Dear Parent/Guardian
Compliments for the New Year
On behalf of the board of Directors staff and the entire Raphela Junior School fraternity, I take this opportunity to welcome you back from the festive holidays. We thank God for the gift of life and are thankful for the blessings that have come our way. Our condolences go to those that have lost their loved ones. We pray that they are comforted and pray for eternal rest upon the departed souls.
In a very special way, we welcome all the new friends and parents that have joined us this year. We are excited to have you and with open arms say WELCOME to Raphela Junior School Family. We thank you for increasingly exhibiting confidence in us and pledge commitment towards a fruitful educational journey.
Primary Leaving Examination.
Raphela Junior School had its first candidates for Primary Leaving Examination last year 2022. We had a total of 46 candidates sitting for PLE. Forty-one (41) candidates scored first grade and Five (5) were in second grade. This gave us 89% passing in first grade. We thank you for your prayers and support. See summary below.
Academics
The use of formative assessment for our children helps us monitor learning and provides feedback that is used by our teachers to improve their teaching process. The process also helps children identify their strengths and weaknesses and provides an opportunity for them to target areas that need to be worked on. We will have four (4) continuous assessments (CA) and one (1) End of Term (EOT) this term.
Additional Education Programs
Our school boasts of hybrid educational programs that are implemented alongside the Ugandan curriculum. These programmes support our aspiration to develop our children comprehensively.
The Reading for Life Series Programme
Early reading ignites creativity, sparks curiosity, and stimulates the imagination in young children. At Raphela Junior School we work towards building a strong reading culture among our children. We therefore strive to stimulate a lasting love of reading by making reading a fun and enjoyable activity. In our Reading for Life Series, we have selected literature that will inculcate and lay the foundation to building effective reading skills. The children are allocated time during the week to study literature with follow-up comprehension building activities.
The Advanced Phonic Reading Programme
In addition to the Reading for Life Series we have developed an Advanced Phonics Reading Program that enables our children to decode letters into their respective sounds, a skill that is essential for them to read unfamiliar words. The program supports children aged 3 to 11 years to improve vocabulary and spelling. Whereas the younger children vocabulary is selected from the Jolly Phonic and Oxford Series, the older children are supported to appreciate vocabulary extracted from topics of study within their curriculum
The Abacus and Mental Math Program
Raphela will yet again be coordinating the Abacus and Mental Math Program which had been put to the stop by the pandemic. The Brain Master Abacus and Mental Math Program supports brain development, concentration and enhances IQ level by improving analytical skills.
At the beginning of the program, the child will be trained in all the math operation with the help of the Soroban Abacus. With regular exercises of mental arithmetic across the levels, the children will visualize the beads and be able to calculate any given sums mentally.
The Brain Master Abacus and Mental Math Program will be coordinated as a privately sponsored program managed by the Brain Masters trainers. Interested parents will be required to make payment of UgSh 200,000/= per term to the school office to enable their child to attend this unique program. The training will be held every Tuesdays starting 28th February 2023. Examinations the will led to award of certificates will be given upon completion of each level. Registration should be made by 27th February. See attached registration form. In case of any inquiries contact the administration.
Social Graces
Social Graces sessions are held once a week for children across the different age-groups. In these sessions, the children are taught about Godly values and appreciation of who they are. They are taught about morals and values of life and reminded of what is expected of them. The moral values introduced to them are further re-echoed by the teachers during circle time.
Leader in Me Programme
At Raphela Junior School we strive to develop leadership attribute in every child because we believe that all our children are leaders in the making. The Leader in Me school program is an evidence-based, comprehensive model that builds leadership and life skills among children. It creates a high-trust school culture and lays the foundation for sustained academic achievement. It is based on Stephen R. Covey’s book – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Throughout the term, children are given a chance to take up different leadership roles which will provide an opportunity for each child to exercise their leadership potential. At Raphela, leadership roles are rotational and therefore by the end of the year every child should have got a chance to be a leader.
School Diaries
At the beginning of the academic year, all children were given school diaries. These diaries enable communication between the school and the parents. They narrate the academic and social wellbeing of the children. Although diaries are among our key tools communication tools, our open-door policy still applies. Please take note that some information is best handled in person. I therefore request you to take off time at the end of each day to read through your child’s diary. Task the children- most especially the primary three to seven to take responsibility by evaluating their learning at the end of each day.
Project work
Last year we improved our pedagogy to include attributes of Project-based learning (PBL). PBL is a powerful teaching method that has extensive benefits for children inclusive of improved critical thinking, self-confidence and problem solving skills. Studies have shown that project-based learning is linked to significant improvements in student test scores, attendance and classroom engagement. Through PBL children will be able to apply creative thinking skills and build on their research skills while deepening their learning of applied content beyond facts or memorization. The process will help children find their voice and learn to take pride in their academic work which will enable them learn how to look at problems with a critical thinking lens, asking questions and coming up with possible solutions.
This term, children from Primary four – six (P4-P6) will be given two sets of projects. The first set (science) will be given to them on 24th February. The second set(SST) will be given to them on 24th March. The project activities will be evaluated and marks will be shown on the final report card. Please support the children as they do these activities.
Health
The school has a qualified nurse who closely observes the children throughout the day. She is able to handle First Aid cases. We do not have a laboratory and medical doctor on the ground and are therefore not able to diagnose major medical cases. In case your child is ill, we will contact you to enable you take your child for effective treatment.
