Minutes:
Mivukoni Secondary school trust Meeting October 7th 2011
Present
Juliana Muthui, BOG, Juliana Musyima, PTA, Angeline Mbula (chair), Lilian syanda, Stephen Kameti, Samuel Maithya, teacher, Harriet Matsaert, Dennis Kasimbu, DEO Arimi Kinyua, teacher.
Apologies: Francis Koma
Minutes taken by: Harriet Matsaert
1. Introduction
Meeting opened at 10.30.
2. Approval of agenda
Approved
3. Matters arising from previous minutes
Action completed:
1. Library construction has begun and brick breaking machine loaned
2. Plastic seats have been purchased.
3. Government computers have arrived but will be kept in a computer lab not library.
4. Study tour funded and completed.
5. Revision proposal made and funded.
6. Proposal for library contents begun.
7. Head girl has written report on girls needs.
Not yet completed:
1. Proposal with Min of Education for new classroom.
2. Have a quotation for wiring of bandas but financially not able to fund it yet.
3. KWS school visit to national park. Not yet done because of transport problem. But still planned.
4. Plans for girls’ scholarship. TAS may not be the right organization to respond to this.
5. Application for second stage of school partnerships has been done.
6. Support for sports. KWS have not done anything. There are many other organizations that could support sport in schools.
Action
1. Stephen to follow up KWS bus trip to park
2. Lillian to ensure that billboard with donors and projects to be completed by end of October.
3. Teachers to include article on TAS, features on library and Hampton teacher visits in next edition of school magazine.
4. Teachers to arrange to take pictures of key occasions and visitors.
5. Next meeting could include a study tour to see other schools with computers.
6. Lilian to contact the councilor and ask for grading of the sports field. This is a job of the council.
7. Lillian and Harriet to complete proposal for library contents and send to Hampton academy for their advice.
8. Statistics on girls in school in Kyuso. Dennis Kasimbu will provide for Kyuso.
4. General report on school progress since last meeting
Report from head girl:
What stops girls from doing well at school.
1. Water. Spend a long time carrying water from the source.
2. Would like an alarm clock
3. Lack of text books
Most significant gender issue is lack of basic necessities particularly sanitary pads and underwear.
BOG is working on the water issue. This is being managed by CDF (community development fund) and must be shared between school and the community.
Angeline will follow up with people who are supporting the provision of sanitary pads.
School trip to Rift Valley
Form 4s took a study trip to the Rift valley with Mr Kinyua and Mr Maithya. This included visits to Egerton university, Lake Bogoria, Hells Gate, Delamere’s farm (to learn about milk processing). The trip allowed the students to see and experience many things they have been studying, particularly in geography.
School IT centre
The school has received 877,000 shillings from Ministry of Education for provision of computers. Safaricom were successful and have just delivered 11 computers. Installation by end of October and will be connected to Internet. They will also boost the connection to Mivukoni village. Mivukoni is one of only two ‘school IT centres’ in Kyuso district.
Action
1. Angeline to follow up the needs of the girls for sanitary towels with organizations who support this. Lillian to provide information on the numbers of girls.
5. Report on ongoing projects
Revision programme
Extra coaching and interactive learning (discussion groups) are being held. Students receive an extra 2 hours teaching a day and on Saturdays. Teachers have organized practicals in science subjects on Saturday and Sunday. Have also used the grant to fund motivational speakers and examiners. Have covered all subjects apart from computer, which is still to come. The examiners give tips on answering exam papers e.g. the difference between discuss and compare? Also bought some mocks exam papers. Use discussion groups to go through papers.
Interactive teaching is being used in the other classes too. Students are reacting well.
Library
The walls and window frames are completed and the library is now ready for roofing. Roofing begins today. Funding for second half (800,000) received today from TAS. At our meeting on October 6th we agreed that part of the wall between the main room and storeroom will be removed so that the librarian can see all areas of the library from their desk.
6. Completion reports
Reports attached
1. Plastic chairs for Bandas
2. Rift valley trip
3. Library first stage.
Action
1. As the school now has computers and will be connected to Internet, reports can be typed and mailed to Harriet in future.
2. Lillian to arrange for part of library wall to be removed to allow librarian to see all areas of library.
7. New proposals
Kindle idea – This is a programme developed by an organization called ‘World Reader’ to distribute Kindles (loaded with plentiful African literature) to Kenyan schools. Mivukoni teachers to read the material and give us feedback.
Nation Media – Newspapers in education. Cost is 18,000 shillings per school, which then receives all the Nation group papers (in English and Swahili) for a year. Teachers are trained to administer the project. The teachers administer a period to study the newspapers.
Currently 9 primary schools in Mwingi are taking part in this. The trustees agreed that this would be a useful programme for Mivukoni School.
Girls Scholarship fund
We decided to discuss this at a future date.
Library contents
We discussed this at our meeting at Mivukoni School on Oct 6th and are in the process of drawing up a proposal. This can be sent to Hampton academy for advice and feedback. The district education office can provide recommendations on selection of books. Teachers should also meet and decide on what books they need to support the curriculum in the next few years.
Computer proposal
10 computers of the schools existing computers are working but very old. 11 new computers now delivered. We decided not to apply for Camara computers because of the new delivery of MoE computers. These may not use the same software as the Camara suite. We also feel Camara may not want to work in a school which is already being supported by government. However, we would like to request the Camara staff to come and look at Mivukoni when they visit the other schools to give us their opinion on whether they would like to work there.
However, we decided to make an application for a suite of solar powered computers for the library. Perhaps start with fewer computers to reduce cost.
Equipment for Interactive Learning.
The school is interested in purchasing three televisions and DVDS and getting access to DSTV to assist interactive learning. Lillian to develop a proposal.
Teachers workshops with teachers from International School of Kenya
ISK teachers have offered to work with Mivukoni teachers on particular subject areas e.g. interactive learning for science. Mivukoni teachers could also shadow ISK teachers. Teachers to discuss and let Harriet know if they are interested.
Continuation of partnership with Hampton Academy
Hampton academy will provide funds for one Mivukoni teacher to come to UK in order to keep the relationship going while they wait for further British Council funds. Will request co funding from TAS for a second teacher to travel.
Action
1. School staff to look at ‘kindle’ proposal and give us feedback.
2. Lillian to make a proposal for Newspapers in education for Mivukoni School.
3. School staff and Harriet to complete proposal for library contents.
4. Library proposal to be sent to Hampton academy for feedback and advice.
5. Stephen to request Camara staff to visit Mivukoni and look at potential for installing computers there.
6. Lillian to get technical expert to look at existing computers and decide if they are worth keeping.
7. Harriet to ask Martin for a quote for a smaller number of computers for library.
8. Lillian to prepare proposals for solar computers, TVs, DVDs and DSTV for interactive learning and funds for trip to Hampton academy.
9. Teachers to give Harriet feedback on joint workshops with ISK teachers.
8. AOB
Linking Trust Activities with School Strategic Plan
We discussed the importance of linking TAS funding to the broader school plan and funds being raised by parents and the BOG. The BOG is in the process of updating the school’s strategic plan and we will begin the next meeting with a presentation of this. Dennis Kasimbu mentioned that there is also a District plan which he can present at the same time.
Talking of when TAS should withdraw from the school, Lillian said that the short-term aim is that students should have a dream and a means of achieving it.
Action
1. Angeline to circulate school strategic plan at next meeting.
2. Harriet to share ISK strategic plan
3. Dennis Kasimbu to present District educational plan at next meeting.
9. The meeting was concluded at 12.00. Next meeting early in 2012.
