STAN-Mobil Science Quiz competitionwas the first time in the history of the competition that a representative of the FCT won the first prize.In her address at the reception, the FCT Education Secretary, Mrs. Felicita Olajide, who represented theMinister, urged the winners to keep up the tempo, as such feats can only and truly be achieved throughconsistent hard work. She also praised all FCT Schools for topping the ranking in examination ethicsand urged them to work towards achieving same in examination performance.REGISTRATION FOR THE CAMBRIDGE EXAM: We received the Cambridge registration notice afterresumption in January. Hence the time frame did not permit us to inform our parents in advance, 10thFebruary deadline and a late registration penalty of N21,000. We therefore registered each student(interested in the exam) with the British Council at the following cost: N6, 500 for the registration fee(amount includes administrative charges) and N8, 000 per subject. Last year, Cambridge demandedN7,500 per subject but raised the fee this year. The minimum number of subjects recommended is six(6). This means all parents of students writing the Cambridge GCE this year should pay a minimum ofN54,500 into their ward’s account. Please, do remember to credit your ward’s account accordingly.TOEFL TESTS: Registration of our SS-3 students and their writing of the TOEFL test continue. Thefourth group of our students sat for this exam on the 1st of February 2008 at the Women’s DevelopmentCenter, Abuja. While the fifth group sat for the examination on Friday, February 8, 2008. Both examswere hitch free, except for those students whose parents failed to send in their passports. The studentswho took the test are very hopeful. Another group will have their test on February 15th, 2008. Meanwhilethe results of those who took the TOEFL test in November and December 2007 have been released.The students performed excellently well. Sakina Badamasuiy has the highest score so far,scored 111/120, Tikue Anazodo scored 110/120 and Ugwu Obinna scored 109/120.THE 2008 LJC ENTRANCE EXAM: The online registration process has gone very well. More than2,500 candidates have filled the form on-line. The past exam questions have been made available to allthe registered candidates, even though they do NOT need to copy or printout the questions. Special bestwishes to the siblings of the Pride. We have opened a new Registration and Exam Centre in Zimbabwe,to serve candidates from East and Southern Africa: Br. Chikere Ugwuanyi SJ, Arrupe College, JesuitSchool of Philosophy and Humanities, P. O .Box MP 320, no 16 Link Road, Mount Pleasant, Harare,Zimbabwe. Tel:2644745903, Fax:2634745411, 263474904; Email:arrupe@zarnet.ac.zwPUBLICATION ON CATHOLIC EDUCATION: A two-volume book on international Catholic educationhas been published. The title of the work is International Handbook of Catholic Education: Challengesfor School Systems in the 21st Century. The editors are Professor Michael Grace of the Centre for Researchand Development in Catholic Education (University of London) and Fr. Joseph O’ Keefe of theLynch School of Education (Boston College). The book contains 45 chapters and covers 30 countries.3

AnnouncementsAnnouncementsTHE SILENCE OF THE GEN: To the relief of ourneighboring villagers, we have put a (N1.4 million)sound-proofing device over our 500KVA generator.Members of the Jesuit community can also now hearthemselves during their supper gathering. Well, fora 500 KVA generator, maybe silence is not the word.SENIOR EDUCATION OFFICERS VISIT LJC: Onthe 17th of January 2008, LJC was host to the FCTSecretary for Education, Mrs. Felicita Olajide, whowas accompanied by the director of DPI (Directorateof Policy and Implementation) Mrs. RosemaryUmeana and several other top officers of the Ministryof Education. Signing off after a most pleasantvisit, madam secretary noted of LJC: “Highly commendableand impressive. Keep up the good work.”A few days later, Thursday the 25th, the Principal ofStonyhurst College (accompanied by the Head Masterof the Stonyhurst Prep School) also visited LJC.SS1C); Mr. & Mrs. A.C. Kadiri (parents of Eshiemhomoin JS2A and Oshoze in JS1C); Mr. & Mrs. E.Nwobi (parents of Onyekachi and Kamsi in JS2);Mr. & Mrs. S. Oruerio (parents of Oghenefejiro inJS2A); Mr. & Mrs. F. Efeduma (parents of Oghenerumein JS3); Mr. & Mrs. O. Adu (parents ofFoluso in SS3D); Mr. & Mrs. A. Momoh (parents ofRosemary in JS1A). May God bless you all!LJC LAGOS PARENTS: Virgin Nigeria has offeredour Lagos parents a N20,500 return ticket for LJCstudents to travel on vacation and resumption.Bookings are from now until the 20th of February2008. Make your payment into UBA account number0093016000002, and account name is VirginNigeria. The student’s name should be written atthe back of the teller and indicate the return date.The teller may then be taken to Mrs. Joy Okoroduduor Tega at the Virgin Nigeria office on the 6thfloor of Etiebet’s House, Lagos. We thank our evervibrant Lagos PTA for making this convenient andcost-effective arrangement for our parents.THE MOST IT-CONSCIOUS PTA BRANCH: ThePTA Warri branch is the first to respond to our requestfor Starboard FX series in our classroom. Thefollowing members of the Warri PTA have donatedN360,000.00 for one interactive board in any classroomdetermined by the Principal: Mr. & Mrs. J.Obiahu (parents of Victor in SS1 and Emmanuel inJS1); Mr. & Mrs. S.N. Okoro (parents of Ikechukwukain JS2C, Munachiso in SS1C and Chijindu inJS1A); Mr. & Mrs. O.J. Ofili (parents of Odinnma inJAME 2008 REGISTRATION: Registration of ourSS-3 students for the JAME commenced soon afterresumption. The parents of our SS-3 students wereexpected to have discussed choice of courses anduniversities with their children before and duringthe Christmas holiday. They should also note thatJAMB has adjusted registration fees upward. Thenew registration fee is as indicated below: The OnlineRegistration Card is N3,530; Scratch Card isN1,000. The Administrative Charge is also nowN1,500. The total amount is therefore N6,030.00.Parents of SS-3 students should therefore pay thisamount [N6,030] into their ward’s account. For furtherclarifications, please contact Mr. GabrielEgudu of the Counselling department.WELCOME TWO MORE TO THE PREFECTBODY: We welcome into the Prefect Body of LoyolaJesuit College Paula Omiyi (Sanitation Prefect) andUzo Nwachukwu (Xavier House Captain). We wisheach of them a successful tenure.4

MEET THE NEW PREFECTSAfter a most organized inauguration ceremony, the new Prefects took a group photoThe Principal and key Faculty Staff expressed their solidarity and support for the new Prefects5

ACCOUNT RECONCILIATION: We have thefollowing payments made into the school’saccount but cannot trace the beneficiaries.Please, if you made any payment that does notreflect on your child’s account, but reflects inour suspense account below, please furnish uswith your deposit slips so we can allocate paymentaccordingly:11/12/2006 2006/2007 fees 217,453.0020/01/2007 Helen Mejenite 2,000.0013/02/2007 LoveDay 20,000.0021/03/2007 Fees 13,000.0004/04/2007 Bal fee 186,000.0004/04/2007 Bal fees: Charles 186,000.0011/04/2007 Full Payment 30,000.0021/05/2007 Spring bank 405448 60,000.0031/05/2007 UBA 6612696 60,000.0024/07/2007 Nwankwo E. 459585 57,000.0031/08/2007 Kofi Ofuafor 10,730.0010/09/2007 Patrick Okoye 88,000.0010/09/2007 Okoye Patrick 356,500.0027/11/2007 Francis Oko: 10,000.0029/11/2007 Otu Sambo 50,000.0030/11/2007 A/c 55 9n To A/C 135 10,000.0003/12/2007 Uchenna Emodi 40,000.0004/12/2007 Ngozi Okoroafor 5,000.0005/12/2007 Mrs Ngozi DS115145 10,000.0005/12/2007 Victor 50,000.0006/12/2007 Abimbole: FCMB 5,000.0007/12/2007 Awogbade: Skye Bank 5,000.0010/12/2007 Mrs. Philip DS 102114 10,000.0010/12/2007 Okoroafor Somto CD 5,000.0002/01/2008 Pelumi A ZB Chq1219 241,000.0005/01/2008 Topping account 2,000.0007/01/2008 Ojukwu Ernest 59,775.0008/01/2008 ZB CQ82 300,000.0011/01/2008 Nike Iketun 241,000.0017/01/2008 Aloysious 40,000.0024/01/2008 Dep IBTC CQ56631 60,000.0031/01/2008 Returned cheque paid in by Eze Chuks:FBN CQ41496112 150,000.0031/01/2008 Obi FBN CQ10321807 60,000.00JANUARY 2008 SAT 1 & 11 EXAMINATION:This exam took place on Saturday, January 26,2008 at Model Secondary School Maitama. Forty–seven students took the exam. Twenty-two tookSAT-1 and twenty-five took SAT-II. This is the lastSAT examination for our present SS3 studentswhile in the school. The next SAT dates are inMay/June 2008 when they (present SS3 students)would be writing their WAEC/NECO SSCE.CAREER & UNIVERSITY PRESENTATIONSDAY: The last Career & University