As we wonder what is happening in the world, and worry about our kids, remember… (an extract from TED talk) Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be. God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident. Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God. Train them up in the authority of His Word. Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control. Empower them to know they can change the world. Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it. Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan. He knew Daniel could handle the lion’s den. He knew David could handle Goliath. He knew Esther could handle Haman. He knew Peter could handle persecution. He knows that your child can handle whatever challenge they face in their life if they trust in Him. He created them specifically for it! Don’t be scared for your children but be honoured that God chose you to parent the generation that is facing the biggest challenges of our lifetime. Rise up to the challenge. Raise Daniels, David’s, Esther’s and Peters! God is not scratching His head wondering what He’s going to do with this mess of a world. He has an army He’s raising up to drive back the darkness and make Him known all over the earth. Don’t let your fear steal the greatness God placed in them. I know it’s hard to imagine them as anything besides our sweet little babies, and we just want to protect them from anything that could ever be hard on them, but they were born for such a time as this. Enjoy the weekend!

There Is No Guidebook, being the Head during the Coronavirus pandemic. We really don’t know what lies ahead for schools in 2021, and this is especially true for Heads of Schools. Before, we would plan just like any other previous year, and use a similar blueprint. Next year however, we must recreate a plan from a zero base. Our 2021 school day could see, virtual morning staff meetings, student’s registration and temperature checking continuing every morning. Staff might find virtual online staff hangouts and tea-time, instead of in-person meetings, and tea breaks. There might have to be devices in class for students who don’t have one at home to complete their homework tasks. Sport and cultural groups on Teams, doing training and lessons together, but in different locations. Video assembly greetings for students who are at home or in isolation. We can only guess what the future holds. And just maybe, a vaccine to end the uncertainty and we can move into a different daily routine, as I don’t think we can ever go back to what we knew as a normal day. So, perhaps you wondered, ‘What’s the Executive Head's job looking like right now in the age of coronavirus’? This is just one of the questions that pop into my head when I’m trying sleep at night. Questions, like, "What else do we need to do? How can we make the situation at school better? Because there really is no guidebook or policies." Our teachers also play a pivotal role in ensuring that our students are learning, and how lessons are taught in whatever form, and there are vast unknowns with 2021. It's unclear if all our students will return to school. Parents may opt to home school for another year. But, it still means we need to continue working on making sure that we are developing high-quality lessons, growing in our understanding and use of how to teach the curriculum using a digital platform in every lesson. Our greatest challenge might be to educate parents and continue giving help and positive suggestions and actions when there are issues of connectivity, no device at home or students going into isolation. We need to be prepared. We do not need to panic. We have the resources in front of us. We have great educators. We just need to plan and execute those plans timeously. There will be bumps in the road ahead in 2021, there will be connection glitches. Things happen. Remember we need to be open and ready to share information as each challenging situation rapidly evolves, from staff motor accidents, to the dying of loved ones. As a teacher we need to get up to speed on some of the technology, we need to selfeducate, watch the webinars, learn the technology, understand the use of the various apps. Work on new digital lessons, grow our professional education file, adapting the curriculum. We are all going to learn and grow together and come out at the end at a better place. During 2020 we found out how many students don't have access to the internet or a device at home. Some families ask for books or printed assignments to the online tasks. We need to be cognizant that students may also be sharing devices while at home, lessons need to be scaled down from 55 minutes to 30 minutes when online. We need to make use of technology when available and grow with our students. If students can watch a video assignment, complete it in writing, and send a photo of the completed assignment back to the teacher, so much better. As teachers we need to be considerate of the fact that some are sharing technology during the day, some do not have any technology, and some parents cannot afford to embrace technology. We want to continue the learning, we want to keep it positive, be patient with each other. Even I will try harder to be patient. We are going to have be patient this is a new learning curve. Some changes could be student engagement as a focus at Baobab school. There could be lunch with a teacher day, lots of small groups, eating lunch together, to help students and teachers get to know each other, whilst maintaining social distance. We are only going to be able to help the kids if we are in the right emotional space. So, take care of the stresses in your home, with your family, and we will work together to make the school work for kids." Enjoy the weekend!

