Christiana - our teacher from the Zoe Carss Nursery School - visited us from 23 November to 22 December. Her visit included time spent at the Evesham Nursery School Four Pools Road, Winterfold House, Madeley Nursery and Mayfield Primary Schools. She learned so much about English teaching methods and has taken home with her many new resources that she can put to use. We are very grateful to all those who joined in so enthusiatically to organise her programme. Christiana's visit - her first outside Sierra Leone - included a train ride to London, sightseeing Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard, a walk up the nearby Malvern Hills in sub zero temperatures and the arrival of Santa Claus complete with reindeer into Pershore town centre! We all enjoyed getting to know her and look forward to future links and possible visits from other staff at Waterloo Schools.

The new Zoe Carss nursery school building is a delight to use as the large, airy but sheltered balconies at each end protect the tots from sun and rain. They really enjoyed the 40 musical instruments sent out by the members of St Nicholas Church Dormston, for which many thanks.

The Science Department has been strengthened by the completion of a large laboratory on the ground floor with two smaller laboratories over it. These will house the 100 computers in one room and a Home Economics and Family Health unit in the other. Donations of equipment from secondary schools in Worcestershire and Sefton Liverpool, have provided a good amount of science equipment and for the first time ever the school was able to run its own practical exams in the West African GCSE this year. From now on all six years of the school will have practical hands on science experience.

There are 100 computers all packed and ready to go so we must fund the building of a generator house and buy a suitable generator by next July when the Great Barr students will take them out and install them.

During a two week visit Sue and Morag were able to observe and participate in classes in both the Peninsula Secondary and Waterloo Primary Schools. They also helped to catalogue and set up a new Library in the Secondary School (Josephine Shodekeh has already started one in the Primary School) so pupils and students are now able to borrow books and most will have text books on loan.

Morag spent a lot of time in the library. The shelves are now full.




Sue and Morag helped in classes both indoors and out.




Laura Chapman and children from Lyndon School donated sports equipment which was very popular.

Cricket is a new game for the boys



Secondary school girls really like football- in bare feet!



An old classroom building was repaired and is now being painted. Building of the laboratory is continuing and will be up to first floor level by Febuary.



It was good to see all the desks, chairs and books sent out in July in use and very much appreciated. Thank you to all the staff for their warm welcome and for all their dedication to the schools.

Henri and Lettitia visted Dormston on 20th September and brought encouraging news from the schools:
1. TREE SEEDS were purchased from farmers and planted immediately in June as the rains had already started. So far the following have been planted - 63 oil palm, 36 guava, 32 avocadoes, 25 plum, 19 soursop, 10 mango, 8 orange, 22 grapefruit and 2 berries. Also there are seedlings of fruit and cashews being tended in the nursery. These trees will provide essential shade and also some food for the students. 2. LABORATORY Work on the first phase of the construction started on 29th March. So far the foundation (60ft x 30ft) has been back laid and back filled.
3. PERIMITER WALL The first phase - 710 ft wall and 14 ft steel gate was completed on 23 May 2007. This ensures that shallow graves from the neighbouring graveyard are not being placed within the school compound.