PresentationsDay for our present SS-3 students took place onSaturday, January 26, 2008, the same day thelast SAT examination was written. Five institutionsmade presentations: United World College;World Wide Integrated Network and Education;Edu-Canada; Abbey College, and BosworthIndependent College.BOSWORTH INTERVIEW: Bosworth IndependentCollege interviewed nine LJC students whoapplied for the scholarship slots the collegegranted Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja. With theresults of the interview released, four studentshave been offered partial scholarship. Miss OnaIke and Master Charles Ezeani are offered partial[25%] scholarsip to Bosworth IndependentCollege, while Miss Uju Ebili and Master KenechukwuOkechukwu have been offered partial[20%] scholarship to St. Michaels, Wales, a sisterinstitution to Bosworth Independent College.Congratulations to the short listed students.CANADIAN EDUCATION FAIR 2008: Thistook place on Saturday, February 2, 2008, at theREIZ Continental Hotel, Abuja. Eleven of ourstudents drawn from SS-1 & SS-2 attended thefair. They were accompanied by three LJC staffmembers, Miss Juliette Etchi, Mr. SamsonUwaila and Mr. Gabriel Egudu.INTERHOUSE SOCCER COMPETITION: Aspart of the ‘heats’ leading to the 9th Annual Inter-HouseSports competition, Regis defeatedLoyola House 1-0 in a very competitive soccermatch and then drew with the mighty Connellywho beat Xavier 4-0. (Ironically, Xavier has themost number of players in the school team!)6

NEW SUPERIOR GENERAL OF THE JESUITSAlthough he was elected for life, Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach SJ resigned as Superior General of theJesuits in January of 2008. At the age of 79, Fr. Kolvenbach presented his resignation to his Jesuitbrothers during the on-going 35th General Congregation of the Jesuits taking place in Rome. We havenow elected Fr. Adolfo Nicolás as our new General. And we are all very happy with the choice.Originally from Spain, Fr. Nicolás’ English is excellent, and he has worked for many years in Japan.At the age of 71, his field of study is theology and has been engaged in much parish work in Tokyo.The new Fr. General’s message, at the Mass of thanksgiving of his election, reechoes what Loyola JesuitCollege stands for: “As Jesuits, as Christians and as people of God, we are called to serve…..”I am Your Obedient Servant: Fr. Adolfo Nicolás capped an eventful week as new General of the Jesuits with a private audience with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVIFr. General’s message to the public and the media was the same, a speech delivered in Italian. “We arehere to serve,” he affirmed. “In this, the Lord is pleased.” The Spaniard continued, “To serve is whatcounts, to serve the Church, to serve the world, to serve all men and women….” Also reminiscent of theLoyola Jesuit College culture of unity in diversity, he said “Our message is news of salvation for allnations”, and he explained that ’nation’ must not be limited to a geographical entity but must embraceother human communities—especially those in need.7

COMPLETE WAEC RESULT RELEASED: Updated Percentage Analysis of LJC WAEC Result Statistics 2002 – 2007SUBJECT 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007English Language Distinction 86 95 86 95 40 100Credit 14 5 13 5 60 0Pass 0 0 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Mathematics Distinction 73 84 89 92 81 88Credit 15 13 9 5 9 9Pass 10 2 2 2 2 3Fail 1 1 0 0 0 0Hausa Distinction 13 15 5 31 21 10Credit 30 28 21 17 49 12Pass 25 25 43 36 25 27Fail 25 32 31 17 3 51Economics Distinction 63 85 91 73 100 96Credit 34 14 9 25 0 4Pass 3 1 0 2 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0French Distinction 80 77 25 0 54 89Credit 20 23 75 0 38 11Pass 0 0 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Christian Religious Studies Distinction 92 78 86 99 91 100Credit 8 22 14 1 9 0Pass 0 0 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Literature in English Distinction 83 91 100 56 90 100Credit 17 9 0 41 10 0Pass 0 0 0 4 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Physics Distinction 94 87 96 99 87 92Credit 6 10 4 1 7 8Pass 0 1 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Chemistry Distinction 68 66 87 90 87 62Credit 26 31 13 8 7 33Pass 6 3 0 0 0 4Fail 0 0 0 1 0 