Addressing Teaching Challenges! Curriculum and academic pressure, insufficient time to plan lessons, disruptive classroom behaviour, student challenges with technology, performance anxiety and stress, demanding parents, and the constant fear of covid-19 pandemic. It's 2pm: you had screening duty before school, cleaned up a bloody nose, and now, with 30 minutes left of class, your last whiteboard marker has dried up and the power is off in the classroom. Sometimes, all you can do is laugh. Laughter may not substitute for proper medical care, but research does point to serious health benefits. Laughter can relieve stress and improve your memory. It also boosts the immune system, something every teacher needs—and even helps out your cholesterol numbers. I take teaching very seriously. The work we do as educators is important. But I also wish so much of it was not so humourless. And I frankly think that teachers and administrators who lack a sense of humour should find another profession. Being able to survive and thrive in these contexts depends on the ability to detach, see the absurdity, not take oneself too seriously, not personalize, not become defensive and, as much as possible, laugh with some degree of frequency. By being detached, I do not mean not caring. So instead of seeing a situation as threatening or the student as a problem, we see the humour in what otherwise appears to be a humourless situation. Humour also has a very positive effect on our mental and physiological states, inducing endorphins, creating more relaxation and ease. Yet, like most of us, I sometimes lose my sense of humour when I need it the most, being too disappointed or too defensive to see the absurdity of the moment and change the game. As singer and TV host Kelly Clarkson always says; “If you’re not having a good day, just change it!” Enjoy the weekend

4 reasons schools should let students wear sports uniforms every day 1. Traditional uniforms are expensive For a primary-school student uniform appropriate for summer and winter, as well the sports uniform, is around P1500. The biggest saving that comes from shifting to an everyday policy of sports uniforms is that parents don’t need to buy multiple uniforms, saving around half. 2. Teachers, students, and parents prefer sports uniforms Overall, in a recent study, four in five parents and six in ten teachers support a change in uniform policy allowing students to wear sports uniforms every day. 3. Sports uniforms support physical activity Most students think they would be more active if they could wear their sports uniform every day. Older students, who are generally less active, more strongly agree they’d be more active wearing sports uniforms every day. Nine in ten parents agree school uniforms should support physical activity. Most teachers recognise physical activity is good for physical and mental health. Beyond health, active students do better in class, having better concentration, attention and classroom behaviours, which can lead to improved academic performance. But uniform changes are just one ingredient to increase young people’s physical activity. Combining factors such as the option to wear sports uniforms daily with classroom energisers, such as short active breaks from seated teaching. 4. Traditional uniforms are uncomfortable Most schools do not have enough changing facilities to allow students to switch between active wear and traditional uniforms at break. “Uniforms hold me back from running”, Enjoy the weekend!

Flourish! At this time of year, we will be meeting with several parents whose children have been identified as struggling or excelling academically. For the Std 7 parents they will be pondering over the years of secondary education ahead. Is their child on track, have they and the school done enough to allow the child to flourish? Inevitably, these families want to understand what is the ultimate aim of education at Baobab? We should be all able to answer, our goal is to ensure that each student can ‘flourish’. Flourish, even in these strange covid-19 times. Aristotle explores the question posed by Socrates and Plato before him about how we should live our lives. He uses the word ‘Eudaimonia’, perhaps best translated as ‘human flourishing’ to describe the highest human good – or what we might term the ‘purpose’ of life. Academic achievement, personal development, co-curricular opportunities, are only part of any school vision. And no individuals vision of life is the same, so too with teachers, but if we can say the following statements with confidence: • I know who I am • I like who I am • I’m good at being me Then all should be good! In order for our students and we ourselves to achieve this in life we need to find teaching stimulating, we need to develop intellectual curiosity for knowledge, explore how best to teach, how to encourage our students to be independent thinkers, and develop a love for learning. To me, flourishing is academic achievement, self-confidence and good judgement. Through all the challenges we have faced this year, never lose faith, hope or direction. Know that your life and goals can only be obtained if you flourish!

