SOME SIGNATURE PROGRAMMES OF REDEMPTION ACADEMY

Staff Appreciation:  Redemption Academy teaches her students and the entire school community to give thanks to God for the gift of teachers to mankind and to the particular people who have affected their lives in one way or another in the school.  Every adult, teaching and non-teaching staff, is seen as a teacher of some sort who is teaching the child something.  Once in every session, the school sets aside a day to celebrate her teachers.

The students, Governing Board and parents show appreciation to staff for their labours in the school.  Staff members receive a parcel each from the school’s Board and Parent-Teacher-Fellowship (PTF) as well as assorted gifts from parents in appreciation for the work they are doing with the children.

Students also express appreciation through poems, stories, cards and other expressions to their teachers individually and in groups.  Staff members also appreciate each other.

Spelling Bee:  Spelling Bee was first introduced, we think, in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria through Redemption Academy in 2005 by Mrs. Victoria Udo the pioneer Consultant Principal.  Subject teachers post difficult words on the word bank corner of each subject as they teach and students are expected to learn the spellings of those words.

A written spelling competition involving the whole school is usually organized in the 2nd term.  Champions of the written competition lock horns in 3rd term in the oral championship contest for the Spelling Bee championship award.  It is usually a great contest.  The Spelling Bee Champion of the graduating class role-plays “Principal Assistant” for three days after his/her external examinations.

Book Report Redemption Academy students are always expected to be reading books outside their class texts; and each student reviews one book as one of the projects for English language every year.  A day is set aside to celebrate books in the school and star book reports of the students are exhibited for parents and members of the public to see.  The students’ works were first published in book form – The Noble Literati in 2010.  Many people have commented that the standard of book report in Redemption Academy is above what some universities do.

Reading Competition:  The students are engaged in an on-going reading competition from the commencement of the new session.  Records of books read, with commencement and completion dates as well as a one-paragraphed summary of each book are kept.

The student who reads the highest number of books, called the “best library user” picks awards that have already been put down by donors.

The “Next Generation” Radio Programme “The Next Generation” is a burden that arose from the study of Civic Education, or even earlier, when the school identified the gaps existing in the Nigerian society as a result of some “nagging issues”.  The young minds are occupied in researching, discussing and offering solutions to the problems in the society.  They challenge themselves and other young people to raise a new standard and bring back the glory of the Lord in the land. “The Next Generation” is aired on Radio Akwa Ibom 90.5FM every Wednesday at 4.30pm.  Happy listening.

Leadership Training/ExposureAs part of her mandate to raise future leaders, Redemption Academy has designed some activities deliberately to instill the sense of leadership in the students.

  • All students are involved in the democratic process of selecting school prefects by nominating class representative who form the Electoral College.  The Electoral College nominates candidates for each post by voting, and an electoral committee appointed by Management interviews the candidates rigorously to select prefects from among them.  Emphasis is laid on character and academic strength.  A formal commissioning service, witnessed by family and friends of the prefects, is conducted to put the burden and the mandate of leadership on them before they commence work.
  • Leadership retreat is organized for re-training of the prefects and the entire leadership class every term before resumption.  The student leaders come in earlier to prayerfully review their work and set goals for the new term.  They get involved physically in preparations to receive the rest of the students.
  • Our students attend the Nigeria International Secondary School Model United Nation (NISSMUN) conference every year for international leadership exposure.  They research on topical issues, prepare position papers for the country they represent, serve on committees, vie for positions at the Model United Nations Conference and have the opportunity of interacting with diplomats of other nations.  Redemption Academy was adjudged the best school delegate at NISSMUN Conference 2012.

School Fun Day:  The school sets aside one Saturday, usually the last visiting day in the session, to play, just for the fun of it.

Staff members, students and parents play together, just to tell ourselves that, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”.  Students learn from school fun day that teachers are not always asking for grades or work; they can also sit on the floor with them or jump about.

Tarry, Fasting, Classroom Devotion:  In addition to the emphasis on daily personal quiet time, we put the nobles through such exercises as tarry meeting and fasting from time to time to build them up spiritually.  Monies saved from fasting are used to visit less-privileged children, thereby giving the nobles some missions exposure.  Two days in a week we have morning classroom devotions in quiet time and interactive style, in place of general assembly.