1Biology Distinction 64 91 85 89 99 94Credit 36 9 15 10 0 6Pass 0 0 0 1 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Government Distinction 71 95 83 89 100 95Credit 25 5 17 7 0 5Pass 0 0 0 4 0 0Fail 4 0 0 0 0 0Further Mathematics Distinction 100 100 100 94 100 100Credit 0 0 0 6 0 0Pass 0 0 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Geography Distinction 87 90 89 100 100 91Credit 13 8 11 0 0 9Pass 0 2 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Technical Drawing Distinction 47 83 97 96 97 70Credit 34 17 3 4 3 27Pass 9 0 0 0 0 3Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Agricultural Science Distinction 100 91 100 48 89 97Credit 0 9 0 45 8 3Pass 0 0 0 6 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0Foods & Nutrition Distinction 67 100 100 94 100 100Credit 33 0 0 0 0 0Pass 0 0 0 0 0 0Fail 0 0 0 0 0 0History Distinction NA 0 0 100 100 100Credit NA 50 100 0 0 0Pass NA 40 0 0 0 0Fail NA 10 0 0 0 0NOTE: In the above analysis, Distinction = A1, B2, B3; Credit = C4, C5, C6 ; Pass = D7, E8; Fail = F98

LJC INTER-HOUSE SPORTS 2008Programme of EventsMassParents and Guests Arrive and Move Towards Sports ArenaCompetitors gather at the sports groundOpening Prayer (By Assistant Chaplain)National AnthemMarch PastLighting of the TorchWelcome Address (Principal)Opening Speech (Chairman)Oath Taking by OfficialsOath Taking by Competitors100m HurdlesLunch Begins (served as Sporting events unfold below)9.00 am10:45 am11.00 am11.05 am11:10 am11:15 am12:00 pm12:05 pm12:15 pm12:25 pm12:35 pm12:45 pm1:00 pm4 x 100m Relay (Senior)4 x 200m Relay (Intermediate)100m Final (Senior)200 m Final (Junior)(Other field events will go on simultaneously as the above track events)Cricket MatchInvitation RelaysAwards and Final Presentation of PrizesClosing Remarks by Special Guest of HonourVote of Thanks by the Principal or the ChairmanClosing Prayer by the ChaplainGuests depart4:00 pm4:30 pm4:45 pm4:50 pm5:00 pm9

LJC ENTRANCE EXAM 2008As introduced last year, application foradmission into LJC has remained strictly online,via our Admissions Portal located at:www.loyolajesuit.org/admissions.Our application forms were available for completionat this site between November 1st 2007 and1st February 2008. The application phase istherefore effectively over. We are however grantinga concession provided that the late applicationsare completed and registered locally atLoyola Jesuit College campus. Such candidates(submitting late applications) must also selectLoyola Jesuit College Abuja as their test centerand pay a late entry fee. When a prospective candidatehas thus applied through the college website,the information captured in the onlinesystem is similar to that on the abolished paperapplication form. Unless the candidate completesall the fields on the displayed form, it would beimpossible to print out the form.Upon completion and submission of theform, the system automatically generates andsends an email each to the candidate, the candidate’sparents and to the Principal of LJC. Theemail to the parents will contain a link to enablethem view a copy of the completed applicationform. The system will also simultaneously displaya printable version of the form containing all theinformation the candidate has entered. At thisstage, the candidate must print a hard copy of thecompleted application form. The printed formconsists of two clearly demarcated sections – theMain Application form and the ExaminationLJC ENTRANCE EXAM 2008Admission Ticket. The candidate’s passport-sizedphotograph must be pasted in the boxes providedon the main form and the examination admissionticket. The completed application form, bearing thepassport photographs, should then be handed tothe registration centre. After payment at the registrationcenter, the candidate is issued a unique ExaminationNumber.The exam number must be pasted in thespaces marked EXAM NUMBER on the main formand the examination admission ticket. The ExamAdmission Ticket should then be separated fromthe Main Form along the line specified. The mainform is then left with our representative at theregistration center, while the candidate retains theexamination admission ticket to be presented onthe day of the entrance examination.We have our past entrance exam questionspublished on the internet. After a candidate for theEntrance Exam has paid the prescribed registrationfee, he or she will be issued (alongside the ExaminationNumber) a unique and time-limited passwordthat enables them to access and download ourpast entrance examination question papers. Henceno one should pay any money to anyone for ourpast entrance exam questions.To share an LJC secret with our parents, atthe next entrance exam, there will be a digitalphoto taken of each candidate at the point of writingthe exam. Should the candidate pass the exam,a comparative digital photograph will be taken atregistration and at resumption. Best wishes to all,particularly the siblings of the Pride!10