Responding Calmly to Upset Parents When an angry email shows up in the inbox, it can be tempting to respond in kind. These five tips will assist you for better responses. Working with children and families, we’ll all encounter what I call “ouch moments” A ‘WhatsApp’s’ message with a parent’s complaint about something gone wrong, for example, or a message taken out of context. The ‘ouch’ can take the form of an email in 60-point font, bold, capitalized, and underlined; or a post on social media painting you or our school in a less-than-positive light. This type of situation always seems to occur right at the wrong time. We might be heading out of the class, going to an activity or just checking email once at night when the complaint comes in. The concern may be minor; however, if we’re not in the best personal space, we may take offense at it. While we can’t control what others say about us, we can control how we respond. This requires self-regulation, collaboration, and a willingness to seek support. Making sure we’re really ready to respond constructively also takes a lot of selfreflection. Tips For Responding To ‘Ouch’ Moments 1. Sleep on it: If an email rolls in after school hours, it is completely acceptable to wait until the next school day to respond. If you’re concerned that parents will think you’re not accessible, set up an automatic reply alerting them to your teaching hours, which lets them know when you’ll be able to respond. So even if you see the email at night, you can get rest and refocus before you respond to it the next day. 2. Take a walk: Have you heard of email apnea? It occurs when you hold your breath unconsciously while reading emails, expecting trouble. The next time an email comes in with a subject line or sender that tends to send you through the roof, check your heart rate and your breathing. Before responding to a difficult post or email, I will often leave my office and walk around, spending time with the students I serve to regain perspective before I respond. Teachers might take time to play on the playground, or walk to the office and back, just to get a breath of fresh air and a little more perspective before rereading and responding. 3. Phone a friend or ask a friend before you hit Send: Not sure that your eightparagraph response is enough or more likely might be just a bit too much? (if you require more than a paragraph, don’t send, but request a meeting at a time which suits you). Ask another trusted teacher, coach, or even me to weigh in on your response. Often, we’re preoccupied with our own emotions in these conflicts, so having a neutral party review your response gives you a perspective outside of your own to reconsider and possibly revise your reply. This practice teaches all of us how to respond in a professional manner and the importance of seeking help when communicating something difficult. 4. Pick up the phone: Sometimes the best response is conveyed in real time. If you’re spending too much thinking, rethinking, and reviewing your email response to a heated question or concern, pick up the phone. Allowing the other party to hear your voice, and allowing yourself to hear theirs, creates a great opportunity for empathy, clarification, and understanding about the concern. If you think you don’t have time for this kind of conversation, think about whether you have time to rebuild or repair the relationship once it’s damaged. Be willing to start the conversation not with a right-or-wrong wrong approach but one focused on collaboration and finding solutions. No one loses when a common goal is established, one grounded in care and concern for all involved. There’s an opportunity for a ripple effect if you choose to lead communication with vulnerability and empathy: When you establish a common ground and build a sustainable relationship with a parent in tense circumstances, it becomes easier to do so in the future. The better you get at practicing this skill, the easier it becomes, and the more natural it is to generalize the attributes of positive communication to other relationships at work and at home. 5. Let it go: Sometimes the best response is not to have one. Maybe a parent hit Reply All to highlight the three spelling errors in your most recent newsletter. Or maybe you put a lot of time into a recent school event, only to see negative feedback from families in a thread on Facebook. You’ll never win a fight on social media, but don’t use that as an excuse to stop telling your school’s story. Showing grace in your interactions online requires that you use your communication skills to defuse difficult situations rather than exacerbate them. Ultimately, using strategies to build up your ability to handle difficult situations and conversations will allow you to free up space in your mind and reduce the stress in your day, giving you more time to engage in teaching and leading without worrying about the next notification that might pop up on your phone.A final thought: Too often we extend grace and forgiveness to others more easily than we receive it. But we should be open to receiving grace and forgiveness: Many of my ouch moments ended up being positive turning points in my relationship with a family, staff member, or student I would love to know the “little things” that you do in your classrooms to make a big impact. No matter when you start doing new things, it helps, Thank you for teaching! Enjoy the weekend!

“Teaching is a work of heart! Happy Teacher’s day!” I would like to begin by saluting the Baobab teachers, who toil day and night to ensure the overall development of our students. There are only a few beautiful souls in this world who dedicate their time, hard work, and life to give a bright future to every child whom we call Teachers. It’s a good day to remember those at the frontline of Education — teachers — who play the critical role of advancing the right to education and equipping students with 21st century skills. We have all had that teacher. The one that inspired us. The one that encouraged us to ask questions, discuss topics and research. The one that affected our choices of subject for university. The one that helped us get where we are today. The one that made learning fun. This year, our teachers are leading the way into a new type of classroom that has not yet been created. With the circumstances brought on by the pandemic since last year, our teachers have been working harder than ever. Many you had to transition to virtual learning and completely rework your teaching plans and living arrangements. Teachers are putting themselves at risk every day to make sure children get the best care possible. That’s why, this year, it’s especially important to celebrate and support Baobab teachers on our National Teacher’s Day. Today is a great opportunity to thank all of our teachers for all you do for the Baobab community today and every day. Once again, I extend my Thanks to all for today, our Teacher’s Day and pay my tributes to Baobab’s teachers for the countless sacrifices you have made. Our nation stands and rises on the shoulders of our teachers. Enjoy the weekend!