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Dear Parents/Students,

So; we have made it the end of an extremely busy,

successful year at SAIntS. There have been so many

highlights this year, but one of them was certainly

the annual Speech Night where we had a chance to

say "thank you" and "well done" to many

exceptional students for their hard work and

dedication throughout the year. We all enjoyed Mr

Henry Kachaje's inspirational words on the night.

It was also a chance to say "good bye and farewell"

to this year's outgoing teachers: Mr and Mrs

Percival, Ms Long, Mr Grace, Mrs Glissman, Mrs

Forman, Mr Standen, Mr Philips, Miss Mahon, Mrs

Aguilera, Mr Peake and Miss Belshaw. "Thank you"

is not really enough. The staff and students will miss

you very much, but we wish you all the very best as

you seek new adventures in the 4 corners of the

globe.

I hope that all of our students have a happy, safe

holiday with plenty of quality time to spend with

their families.

Thank you for all the support you have given to the

school this year. Have a great holiday and see you

back at the start of September, ready to go again!

Kieron P. Smith

Calendar Dates - September

5th Yr 7/12 Start Date

6th First Day for all other years

10th Year 12 Team Building at Michiru

SAIntS Extended Project Qualification

As part of the newly-introduced SAIntS Extended

Learning Program, the Sixth Form Extended Project

Qualification (EPQ) has recently been launched. The

EPQ requires students to research and produce a

single, in-depth piece of work on a topic of their

choice. It is highly regarded by universities and

employers for the range of transferable skills that it

develops, including planning, research, self-

motivation, decision-making, problem-solving and

independent thought.

Twenty current Year 12 students have committed to

the EPQ; they will be completing their primary and

secondary research over the long holiday before

writing up their final projects at the start of the next

academic year. The range of working titles is exciting

and reflects the diverse interests of our students.

Extended essay titles include: “Healthcare in

Malawi: fit for purpose?”; “The dangers of

nanotechnology in cosmetics.”; “Industrial hemp:

creating a socio-economic high for Malawi?”; “How

has the men’s Olympic 100m sprint event evolved

from when electronic timing first began?”. Practical

projects include: designing a board game for

primary-age children with dyslexia; producing a

video documentary exploring the sexualisation of

images of women in Malawi Hindu society; CAD

production of plans for a sustainable mass transport

system in Surat, India. Students will be sharing their

work in the coming months – stay tuned! For more

information please visit:

https://sixthformepq.wordpress.com/ Mr Dodd –

ELP Coordinator

MATHS IS FUN

On Thursady 30th June, 2016, all Year 7 pupils participated in the Fun Mathematical Show. The event consisted of 60 different practical mathematical activities including some on-line puzzles. These activities brought about a new dimension to Maths outside the classroom. The idea was to allow pupils to experience Mathematics in an enjoyable yet challenging setting.

The event gave an opportunity to pupils to understand that in Maths you sometimes don’t succeed on the first attempt.

Newsletter #17

July 5th 2016

Certificates and prizes were awarded to pupils that solved the most number of problems. These students are; Amarah A, Laaiga Ali M, Mikael A, Malika S, Alceu P Yamiko Z, Shaurya R, Yaamen Y, Laith S, Virtue N and Gil da S. The overall winner was Muhammad a, Well done!

The department hopes to engage pupils in Maths outside the classroom in more fun events next year

A Year in Geography

It has been another outstanding year in Geography

and the department continues to go from strength

to strength. Year 12 student Rania K must be

congratulated after scoring the highest mark in the

whole of Africa in last summer's Edexcel IGCSE

Geography exams. The new weather station,

including an impressive Stephenson's screen, is now

fully operational with data being recorded on a daily

basis for students to study.

The department has led the way with the

introduction of Subject Ambassadors: Year 12

students Tadala M, Pubert N and Ellie S are the

student voice in the department, responsible for

helping promote the subject throughout school.

Soche were the winners of the inaugural Year 9

House Geography Competition, impressively led by

Shiv P who was the highest scorer in both the

qualifying round and the final.

For many students the highlight of any year in

Geography is the opportunity to go on a field trip.

Detailed reports and some photographs from our

excellent trips follow. Overall, it has been a busy,

challenging but very enjoyable year for everyone in

Geography.

Year 8 Field Trip to Kapichira Falls HEP Station

“In Geography this year students in Year 8 have

been studying both rivers and resources, two topics

that are particularly relevant to life here in Malawi.

A visit to the ESCOM-operated Kapichira HEP facility

on the Shire River near Majete Wildlife Reserve

provided students with a firsthand look at where a

large proportion of Blantyre’s electricity comes

from. Engineers guided students from the dam,

spillway and intakes at the start of the process,

down through the impressively engineered turbine

and generator halls where each of the four units

generates close to 32MW of electricity, before

finishing at the transformer station where the ‘new’

electricity departs for the consumers along power

lines at an impressive 132,000 volts. Although large

areas of farmland and many homes were flooded

during construction of the facility, and the reservoir

is now silting up as a result of deforestation,

Kapichira undoubtedly brings a number of economic

and social benefits to people in the region. The visit

was an enjoyable and valuable learning experience

for the students, and thanks must go to the staff at

Kapichira for accommodating us so warmly.”