PROJECTS 2008While we continue to consolidate our academic program along an irreversible path of progress,we also intend to commission a few projects during this academic year. Presently, the tennis courts (fourof them, thanks to our veteran Loyola parents Dr. Wale Babalakin and Chief Chidolue) are almost readyAn Aerial view of two of the four tennis courts under constructionfor commissioning. Also to be commissionedon Inter-House Sports Dayare two badminton courts, thanks tothe father of our former Head Girl,Mr. Mohammed Badamasuiy. By theend of the First Term of next academicyear (December 2008) we hopeto have fully installed the followingfacilities at Loyola Jesuit College: acentral water heating system that willserve all the students’ hostels; a standardswimming pool; CCTV for security;extension of the clinic, anotherbuilding for faculty residence, e . t. c.A Staff Residential Block presently under construction11

JESUIT MEMORIAL COLLEGE (JMC) PORT HARCOURTOn Tuesday the 29th of January 2008, Br. O.T. Jonah SJ (former Principal of LJC) and Mr. KevinOdey SJ (Jesuit Development Officer) and Fr. Jerry Aman SJ (Chairman of JMC Planning Committee)traveled to Port Harcourt to meet with the Governor of Rivers State. They were joined by three of ourbereaved parents of the Sosoliso crash, Mr. Joe Egwelle, Dr. Andy Ilabor and Dr. Tony Loolo. On theirthird attempt, they finally got in to see Governor Chibuike Amaechi. He was most gracious.The most crucial reason for seeing the governor was because of a dispute on the land for JMCwhich has for a long time now stopped construction of the wall and the clearing of the land. The Governorresponded unhesitatingly that he would make sure that the land dispute is settled as soon as possible,and he assigned the matter to his Chief of Staff to follow up. He also said that the other requests inour petition would be granted. We asked that electricity be brought to the land, that the government dothe inner roadways, that security be provided and that a contact person be established for whenever wemight have follow-up issues. We are also hoping that they will track down the C of O, which is yet to begiven to JMC. Nonetheless, We thank God for the good results of this visit.From left to right: Mr. Kevin Odey SJ; the Rivers State Attorney General; Aide to the Governor; Governor ChibuikeAmaechi; Mr. Joe Egwelle; Br. O.T. Jonah SJ; Fr. Jerry Aman SJ; Dr. Andy Ilabor, and Dr. Tony Loolo.12

ADVERT RATE FOR THE LJC YEAR BOOK 2008:Adverts, felicitations and congratulatory messagesin our forthcoming yearbook will cost N70, 000 for afull page; N50, 000 for half page, and N35, 000 for aquarter page. Please pay to the account’s office withyour advert details on or before the 10th of March2008. No payment nor message will be acceptedafter this date. The photos of the Graduating Class(present SS-3 students) will be taken during the SS-3 extension Classes. They are to dress formally ineither traditional or in suit/tie. Please, come withthose attires when resuming for Extension Classes.CREDIT LIMIT FOR STUDENTS: Any studentwhose account with the school is in the red, especiallyin a deficit of above (N20,000) twenty thousandNaira, will no longer be able to purchase anyitem in the school tuck shop. Parents should pleasecheck their wards’ account through the Parent Portalor contact the school’s Accounts Secretary via e-mail: accountsec@loyolajesuit.orgSTUDENTS AND MEDICATION: Students returningto school after receiving medical treatment athome must submit a medical report to the school/clinic on return to school. All medication in whateverform must be submitted to the clinic staff onarrival at