Dear Students, Staff, Parents, Alumni and Friends of JMC,
Greetings of Eastertide from the Heights!
It gives me great joy to welcome you to the third and final term of the academic year after a well-deserved holiday at the end of a very eventful penultimate term. For a greater part of the holiday, members of the Class of 2026 were deeply immersed in the Citizenship and Leadership Training programme, and I am pleased to inform you that they were all certified by the programme directors whom I applaud for their dedication and commitment to the noble course of training our Phoenixes for transformational leadership and patriotic citizenship. I equally applaud the Phoenixes who applied themselves unreservedly to the programme and are subsequently reaping its benefits. Drawing on their experiences of the programme, it is my hope that they will be a positive presence in our college community influencing the lives of its members for the better.
Following the departure of the Class of 2026 from the Heights for a weeklong hiatus, the current academic term began for the Class of 2024 who made their way back to the college on the 9th with renewed vigour and excitement for the final lapse of their academic journey at the cradle of Hope Reborn. No sooner had they resumed than they began intensive revision for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), which they took from the 19th to the 25th day of the month. Our Phoenixes were extremely successful at the exam, as 96% of them scored 300 and above, which puts them in the league of the 0.4% top achievers nationwide. I hereby congratulate them for a stellar performance while charging them to remain focused in the days and weeks ahead as they take the most consequential exam of secondary school: The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) (see Figures 1 and 2 below for the performance analysis of the Phoenixes’ UTME results of the Class of 2024). While I congratulate our Phoenixes, I wish to sincerely thank our Port Harcourt parents who accommodated some of them in their homes as they exited the college to take their exams in centers across the Port Harcourt metropolis. Thank you dear parents for your invaluable assistance; we are deeply grateful and appreciative of your support.
The term, for the rest of the Phoenixes, got off to a pleasant and promising start on the 13th following a two-day workshop for academic staff on the theme: Learning by Refraction. Facilitated by Br. OT Jonah, S.J., the inaugural principal of the college, the workshop sought to equip teachers with the Ignatian pedagogical styles of teaching that help learners grow in their relationships to the world and peoples around them. I express our profound gratitude to Br. Jonah, as we continue to enjoy the benefits of his wealth of experience and expertise in Ignatian Pedagogy.
A source of concern regarding resumption for the term is the growing number of Phoenixes who fail to resume on the day of resumption, with or without permission, only to resume during the first week of classes, disrupting the rhythm of the college, which makes learning quite difficult, if not impossible. This is totally unacceptable for it undermines every effort made by the college to provide essential information about school activities and events to members of the college community well ahead of time. Given the encumbrances precipitated by the week day resumption of our Phoenixes, it has become necessary to address the growing laxity of parents towards scheduled dates of school resumption. Please be informed that, henceforth, Phoenixes who fail to return to school on scheduled days of resumption will only be allowed to resume the following weekend, thus, will automatically miss a week of classes, which obviously will not be in their best interest. If this were to be the case, the Phoenix will automatically be placed on Academic Probation to facilitate their learning. A Phoenix is exempted from this proscription if the delay in resumption is necessitated by the postponement or cancellation of one’s flight. I hereby appeal to you, dear parents to lend us your maximum support and ensure that our excellent Phoenixes resume on scheduled date of resumption.
As I write, our Class of 2027 Phoenixes are well prepped for the National Examination Council Basic Education Certificate Examination (NECO-BECE). The exam is scheduled to commence on Monday, May 13, and end on Friday, May 24, 2024. Upon completing their certificate exam, they will commence their post Junior School Career Week programme before embarking on a well-deserved vacation. While on vacation, the Phoenixes are required to engage in a month-long Internship to further discern their career path and interest. Consequently, I implore their parents/guardians to explore several internship opportunities that would help clarify their passions and career choices.
Looking ahead, I am obliged to remind us of the Academic Conference (Open Day) and Club Exhibitions of the term scheduled for Saturday, May 25, 2024. Given the importance of these events in the realization of the vision of the college in the life of each and every Phoenix, I entreat you to make every effort to be in attendance. Following the Academic Conference (Open Day) and Club Exhibitions events is the first Visiting Day of the term. As usual, you are invited to join the college community in the celebration of the Holy Mass, the highest form of prayer in the Catholic Church. Holy Mass is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., and venue is the Dundon Close Court.
As we anticipate the 2024 graduation ceremony, I am filled with gratitude for the life of all our students, staff, parents, alumni and other friends of the College who continue to advance the Jesuit values of holistic education, human excellence, care of others, reconciliation with God, with each other, and with creation itself. Thank you for all you do to make this community so meaningful and life-giving to me and so many others.
I would be remiss not to mention that sixteen phoenixes obtained jaw-dropping scores of at least 350 in the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. To them, I tip my hat in recognition of their brilliance, resilience, adaptability and success. They are our Phoenixes of the Month and I give thanks to God for their stellar performance.
Sincerely yours in the service of Hope Reborn,
Fr. Alexander E. Irechukwu, S.J.