Year 10 Field Trip to Cape Maclear

“We departed from school ready to embark on an

adventure we would never forget. There had been

so much anticipation. It was being talked about well

before the actual trip. We were going to Cape

Maclear in an attempt to explore the different

environmental impacts of tourism, while having fun

at the same time. Cape Maclear is an area located

close to Lake Malawi National Park and is

surrounded by the well-known Chembe village. This

worked to our advantage because we were able to

interact with both the locals and tourists. We were

given two days to carry out our investigation. On the

first day we did a lot of measuring of the water

quality and exploring the beach area. A lot of people

got wet unexpectedly. We were able to share a lot

of laughs and it gave us a chance to bond with our

classmates. We usually fight but surprisingly during

the trip we all got along. In the evening Mr Colliver

arranged some team building games for the entire

group. It was all about clapping, and, as expected

from Year 10, we cheated. Regardless, it was a well

spent evening.

The following day we woke up to a warm plate of

breakfast – and some music, which Year 10

students can’t live without. We then had to go out

and interview the locals in our separate groups. We

had to walk long distances but it was worth it. The

people of Chembe Village are very polite and

welcoming. I can still remember the amiable face of

Mr Banda. It made us value the beauty of Malawi.

After interviewing the locals we all met up at Gecko

Lounge for a well-earned rest. In the afternoon of

that same day we went and interviewed the

fishermen of the area.

We learnt a lot about how things have changed over

the past ten years. It was stirring to hear about how

sometimes they go days without catching enough

fish. In those moments we were able to forget about

the smell and focus on the wonderful stories. By the

time we got back to our base at Fat Monkey’s lodge

we were exhausted, but that didn’t stop us from

having fun.

We swam and played football until the sun went

down. There was also volleyball, which Mr Dodd and

Mr Colliver really enjoyed. Before we went to bed

we sat around the fire and roasted marshmallows –

it was a memorable moment. On Sunday we were

despondent about leaving Fat Monkey’s, but we had

made the best of our travels. It was one of the best

three days of school and we will never forget

them.” Theola A

Year 12 Field Trip to the Zomba Plateau

“At seven o’clock in the morning we were all ready

to set off to Zomba, complete with ranging poles

and other fieldwork essentials. Starting at the

Mulunguzi dam and working our way upstream, the

conditions were perfect for a river study: low water

levels and pleasantly warm weather.

At first we were unfamiliar with the fieldwork

equipment and a bit hesitant about stepping into

the cold river, but by the time we reached the third

site of nine we all felt like professionals as we

efficiently collected the data that was required.

Walking between sites provided the opportunity

to relax and sample some yellow berries, spot eagles

perched high in the trees and swing on branches.

We enjoyed our lunch at Williams Falls and even

braved the icy cold water to pose for a group photo

beside the waterfall.

Our final destination was a visit to the source of the

river high up in the Mulunguzi marsh where a

stream emerges from the ground as barely even a

trickle. By the time we reached the Sunbird Hotel

our tired muscles were ready for a break and we

enjoyed a tasty hot chocolate as we collated our

results and reflected on the day’s work before

heading for home.” Raphaella B

SAIntS Orienteering Club

Orienteering is an exciting outdoor adventure sport

that can be enjoyed by students of all abilities, with

success a function of physical ability, map reading

skill and tactical decision making; the best runners

don’t always win. Three different maps of the school

and a variety of event styles, including clue-based

treasure hunts and checkpoint-based routes, with

control points visited either sequentially or in any

order, meant that the 28 students taking part were

faced with a new challenge every week.

In the open competition the standard at the top of

the leader board was very high, with students

battling hard but fairly each week for every single

point available; the competition was extremely close

throughout, with Nathan T, Wade W and Abijit J

tying for third place (43pts) overall, close behind

Nathanael W (45pts) and the newly crowned Term 3

champion Benis M (46pts).

In the handicap competition, where students were

given a score weighting based on their own

individual performance from one week to the next,

Amaan B showed the most consistent improvement

to finish on 25pts, narrowly ahead of Nathanael L

(23pts) and Romeo C (20pts). All students must be

congratulated on a successful and highly enjoyable

term of orienteering. Mr C Dodd

DofE expedition

By Mr Duncan Peake

Sixteen student completed their Silver DofE

expedition taking part in a trip to Cape Maclear.

Day one the students hiked up Nkhunguni peak

where there were stunning views of Thumbi,

Domwe and Mumbo island.

Day two started with a drive to Msaka finishing

village where we jumped into our kayaks and

headed back towards Cape Maclear. The lake was

beautifully calm and we stopped at Otters point for

a break and a swim. After the swim we kayaked

around Thumbi island and back to camp.

