“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!

The Baobab staff have been nothing short of heroic and it is a privilege to work beside you during this difficult time. Although we face different challenges each day, we recognise that we are a school of enormous privilege and that many other schools in Gaborone, are even more vulnerable, at this stage. I am hoping and praying that teachers and school staff will be vaccinated in the coming weeks. This will bring much needed protection, to the staff, who place themselves and their families in harm’s way each and every day, to ensure that our students get the education they so desperately deserve. Self-motivation is key to the success of daily living. As teachers, it is imperative that we not only have realistic expectations on what our students can handle, but also, we must create a learning environment that sets ourselves up for success during these times. To understand the times we teach in, we must adequately address all the concerns staff have which is related to our responsibilities such as marking, moderating, student/parent/family contact, and consultations, planning for term 3, and preparation for our own professional learning via online webinars. Thank goodness our WiFi capabilities will assist with classroom management. Make use of the internet to broaden our students knowledge and interest in learning. Remember that you can’t inspire someone if we’re not taking care of ourselves. Everyone needs to be honest with themselves about when they need to recharge their batteries, and don’t be afraid to discuss it with management. Once you get past taking care of yourself, then you need to do what you have always done best when you are face-to-face with your students. That is, they need to have fun. We are all a little frazzled, but you have to have fun with teaching and find creative ways to connect with your colleagues and students. Project and Inquiry based tasks allow the students to express themselves, keep looking at ways to challenge them. We are looking at a staff inter-house song sing-along to show off to our students. We can livestream the event and I urged everyone to get behind the initiative and sing and have fun. Everyone has fun. Everyone feels good. Looking towards the Tokyo Olympics, lets tweak their interest in the games. A reminder that should you need to vent, or talk, you are free to express how you are doing and how you are feeling, my door is open. We must tend to our mental, emotional and physical demands and challenges, support each other, support the students.It’s about relationships, having fun on the job, loving the kids and making sure you are still inspiring people. Focus on service and stay positive. I’ve added a page or two of great sites to visit, especially now your classroom might have internet. I enjoyed the site where a celebrity reads a book to students, numerous options to be creative and change our educational strategy for a while. Have a safe, restful weekend.

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday He who thinks he knows doesn't know. He, who knows that he doesn't know, knows. True happiness involves the full use of one's power and talents. I use always use my full power and talents to have a Happy Friday! Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. You never need to hunt for the meaning of having a Happy Friday! Eleven Ways to be Happy Hugs may not be on this list, but they should be. Especially for certain staff! Spend money on other people. Studies show "the happiest people were the biggest givers, no matter what they earned." Count your blessings. A study proved that people who wrote down three good things that happened to them every night were significantly happier than control group who did not. Try something new. People who try new experiences are generally happier, research has shown. Delay gratification. Anticipating happiness actually makes you happy. Studies have shown that it's human nature to forestall an enjoyable event. Expose yourself to more blue. Researchers showed that exposing yourself to the colour blue sent "self-confidence soaring, cut stress, and boosts happiness." Set goals for yourself. Psychologist Jonathan Freedman claims that people who set objectives for themselves are happier than those who don't. Go to church. In a study, people who attended church regularly responded that they were happier and more satisfied with their lives than people who were not religious. Sleep at least six hours every night. Six hours and 15 minutes a night of un-interrupted sleep makes for the happiest people, a study found. Make sure you have at least 10 good friends. Adults who said they had 10 good friends were happier than those who could count five or less close friends. Fake it 'til you make it. Several studies have shown that just the act of smiling can cause people to experience happy feelings. Have a romantic relationship. People in relationships were generally found to be happier than other people, and spouses have the highest sense of well-being whether they are happily married or not, according to a study. Of course, listening to "Don't Worry, Be Happy" always makes me smile. When I wake up, my premature optimism is always rewarded, especially when I have a Happy Friday!

