Dear students, staff, parents, alumni and friends of JMC,
The second month of the year must have flown by like a whirlwind but its impact is sure to be felt
by us at the Heights for the foreseeble future. After four weeks of intensive teaching and learning, February arrived with the Phoenixes having to give an account of their studies. The three day Continuous Assessment test gave our hard working faculty insights into the potency of their teaching methodologies as well as the efficacy of digital learning adopted by the college. The outcome of the assessment tests highlights the need for the utilisation of diverse teaching methods and resource materials for classroom instruction.
Coming on the heels of the continuous assessment weekend was the Jesuit Schools Entrance Examination which took place on the 15th. The second iteration of the joint entrance examination into Jesuit schools in Nigeria took place under very good conditions and organisation at the college. That said, I applaud the unrelenting commitment of Mr. Martin KUNDARI, S.J., our director of Admission and all who worked closely with him to give the candidates a foretaste of human excellence that is characteristic of Jesuit education, especially our excellent Phoenixes.
The entrance examination day was immediately followed by visitation day, whose importance cannot be overemphasised in our collective mission of educating and forming our excellent Phoenixes. So, I urge you, parents, to continue to observe a crucial visitation day protocol of meeting with the class teachers of your children to obtain information about the progress they are making in their pursuit of excellence in character and learning.
Having earlier reported that the college was in the process of registering our Class of 2025 Phoenixes for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), I am pleased to inform you that the entire class of students have now been duly registered for the exam scheduled to take place from 25 April to 5 May, 2025. That said, I thank the parents of the graduating class for their collaborative effort which ensured the timely and smooth registration of our excellent Phoenixes for UTME. On a related note, the registration of Phoenixes of the Class of 2028 for the Basic Education Certificate Examination is in progress and nearing completion. I thank the examination officer of the college, Mrs Rosemary KANU and her team for the diligence with which they carry out their duties diligently and meticulously.
In fostering the Jesuit identity of our dear college as an institution committed to global citizenship, nine students, all senior school Phoenixes, alongside nine others of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja, were delegates to the 62nd North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN LXII) Conference which took place in Washington DC, USA, from the 13th to the 16th day of the month. The 4-day conference centred around the theme “Diplomacy Through Education,” afforded 3,300 delegates from around the globe to foster the development of essential skills such as negotiation, communication, research, critical thinking, and decision-making. During the conference, delegates were encouraged to explore how knowledge and learning can drive effective and compassionate diplomacy, empowering them to address global challenges with creativity and commitment. As part of the conference, our student delegations visited and were given a tour of the US Capitol, the centre of diplomatic negotiations in the United States. Moreover, during the trip, we were treated to lunch at a Nigerian restaurant by the Director of Graduate Admissions at Canisius University, Buffalo, New York, Mr. Amo-Augustus KUBEYINJE, who flew in from Buffalo to make our time in wintery Washington more exciting and memorable. Thank you, Mr. Kubeyinje, for your generosity and hospitality, and be rest assured that we shall return the favour when next you are in Port Harcourt. Meanwhile, one of the highlights of the NAIMUN Conference trip was the reunion with some of our alumni studying at Howard University and University of Maryland. It was a joy seeing them and a consolation listening to their testament of how well JMC had prepared them for their current academic endeavour. The testaments of these alumni and the progress of many more like them inspire in us greater commitment to our dual mission of educating and forming the children in our charge. Reflecting on the NAIMUN conference and its attendant experiences, I am moved with gratitude to Mr. Chika NWAOZUZU, the Chair, Governing Council of the Nigeria Model United Nations Society (NigMUN) for smoothly arranging the trip and coordinating it efficiently. I am equally grateful to the parents of our student delegates for their support and sacrifice which made the conference a reality. Preparations for the 63rd iteration of the conference will commence soon and it is our hope that we shall have in attendance, a student delegation that will continue to place the college on the world map.
In recognition of the importance of sports in Jesuit education, our female and male athletes represented the college gallantly at the Annual Inter-House Sports Competitions of several secondary schools within the Port Harcourt metropolis. I congratulate our Phoenix athletes for their discipline, resilience, and sportsmanship which places them miles apart from their contemporaries. In the same vein, I congratulate the Director of Sports Mr. Joseph ODO, for his tremendous work of not only training our students athletes but also fostering discipline and the spirit of sportsmanship in them.
As I write, the Phoenixes are gearing up for the second Continuous Assessment (CA) Test of the term scheduled to commence on the 5th of March. I wish them greater success as they give account of their learning during the second regime of the term. That said, I have observed a pattern of certain group of parents requesting exeats for their children soon after CA, which as it were undermines the integrity of the college. Consequently, I wish to state categorically that except for very serious health conditions, exeat on the heels of a CA test will be declined. Meanwhile, to curtail the increasing weekend absence of students from the college for supposedly dental, orthodontical and Ophthalmological appointments, exeats for the said appointments shall be only for a day, preferrable a Saturday. Hence, parents will be required to pick up their children from the college on the day of the appointment and return them immediately after the appointment failure of which will be severely sanctioned.
Demonstrating the commitment of the college to nurture talents, I am pleased to recognise the authors of three articles published in this newsletter edition, which if well read and reflected upon have the potency of positive influence and great transformation. The article on gratitude addressed to the Phoenixes by Jedidiah Ayooluwa ADELOYE, and that on the dangers of comparison addressed to teachers and parents by Atinuke Chimamanda AJAYI, charge those to whom they are addressed to be people of gratitude and to appreciate difference respectively. Reflecting on the potency of silence, Upright Chiemezuo EMEH, invites us to embrace it for greater self-actualisation and fulfilment. The trio of Jedidiah, Atinuke, and Upright are our Phoenixes of the Month for their demonstration of perfect eloquence by the ink of their pens.
As we draw the curtain on February, I am grateful to God and to each and everyone of you for all we were able to accomplish together for our excellent Phoenixes and our dear college community. Looking forward to a March packed with activities not least the Open Day and End of Term Examinations, I urge us all to be ever more dedicated to the cause of human excellence which is the ultimate goal of our brand of education.
With profound gratitude,
Alexander E. IRECHUKWU, S.J.