School Operating Hours
School operating hours are 7:00am and 5:00pm. The Early Childhood Development Section (ECD) officially closes at 3:00pm and the primary section closes its activities at 4:30pm. All children should be collected from school by 5:00pm. Late collection (after 6:30pm) will attract a fine of UgSh 5,000.
Uniform.
We would like to express our sincere apologies for the late delivery of school uniforms. However , we are optimistic that by the end of the week, all pending school uniform issues will have been resolved. We thank you for being patient with us.
All pupils will be required to wear school uniform on all school days. Girls are allowed to grow their hair, however, we advise that they hold it up in neat puffs. Flashy coloured hair braids and bands not allowed at school. Boys are NOT allowed to grow and/or plait their hair. Handkerchiefs are part of the uniform and must be provided by the parents daily. Children (P1- P7) will be responsible for the safety of their hankies and sweaters.
Physical Education
As part of our curriculum, all children engage in both outdoor and indoor physical activities. The children must wear sportswear on the allocated physical education days. Please take note of the days below
|
CLASS |
PHYSICAL EDUCATION DAY |
AEROBICS |
|
Nursery class |
Wednesday |
Wednesday |
|
Kindergarten |
Friday |
Friday |
|
Pre-primary |
Thursday |
Thursday |
|
Primary four – primary six |
Friday |
Friday |
|
Primary one – primary three |
Tuesday |
Tuesday |
|
Primary Seven |
Sunday |
Friday |
Take-home Assignments
The learners will continue to be given daily take-home assignments. These take-home assignments will be of topical and revisionary nature. Please guide the children as they do their activities and indicate areas of concern to the teachers throgh the school diaries.
Take-home schedule for Primary
|
|
P.1 |
P.2 |
P.3 |
P.4 |
P.5 |
P.6 |
P.7 |
|
MON |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work |
|
TUES |
Reading for life series |
Reading for life series |
Reading for life series |
Reading for life series |
Reading for life series |
Reading for life series |
Reading for life series |
|
WED |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work |
|
THU |
Book review |
Book review |
Book review |
Book review |
Book review |
Written work |
Written work |
|
FRI |
Written work |
Written work |
Written work & Reading for life series |
Written work & Reading for life series |
Written work & Reading for life series |
Written work & Book review |
Written work & Book review |
Below is the take-home schedule for ECD
|
|
NURSERY |
KINDERGARTEN |
PRE-PRIMARY |
|
MON |
|
………………. |
Wordbook |
|
TUE |
|
Reading card |
Reading card |
|
WED |
|
Written work |
Written work |
|
THU |
|
……………… |
Book review |
|
FRI |
Written work and handwriting book |
Written work and handwriting book |
Written work and handwriting book |
School meals
The school will provide the children with all the necessary meals. Children are not allowed to pack food. Please encourage the children to eat the meals that we provide for the day. We will allow children to carry a bottle of drinking water since the season is unbearably hot. However, we also provide them with drinking water as and when they need it.
Birthday Celebrations
It’s a joy when we get to that time of the year to celebrate our birthday. We therefore are happy to see them enjoying their special day with friends. However, we are only able to hold one birthday celebration a day. Please liaise with the administration to book this special day in advance to avoid disappointment. Ensure that you only bring along freshly baked cakes and snacks. Birthday presents should not be brought to school .
Note: The school administration reserves the right to accept or reject snacks that are brought to school on these special occasions.
Important days to remember
|
Date |
Details |
|
Monday 6th February 2023 |
Official opening of term 1 2023 |
|
Saturday 11th February 2023 |
Primary 7 CA 1 |
|
Thursday 16th February 2023 |
Janani Luwumu Day |
|
Friday 17th February 2023 |
Primary 1- 6 CA 1 |
|
Saturday 25th February 2023 |
Primary 7 CA 2 |
|
Saturday 4th March 2023 |
Primary 7 curriculum Day and Meeting |
|
Wednesday 8th March 2023 |
International Women’s Day |
|
Saturday 11th March 2023 |
Primary 6 and 5 Curriculum Day and Meeting |
|
Friday 3rd March 2023 |
Primary 1-6 CA 2 |
|
Saturday 11th March 2023 |
Primary 7 CA 3 |
|
Thursday 16th & Friday 17th March 2023 |
ECD Half Term Holiday |
|
Friday 17th March 2023 |
Primary 1-6 CA 3 |
|
Saturday 18th March 2023 |
Primary 4 and 3 Curriculum Day and Meeting |
|
Saturday 25th March 2023 |
Primary 2 and 1 Curriculum Day
Primary 7 CA 4 |
|
Friday 31st March 2023 |
Primary 1 – 6 CA 4 |
|
Tuesday 4th April 2023 |
Nursery Curriculum Day and Meeting |
|
Wednesday 5th April 2023 |
Kindergarten Curriculum Day and Meeting |
|
Thursday 6th April 2023 |
Pre-primary Curriculum Day and Meeting |
|
Friday 7th –Monday 10th April 2023 |
Easter break |
|
Thursday 13th and Friday 14th April 2023 |
End of Term One Exams Primary 1-7 |
|
Monday 1st May 2023 |
International Labor Day |
|
Thursday 2nd May 2023 |
Closure of Term and picking of report cards |
Wishing you a successful term.
Milly Mwaka (Mrs)
Head - Administration