Courage in the Classroom

Good morning, e-friendly staff. Curro Century City, like all schools, is a unique social environment. This year could be the very best year in your life; imagine that. This could be your year. You could be what you dream to be. You could achieve your patronising goals, and people around you could see you at your best. You have that capacity – but it’s going to take a little work on your part and a whole lot of courage. And I’d like to talk about courage a little this morning, because it can be confused with bravado and ego and posturing – and that’s as far away from real courage as wisdom is from foolishness. Courage, we can recognize, is derived from the same Latin root that gives us the French word, “coeur”– which means heart. In its simplest form, then, when we do what our hearts tell us to be right and good and true, we are acting courageously, and I think that that’s the purest definition of true, moral courage – and it’s so incredibly rare. We admire it in others when we see it, we often pray for a little bit of it at difficult moments in our lives, and we are very thankful at those rare instances when we exhibit for ourselves and others true moral courage. We will be all faced, at times in our lives when we need to be courageous, especially when those around us have lost their way. I started this note this morning with the idea that each day is a new start. Let me start the day by asking ask you to add courage in your heart, because without courage we will never dare to act on our core values of Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Compassion. Without courage, those will be reduced to merely words on a wall and abstract ideas in your brain - and nothing else. You must hold the core values in your heart and have the courage to act on them in those moments in your life when they are called into question. Today, tomorrow and every day following, have the courage to be your best self. We all know what the right thing is to do; We aren’t perfect, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to become better each and every day. In closing I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to dare to be your best self. Listen to your heart, and dare to be courageous. Thank you for the work you do, and have a super weekend. Sean

Open Door Policy (what does it really mean?)

Open Door Policy (what does it really mean?) Open door: Everyone in Curro Century City should have access to my time. I welcome your input. I keep my door open for a reason, and when someone walks through it, no matter who you are, you are welcome. Open mind: Brilliant ideas can come from anywhere. I will listen carefully, welcome off-the-wall suggestions. If we stretch our mind – like a muscle, it will grow stronger. More muscle, the stronger we are. Open laptop: Grasp the power and necessity of engaging and enabling online. We must find ways to integrate educational topics on social media, using networks, videos, forums, and blogging. This is where everyone lives nowadays – we must join them. Open standards: Our mission is clear, but more importantly we must live it. You have to treat everyone by the same rules. And when a challenge arrives, keep people everyone informed. Nothing undermines morale more than whispers and unanswered questions. Open heart: We must reach each other on an emotional level. We must touch each child on some part in their heart and/or soul. I’m not talking about turning Curro into a group therapy session, or saying you have to dispense hugs (though hugs can be a very effective if done in a way that makes sense), but don’t be afraid to show some heart. Let us all work with sincerity and follow-through. Paying lip service is worse than doing nothing. It’s hollow and people see right through it.

Building School Character 2

Building a school’s character 2 Have you ever wondered why so many people have so little confidence in themselves - especially since they have so many skills and talents? Most self-doubt accumulates over a number of years, because as children we are criticized for our perceived weaknesses rather than applauded for our strengths. If you start counting all the negatives a child experiences in a day, year or lifetime, it's no wonder that many lack confidence in themselves. The bad things, the mistakes, the big red X’s are often given more attention." When you as a teacher see good things, beauty and potential in children, and make their strengths "psychologically visible" to them, it’s like magic. They grow to see it in themselves. Whether we're coaching, parenting, supporting a teammate or just being a friend, there is no substitute for genuine compliments. Kids are so starved for compliments they'll do just about anything for one. In fact that's the definition of the word "encouragement" - to "give courage to". The best teachers give out compliments a lot, without even thinking. That's why we will be creating a sense of self-confidence in every student by igniting hope and belief in them every single hour of each day through compliments here at Curro Century City. I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it - but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor. - Oliver Wendel Holmes

Building School Character 3

I believe children will flourish if we challenge them. At Curro Century City they must be educated, not to count up the cost of their burger and fries at McDonalds, but to own their own McDonalds. An old story is told of a curious little boy who constantly questioned his grandfather about many things in life. On one particular day he asked his weary grandfather, “What makes the glow worm light up at night?” The grandfather was not sure of the scientific explanation, so his response was simple, “It is the stuff inside of it.” Today’s research explains that glow worms are referred to as fireflies and its unique characteristic is due to the chemical luciferin and the enzyme lucrifase located inside of the insect’s abdomen. So, that grandfather was absolutely correct- The stuff inside of the glow worm caused it to light up! There is a connection we can make from the firefly illustration for our students and ourselves. We have great potential, possibility, and purpose inside of us that needs to come to light. As a school family, we have made great progress in the areas of achievement, the curriculum, and our extra-curricular activities. Our next major focus must centre on developing and nurturing our students’ interests, attitudes, and values. As a school family, we, too share the parents’ responsibility of leaving the right attitudes, values, and qualities. We must recognize the need to light up and stir up the good that is inside of our students. We are moving in the right direction although it may not always seem so. Yet, we need more than solid teaching to ensure our students become responsible as individuals. Our emphasis must be upon character and values, we will have the right stuff to shape positive attitudes and illuminate their total essence. You have the attitudes, you have the values, and you have the light. For those older than any McDonalds in South Africa, remember the words from the song “Shine a little light on me”.