school. Students are not allowed to keepmedication in their hostels, unless approved by thenurse on duty. Any medication confiscated from thestudents are never returned. All students are servedwith Chewable Multivitamin tablets, no student isrequired to bring any multivitamin or Dietary supplementto the school (except for special cases withclear medical reports from the doctor); otherwisesuch vitamins would be confiscated. Parents shoulddesist from the practice of giving their wards medicationsto swallow on the spot during visiting days.Such undocumented doctoring often lead to drugreactions/confusion. Parents who wish to know thehealth status of their wards should visit the ParentPortal or see the nurse on duty on visiting days. Weplead with parents to please cooperate/support ourmedical team in the discharge of their duties.KNOW YOUR USER NAME: When you log-on tocertain parts of our website as a parent, the systemmay require your username. Please, be remindedthat your username is your ward’s surname and admissionnumber combined as a unit. Needless tosay, you alone (should) know your passwordTHE PARENT PORTAL: Please note that the timetablefor finding your ward’s latest CA scores on thewebsite is 10 days after the CA test. The medical anddisciplinary reports are uploaded fortnightly, whilethe accounts report is updated every month. Shouldyou have any problem accessing the Parent Portal,contact the IT Dept: itcenter@loyolajesuit.org“THEY HAVE STOLEN MY STUFF”: It is true that thereare some among the Pride who take and use other people’sbelongings without permission. However, we have moreevidence that 95% of the “stolen items” are actually abandonedout of carelessness and forgetfulness. The Hostel Directorand the Matron have reported that the lost-but-foundstores in both the Boys’ and Girls’ Hostels now overflowwith students’ belongings, including items like electric iron,soccer boots, uniforms, games wear, shoes, sandals, belts,books, mosquito nets etc. These are not just items belongingto past generations of students. Every day our hardworkingand honest cleaners continue to gather items belonging tostudents which will eventually be thrown into the storewhen students refuse to claim the items at the end of theday.Some students exhibit attitudes that suggest wastefulness,show of affluence, carelessness and laziness. Some woulddeliberately refuse to pick up their clothes when they havefallen on the lawn especially during the rainy season, claimingthat they are no longer fit for use. Some students wouldsoak clothes in buckets and leave for vacation. During vacationwe pick up abandoned items belonging to students thatare lying around in the hostel area, and the items are placedin the store so that students who care could come to pick uptheir stuff when they return. Our experience has been thatvery few students come to re-claim their lost-but-founditems, and would rather prefer to tell their parents, “Theyhave stolen my….” Some students unashamedly tell the staffthat they do not need the found items anymore and wouldrather ask mum/dad for new items.Our lost-but-found storerooms now need decongesting.Parents should play their role in holding their wards accountablefor their belongings and be slow in rushing to buynew items for them or in pointing accusing fingers at otherstudents. We strongly recommend that parents should marktheir wards valuable items for easy identification. Studentsbasically use similar things and anyone can lay claim to anyunmarked item. It is easier for us to trace a genuine case ofstealing if students would mark all their valuable items. Onthe part of the Administration the following structures are inplace to encourage students to take care of their belongings.‣ It is mandatory for every student to lock his/her boxand locker in the classroom and hostel.‣ It is mandatory for students to mark their belongings—asany unmarked item belongs to no one.‣ Any lost-but-found item that is marked shall be returnedfree of charge if the student comes to claim it.The student may be punished depending on the particularcircumstance.‣ Any lost-but-found item that is not marked shall bereturned to the claimant with a token charged to thestudent’s account or be given to any student thatneeds it for the same charge. Dear parents, for yourchild to say “They stole my things” is most often nottrue in LJC. A little prodding by parents will make a13