Day three we again were on the kayaks and we

paddled along the shores of Cape Maclear up to the

cape 'gap' between the main land and Domwe

Island. A change of plan had to be made as the wind

picked up and then so did the waves so we

abandoned paddling around Domwe and went

across to Thumbi island and back to camp.

A great trip was had by all. Many thanks to Mrs

Gaunt and Mr Izzett who came on the trip.

It’s a fair well from myself, it’s been great running

the award at Saints. It is now in the capable hands of

Mr Dodd!

Audio books

By Malikah T 9C and Saaleha M 9S

‘Audio books’ is an afternoon activity that has been

introduced to allow students to record stories for

local schools using the SAIntS recording studio. This

will help to give an opportunity to local children to

access books for free and benefit from them by

improving their English. These books will be

broadcast on the station “Radio Maria” which is a

national radio station.

We have been practising how to read and record

books suitable for children and have been working

on those recordings by adding sound effects and

making them as lively as possible. The stories that

have been picked aren’t under copyright so we have

full access to them e.g Little Red Riding Hood,

Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk. There are

also many benefits for SAIntS students as we are

learning to use the recording studio and improving

our presentation skills. Go to www.radiomaria.mw

to find out more about the station. Thank you.

Languages Live- French speaking competition

The MFL department, together with volunteer

French speaking members of the community, got

together to set up 4 different role play challenges

for our year 9 and 10 students. At each area the

students had to deal with a real life situation- such

as ordering food in a cafe or reporting a theft to a

police officer.

Those who were able to communicate the best

were awarded points for their house. I’m pleased to

announce that they winners were Ndirande with an

average point score per person of 8! A big well done

to all participants and special thanks to our

volunteer helpers!

Sports Day 2016

The air was electric, brimming with tension as the

students gather into formation like soldiers

preparing for war. Music blared from the loud

speakers, banners rose and waved as each House

began the march into their respective positions—

battle was near.

Sports Day has long been a tradition here at SAIntS

and provides students the opportunity to showcase

their individual talents in a variety of track and field

events with the hope of scoring points and obtaining

glory for their House.

This year’s Sports Day was exceptionally exciting

with an unbelievable 9 records being broken over

the course of the day.

In the junior girls' 1500 metre race, Chioma O 8M

was looking to break the school's record, which she

herself set just last year.

Racing against the clock, Chioma was left asking

herself one question at the end of the race: "Did I

break my record or not?" Fortunately, she did and

was able to shave an additional 5 seconds from her

time, allowing her to set a new school record for the

second year in the row.

Rupi M 10S also had a fantastic showing on the day

and tied Dumi K’s 2014 record in the intermediate

boys’ 100 metre race. “I like Sports Day” said Rupi,

“Because we [Soche] are like one big family.”

Another highlight from the day was the ever-exciting

senior boys’ 400 metre race where Tom B 12S took

home the win for Soche. “I was hoping to win,” said

Tom, “and I was pretty confident.”

New events this year included the singing of

Malawi’s National Anthem at the start of the day as

well as power walking. Power walking included 2

brisk laps around the track, was created so that all

students who were not competing in any other

event would be able to participate. House points

were awarded to the House with the most

participants and it was a huge success.

Overall scores resulted in Ndirande coming in 4th,

Michuru 3rd and a very close, only 1.5 points

separating the top 2 Houses, Soche coming in 2nd

and Chiradzulu taking home the win.

At the end of the day, one thing was certain; all

athletes tried their best on the day and made their

Houses proud!

Amnesty Winning Poem 2016

The Leaf of Life

By Dalitso M

The Leaf is that of the world, Lost hopes?

People are dying; emotions are deadly

It represents life, insanity, poverty

Dreams getting darker... and darker

Plan ahead, before it is too late

You better listen and conversate

You will be one of the greats

Think about the outcomes

Be careful of the words you use

A full stop can lead to murder

One day, with a thousand memories

the past, the present, the future

in a moment, it was all gone

One life, on death, all gone

Was it fictitious? You may ask...

I'm done, there is no hope

A Special Thank You:

Tala N 7C who sang the Malawian

National Anthem beautifully on

the day!

AND

Ashlin, Dhruvi, Romeo and Louis

who helped conduct interviews

on the day.

New Events this Year:

1. Singing Malawi’s National Anthem—

Most spirited House won points.

2. Power Walking—2 laps around the

track, the House with the most

participants won points.

I'm done, you can have her

six words, one noun,, and five...?

Vanessa, toxic, lovely, humorous, original, unknown

Life is a story

Hard to follow

Who's telling it? You never know

Who's living it? Everyone around you except you

Past, present, future... where are you?

For the past is holding you in

The present is in the motion

the future is calling you out

it's entertaining and yet deeply serious

It's no use hiding, Hiding from what?

The world?

It's calm, it's empty, and it's here or is it?

can you reach it?

Or do you just dream it?

Be infinite like possibilities.

Happy Holidays Everyone!