Dear students, staff, parents, alumni and friends of JMC,
I am pleasantly surprised by the swift passage of time in the penultimate month of the term and am deeply grateful, first, to God Almighty for His graciousness and mercy, and to you for your commitment, support, and faith in the noble course for which the college is known and champions audaciously and unapologetically.
While I express my depth of gratitude for the successful execution of all the scheduled March events of the college, I implore your continued cooperation and support for the events that lie ahead, especially the climax event of the school year, the graduation ceremony of the Class of 2025, scheduled for Sunday, 6 July 2025, to which the habitual countdown has been activated by none other than the graduands. As I write, they are currently at home for a two-week hiatus following the completion of their final internal assessment of the college, namely, Mock-WASSCE. I congratulate them on this milestone achievement in their education expedition and wish them the best of accomplishments in the matriculation and certificate examinations required for their graduation. In my interactions with them during their Mock exam, they intimated me on their resolve to break the stellar records of their immediate predecessors, an utter demonstration of the audacious spirit that best characterises their set.
In the same vein, I congratulate Phoenixes of the Class of 2028, our junior school finalists, who with the completion of the Mock-BECE this term, have completed the internal academic assessments of junior school at the Heights; a milestone achievement worth mentioning and celebrating. Indeed, after nine years of Basic Education, Phoenixes of the Class of 2028 ought to be applauded for their tenacity and devotion to learning, especially these past three years at the Heights. Following the completion of their Mock, they shall embark on their second term vacation in the first weekend of April to resume in the month’s final weekend, ready to take their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), whose start date is yet to be announced by the examination board.
Though not preoccupied by the demands of external exams, Phoenixes of the non-examination classes were deeply engaged academically during the month as they gave account of the knowledge they had acquired from their numerous classes in both the second and third regimes of the term. The Second Continuous Assessment test of the term, which took place from the 5th to the 7th day of the month, witnessed a significant increase in performance to the delight of the determined, diligent, and disciplined Phoenixes. Deserving of recognition among these are ten Phoenixes of the Class of 2026, who demonstrated a remarkable balancing act by obtaining a ninety percent average or more in the second regime of the term while diligently serving the college community as prominent School Prefects. The success of these Phoenixes is an indication of human excellence, which the Jesuit education is designed to nurture and foster. I applaud these Phoenixes, whom I duly designate as the Phoenixes of the Month and by so doing uphold them as models to the rest of the Phoenixes, especially those struggling to establish the balance necessary for positive and effective living and learning at the Heights.
Among the notable events of the month is the first Academic Conference (Open Day) of the school year, which took place the same day as the Parents Teachers’ Association Meeting, that is, on the 16th. While the event was a huge success, I am aware that some parents, due to flight delays and cancellations, were unable to be at the college on time to meet with all the subject teachers of their children and get feedback on their ongoing holistic education and formation. Thus, for a more productive engagement between parents and the subject teachers of our beloved Phoenixes, the first Academic Conference of the 2025/2026 academic year is scheduled to be the sole event on the Saturday preceding the first visitation day of second term. Consequently, the first Parents Teachers’ Association Meeting of the 2025/2026 academic year will be the sole event scheduled for the Saturday preceding the second visitation day of second term. Given the foregoing reference to the 2025/2026 academic year, I am pleased to announce the approval of the termly school calendars for the said year by the Board of Trustees of the college during their meeting on the 22nd day of the month (see accompanying documents). With the publication of the school calendars for the 2025/2026 academic year, I implore you, parents, to make due reference to them when planning programmes involving your children, especially vacations, immigration and medical appointments.
Following the publication of the results of the 2025 Jesuit Schools Entrance Examination, the admission team spent a huge part of the month interviewing candidates shortlisted for admissions into the college for the next academic year beginning in August 2025. The importance of this exercise to the college cannot be overemphasized. Thus, I am profoundly grateful to everyone who played a part to ensure that the college continues to admit candidates with the right disposition (age and otherwise) for a holistic education aimed at human excellence. With that said, I congratulate the candidates who have enrolled into the college following the publication of the offer of provisional admission on the 31st. The college anticipates the arrival of the aforementioned candidates on Saturday, August 30, 2025, and urges them to prepare adequately for a transformative and enriching educational experience.
Among the notable experiences of March at the Heights is the observance of the Ramadan fast by Phoenixes of the Islamic faith. I applaud their devotion and commitment to upholding this principle of their faith by which they acknowledge their need for God and seek God’s assistance. Moreover, I wish them and the Muslim faithful everywhere countless blessings, with peace and happiness as they mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Looking ahead, as the students complete the End of Term exams and proceed on a well-deserved holiday, the Phoenixes of the Class of 2027 will commence their two-week-long Citizenship and Leadership Training. I invite them to take the program seriously, applying themselves to every exercise and activity as they are designed to instil and foster in them qualities of good citizenship and leadership skills. In the same vein, I invite the student leaders and retreatants of Kairos 18 cohort, Phoenixes of the Class of 2026, to give themselves to the profound spiritual exercises in order to reap its life-changing benefits.
To conclude, I wish one and all a happy and restful holiday, and in view of the upcoming Easter celebrations, pray that we will all have a safe and blessed Easter as we act in new, bold ways that bring about the triumph of good over evil, light over darkness, and life over death.
With profound gratitude,
Alexander E. IRECHUKWU, S.J.