FR. JOHN-OKORIAIBHAKEWANLAN SJMore and more, there is a growing partnership among various Jesuit schools around the world. Recently,all nine Jesuit schools in the British Province entered into partnership with Jesuit schools in “theThe Principal of Stonyhurst College in the Admin Office of Loyola Jesuit College Abujadeveloping” world. A staff person has been appointed to design a website and create a program of activitiesfor the partnership. Two of the fee-paying schools in the Province have been linked with schools inthe impoverished urban areas of Britain (http://www.jesuit.org.uk/schools.htm). It is the same spirit in LatinAmerica, where the association of Jesuit secondary schools, Federacion Latinoamericana de ColegiosJesuitas, has drawn up a strategic plan for its 97 schools. The plan has four parts: vision, mission, valuesand courses of action. There are 291 Jesuits working in schools in 19 Latin American countries(www.flacsi.net). In general, each country provides its own unique opportunity for Jesuit involvement inEducation. The Democratic Republic of Congo has an annual Education Day. Last Spring, the Jesuitschool in Bukavu (College Alfajiri) invited a Jesuit school in Burundi (Lycée de Saint Esprit) for the nationalcelebration. The two school communities shared a weekend of activities, including Mass, a tour ofBukavu, a formal ceremony with civic and religious dignitaries and a presentation of Moliere’s Le MaladeImaginaire. The purpose of such partnership is for mutual enrichment in our Ignatian ideal of excellence.16

FRIENDSNo one wants to be left aloneStaring aimlessly at the phoneSo make new friends, but keep the oldOne is silver, and the other is gold.By Nneoma Asinugo (JS 2-A)In happy times, friends come to usIn hard times, we come to know our friendsBy Kosi Ejieji (JS 2-B)Here in school, I have learned toChoose my friends by their characterAnd my socks by their colour.Those who bring sunshine to others’ livesCannot keep that light to themselvesBy Idorenyin Okoko (JS 2-E)LEAD THOU ME ONLead, kindly Light, amid encircling gloomLead thou me on.The night is dark, and I am far from homeLead thou me on.Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to seeThe distant scene; one step enough for me.I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thouShouldst lead me on.I loved to choose and see my path; but nowLead thou me on.I loved the garish day, and, spite of fearsPride ruled my will: remember not past years.So long thy power hath blest me, sure it stillWill lead me on.O’er moor and fenO’er crag and torrent, tillThe night is gone.And with the morn those Angel faces smileWhich I have loved long since and lost awhile.By John H. NewmanI AM PROUD OF DADTwo little boys, each feeling overly confident about theirfathers' accomplishments boasted to each other:The first went on, 'My dad is the greatest; you see thatblazing sun up there in the sky? Dad set it ablaze!'The second boy, feeling highly challenged, thought for asplit second and then declared: “You know the most troublesomesea which had for long claimed people’s lives;my dad killed it, and now it is known as the Dead Sea.“At the end, they both looked at each other; they saidnothing and walked home, feeling very proud.By Mr. Columbus Chopka (LJC Faculty, Geography)LIKE MOTHER LIKE DAUGHTEROne day a little girl noticed that her mother had severalstrands of white hair on her head.She looked at her mother and asked, "Why are some ofYour hair strands white, Mom?"Her mother replied, "Well, every time you do somethingWrong and make me cry or unhappy, one strand of myHair turns white."The little girl thought about this revelation for a whileand said, "Mum, how come ALL grandma's hair is white?"AnonymousGOD SENTThey never get in your wayUnless it’s definitely heading for ruinThey care about bridges you’ll get toBefore you get there.They stay strongly beside youThrough bad and good times.God allows bad times and good timesBecause He trusts they’re there to help.They’re angels in form of friends.Comfort Samuel (JS3-D)Please, feel free to share your own insights and reflectionswith other members of the Loyola Community.Contact the Principal via e-mail:jo@loyolajesuit.org OR jo@jesuits.net18