Chronicle Editor
Amanda Mlevu, Sunday News Reporter
IT was pomp and fanfare at Tennyson Primary School in Bulawayo on Friday as guests, parents and learners gathered to celebrate the year’s achievements.
Running under the theme, “Parenting, counselling and discipline; an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”, the school’s speech and prize-giving ceremony encouraged parents and guardians to prioritise discipline in order to avoid bad outcomes.
POSB branch manager Mrs Josephine Ncomanzi, who was the guest of honour, said in education, prevention starts with recognising the unique needs of each child and providing them with a nurturing and inclusive environment.
“This means fostering a love for learning, instilling discipline and cultivating a growth mindset. Prevention means identifying and addressing potential learning difficulties early on, ensuring that no child is left behind,” said Mrs Ncomanzi.
She said there is a need for parents and guardians to monitor and control a child’s access to social media content, which can be harmful to their development. The School Development Committee chairperson, Mr Tambudzai Zimbodza, beamed with joy as he expressed how proud he was of the learners’ achievements.
“Throughout the year, our students have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their studies, as well as participation in various extracurricular activities. They have shown resilience in the face of challenges and have embraced the values of teamwork, respect and kindness,” said Mr Zimbodza.
He said parents and guardians should know that education is not just about academic achievements but about nurturing a well-rounded child, instilling values, fostering creativity and encouraging a love for learning.
With an enrolment of 1 066 pupils, the school is expanding its activities to expose learners to a wider repertoire and help them discover their talents. Tennyson Primary School headmistress Mrs Millicent Dhlula said renovations of the school swimming pool were nearing completion.
“As a school, we think a lot about the comfort of our students, that’s why we have ventured into a vegetable garden that serves as a fundraising scheme and also provides students with lunch so that they can easily focus in class,” said Mrs Dhlula.
The garden consists of vegetables such as spinach, rape, onions and tomatoes with plans to engage an agronomist to help them expand their agricultural activities.
One of the outstanding pupils, Thando Kayla Dube who received a prize for being the best student in public speaking, shared a heartfelt poem titled, ‘Laughter, the best medicine’ in which she spoke about how people should laugh as it heals their soul.
“Parents, teachers, guests and my fellow colleagues, laughter is the best medicine, it is a melody, a freeing dance performed within the soul. It can heal the worst of afflictions from headaches to heartaches and all kinds of conditions,” said Kayla.
Guests were entertained by Jikinya Traditional Dance Group from the school. The group also won a prize for being the provincial champions and National Association of Primary Heads national participants.
Bongani Ndlovu