His Honour George Thuo, Member of Parliament for Juja Constitutency, His Worship the Mayor of Thika, Johnson Githaiga, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Dr. Raju Mohindra, Members of the Board of Governors, Chief Guest, Mrs. Julie Gichuru, Invited Guests, Alumni, Parents, Teachers and Students

Today we come together as a community to honour those students who have performed well academically and in other aspects of school life during the past academic year. I want to congratulate them on their achievements as they are the reason for this occasion to acknowledge their effort and results.

I stand before you today with confidence that we will make Imani a household name. As the stakeholders of the school, parents, children and as teachers, we must all play a part in rising to the challenges of today’s academic, social and economic temperatures.

The responsibility of raising your child falls into two categories at this stage in their lives; home and school. We accept the role as parents when your child is with us but we also require you to fulfill the parental duties when they are with you.

The students of today have more distractions in their life and more than likely, less family time. Each one of us is pulling them in opposite directions. Each of us wants them to succeed in all that they are doing but let me ask you a few questions from ‘Parenting 101”

1. When was the last time the whole family sat down at a relaxed meal at home together?
2. When was the last time you sat down with your children and listened to what they were saying? More importantly heard what they were saying?

3. When was the last time you did something as a family that didn’t cost you anything? A walk, a bike ride, playing board games, putting together a jigsaw puzzle?

Family time today is ending up being ‘me time’ or alone time. How can we get to know our children if we don’t spend time with them? Oh I can hear you mumbling under your breath,” the children understand if we don’t spend time with them.” Do they? Anytime you give them money instead of your time, they are not going to say no! But let it be said when your children think about it, they would rather have the time with you.

I need your help to revitalize Imani. We will be 40 years old in 2009. As the adage says ‘life begins at 40; let us all join together and set our sights on making Imani a greater place to learn and live in.

I am not asking for you to do any more than I myself would do. Those of you who know me, know that commitment is my middle name and the children are my priority. Under my guidance our goals are to improve facilities, to increase numbers and better our results.

During the past year, our numbers have hovered around 150 students. Right now we are approximately 130. We need to maximize our facilities by maximizing the number of students in the school.

We have successfully undertaken the Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 SATS and have performed above the United Kingdom average. In our ‘O’ Level results, 64% returned grades A* - C and 63% returned at least three principal passes at A Level. This is not good enough and we hope to improve upon this.

I want to thank all my staff, the candidates, and their parents for this achievement. I also want to thank the PTA for their contribution to the Speech Day in the donation of the Effort prizes.

Although the Foundation class is not very large, we have been able to place each student in University this fall.

We need you, present parents, to help us market the school. Yes we can go out to the various shopping malls and supermarkets to advertise ourself but we know that the best advertisement is the cheapest and most effective = word of mouth.

We aim to provide your child with the best education possible not only inside the classroom but outside as well.

I will call upon each of you to assist. How? be an active participant in your child’s education. This doesn’t mean meddling with the everyday running of the school leave that to us but you have the Parent Teachers’ Association to use as a forum to express your concerns. Take an interest in your child’s successes and concern about his failures. Come to the sports fixtures and to the Parent Teacher Conferences.

Down the time line don’t use the term ‘I wish I had…’ when it comes to your child’s accomplishments in school.

It is important that you allow your child to be a child. Do not over burden them with a timetable of activities that requires a diploma in time management to follow. Let them be. Let them have ‘downtime’ to develop their character and natural talents but don’t let them become ‘couch potatoes’ as you are out earning money to make their lives more comfortable.

One of the challenges that we as teachers face on a daily basis is the inability of our students to entertain themselves. They should not have to be told what to do but should be able to keep themselves busy constructively.

AND

Reading is something which has gone by the wayside. Technological advancement has been abused and has therefore become an obstruction. Why? because your child is a member of the dot com generation and they have the internet and the TV that entertain them. We would rather buy them an Xbox, or WII than a book. Which, in the long run, is the more fulfilling?

Assist us by ensuring your child develops a reading culture not only in school but at home and that they do not bring unnecessary gadgets to school.

During the past academic year we have been busy. Your children have been involved on the sports fields and in the swimming pool. Our students have had international exposure not only in swimming but also in Taekwondo and they brought back medals for their achievements. Our preprep students returned from a local competition with 1 gold and 4 silver medals. Great success for 5 and 6 year olds. We were selected also to travel to South Africa for shooting.

Within the academic walls, we have participated in Maths challenges, and verse speaking competitions. Middle School Model United Nations was attended by the younger High School students, while the seniors once again participated in the MUN. We have also participated in the Giraffe Center AFEW competition claiming 3 of the 4 top prizes in the High School Art.

Prep school students have gone to the David Sheldrick Elephant Sanctuary and are in the process of adopting Makenya, a baby elephant.

Not only do we bring out the talents within the classroom but also on stage. The prep school entertained us before Christmas with Hosanna Rock and the Seniors put on an African based play during the second term.

Community service has become more important in our students’ lives. We visited an Aids orphanage in Ol Donyo Sabuk bringing not only supplies but ourselves to play with the children. We organized a Bazaar whose proceeds went to those in need. Some of our students took part in the Barclay’s Step Ahead Walk and the Hogg Charge raising money for these worthy causes.

I once again want to thank my teaching staff for the hard work during the past year. We are fortunate to have a stable teaching staff with only three teachers having left us this past year.

I would like to welcome Gabriel Kamau who is teaching Business and Mathematics in the High School as well as Mrs. Abranches who is teaching English in the Prep School. In addition to this Mrs. Abranches along with her husband have been appointed House Parents within the boarding section. Mr. Abranches is also assisting me in the administration and accounts departments.

A school cannot run without the Ancillary Staff; drivers, matrons, cleaners, gardners, office workers, those people who are always there willing to assist your children. To them a very big asante sana .

Once again my challenge to you as parents is to allow your child to remember their days in school and all that they include. When you think back to your school days will your child have the same type of memories?

We hope to make their time at Imani, not only academically fulfilling but also memorable.

Through our joint efforts we have to revive Imani and make it a place of hope for a better future for our students. Difficult times make us stronger and wiser, while if we are united and cooperate our strength will make Imani a household name once again.