Minutes:
Mivukoni TAS Meeting – May 16th 2014
Attendance
Principal, Lilian Syanda liliankiuli@yahoo.com
TAS, Steven Kameti
Boniface Kimathi, Computer teacher
bgichungi@gmail.com
Luke Arimi, teacher, 0717476122
Parent representative, Jedidah N.
Mwendwa tel 0729673093
BOG representative, Angeline Mbula
0723912283 angeline.mbula@yahoo.com
Harriet Matsaert, TAS Secretary. 0733 270166
Maithya Joshua M, Deputy Principal, jmaithyamat@yahoo.com
President of Student Body, Felistus Kyenza FKeynza@yahoo.com
Chair of Wildlife Club, Mwandikwa Mwikali
Mr Sam Mwangangi, English Teacher
Marina Manger Cats, Visitor
Apologies
Sam Mutetei
Francis Koma
1. Meeting called to Order
The meeting began at 2.30pm
2. Agenda approved.
3. Approval of previous
minutes and matters arising.
Outstanding Activities
a)
School newsletter progress. The activity has been delayed. The trustees suggested that rather than
waiting for a full newsletter, the teachers should focus on producing regular
and short pieces updating friends of Mivukoni on what is happening at
school. Boniface suggested a Mivukoni
school face book page.
Action: Boniface Kimathi and Sam Mwangandi, (patron of journalism club) to
create facebook site by end of May and to send link to all TAS trustees and
friends of TAS.
b) Sportsfield
Angeline
reported that the County government has advertised for graders. When they have been purchased. Angeline will prioritise Mivukoni.
Action: Angeline to action when she is allocated
fuel and man hours.
c) Student trip to Meru park
Stephen report
that we are waiting for KWS bus to be upgraded.
Action: Steven to facilitate trip when bus is mended.
d) Sanitary pad project
This issue has
been addressed. Sanitary pads are
provided by the principal to girls who cannot afford to buy them.
e) Newspaper project
This projects
has finished and there are no more papers.
The trustees agreed that daily newspapers are an important resource for
the students and that the school should provide atleast on daily paper.
Action; Lilian will arrange for the school to get a daily
newspaper delivery.
f) IT Strategy
Revised
strategy plans were discussed with Gill last year and resulted in the proposal to hire an IT technician with technical skills
to assist with maintenance and teaching which has been funded by TAS UK. Local TAS trustees had not seen the revised
strategy or the proposal.
Angeline
suggested looking at the example of the computer centre in Kyuso.
Action: Boniface Kimathi to circulate revised draft and
proposal for IT technician.
g) Internet Connectivity
This is an outstanding
issue. Internet connectivity has become
much worse since July 2013. It is no
longer possible to access the internet from the desk top computers.
h) Internship programme
The idea is
still valid as a holiday activity and needs to be presented to parents at the
next AGM
Action: Lilian to raise this idea with parents at the next
parents meeting and report back to TAS trustees.
i) World Reader
Luke has been
unable to follow up yet.
Action: Luke Arimi to make contact with World Reader to
discuss options for extended use of Kindles.
- Report on Trust
finances
Harriet reported on current finances. See report attached. The payment for the educational trip will be
transferred to Mivukoni school account this week as the trip is to take place
in the next week. The IT salary will be transferred once the IT technician has
been hired.
Action: Harriet to transfer funds to school trip to Mivukoni
school account.
- General Report on
School Progress
Principals report
Ongoing projects: Improved
water distribution (water now available at the dormintories), renovation of
banda roofs. The principal noted that
all the plastic chairs purchased for the bandas have broken. Next time we should invest in wooden chairs
which can be repaired locally.
School trip to take place
next week (22 -24 May)
Trying to equip
the dining hall. Parents have purchased blue plastic chairs.
Librarian is now in
place. She is there from 9 – 6 and makes
the books more accessible to the students.
Books in the library have
been bound so that the last longer.
School routine has changed. Classes started
at 7 – 1 and practice exams are held in the afternoon.
Academic results
Drop of results
from last year. (see attached results). Mivukoni was placed 8th out of 22 schools in
the district.
Student President’s Report
Felistus Kyenza
requested more books for the library. She
also requested that TAS support students
who can’t afford to buy soap and other necessities.
Parent Report
Jedidah talked
of her support for TAS and said that the parents would be happy to support
needy students with essential purchases.
- New Proposals
Poultry Project
Mwandikwa
Mwikali, Chair of Wildlife club (Form 3)
This club was
started by students in Form 3 and now has around 40 members. (Boys and girls.)
The proposal was
too weak to accept as it currently stands.
Angeline
suggests the students look at the TV project, young and rich. Need to work with Business teacher, Mr Munene
to develop a strong proposal. Will
represent to TAS when they are ready.
Trustees noted
that the sum of 90,000 requested was too big for an initial grant for a student
project.
Proposal for Benchmarking and Motivation Speaking
Planned to visit
schools for Bench marking. Schools in
Kitui or nearby. Students from Form 3 and teachers to visit high
performing schools and stay there for a
week to learn.
Looking for some
more motivational speakers to talk to the students. Angeline stressed the importance of
localizing the speakers. The sum of 15,000 is an average payment.
This proposal was
accepted and will be forwarded to TAS UK.
Proposal for Science lab
The school is
waiting for a proposal for renovation of the science lab.
Trustees are
happy for proposal to be forwarded to Gill.
7. AOB
We need we all
get copies of the Agenda and proposals before the meeting. Harriet will ensure she has a full email list
including all Mivukoni TAS members. She
will text people to let them know that agenda
and reports have gone out.
Steven noted that
it would be useful to get some testaments from students saying how they feel
that TAS has assisted the school.
Display board is
going to be donated to the school by TAS.
Schools from
other areas (KWS projects) will come to visit TAS schools next year.
Steven requested
that Mivukoni keep the relationship alive with Hampton Academy by posting
information on the facebook site etc.
BOG committed to
continued improvement over the next year.
Angeline
committed herself to come and do motivational speaking for the students. The BOG want to address parents to encourage
them to be more hopeful for their children.
Steven suggested
the school put a file with TAS minutes in the library for everyone to
read. We can also post the link on our
facebook site.
Marina Manger
Cats, who is a public health specialist spent some time talking to the school
counselor about possibilities for providing information and support to
students.
Lilian requested
more frequent meetings. Suggested
another meeting in September. Suggest
next meeting in Mwingi.
Action:
Lilian to arrange for student to write testaments on TAS’s work at the
school.
Boniface to ensure regular postings on Mivukoni facebook page
Angeline to arrange to give a motivational talk at the school.
Lilian and Harriet to discuss best date for September meeting.
Lilian to arrange for a file with printed minutes of TAS meetings and
proposal to be placed in the school library.
Harriet to text TAS members when she sends an email.
8. Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting
will be held in September 2014. Date to
be arranged nearer the time.
