MAY 2022 UPDATE 2

Our students have been very busy preparing for and presenting their Home Economics practical.

MAY 2022 UPDATE 1

More progress with the Water tank project. The tiling and plastering are completed. Only the roofing remains to be done. Thanks to Mohamed and the team

MAY 2022

A lot has happened over the last few months. Here are some of the highlights - New electric fans, calculators and textbooks, the Water Tan Project to increase storage capacity, and some exciting art work by our talented pupils.

JANUARY 2022 UPDATE 1

This is what some of the classrooms looked like recently…

DECEMBER 2021 UPDATE 2

This was our very successful Carol Concert

DECEMBER 2021 UPDATE 1

We are delighted to announce the results of the school elections - modern democracy in practice in Extra Mile.

HEAD GIRL Hawa Sankoh (unopposed)

HEAD BOY Emmanuel Quansah

DEPUTY HEAD GIRL Rebecca Kanu

DEPUTY HEAD BOY Alimamy Mansaray

Mr Moses Conteh, the County Director said "Many thanks to staff and pupils for a successful school election. The experience was amazing. Thank you all for your support"

NOVEMBER 2021 UPDATE 1

The opening ceremony of our new Science Laboratory, a very proud day for our school.

SEPTEMBER 2021 UPDATE 2

This is the first day of term for the pupils in the 2021/2022 academic year. We hope that they have a happy and successful time at our school and that they will be equipped to follow whatever path in life that they wish to.

SEPTEMBER 2021 UPDATE 1

Before the start of the new academic year, all staff took part in this week's training day with input from both local staff and some of the charity's trustees in the UK via Zoom.. Discussions were held on several matters, including child protection/safeguarding and resources management as well as planning of schemes of work and the teaching of new vocabulary in all subjects. The day was a very positive experience for all involved.

AUGUST 2021 UPDATE 2

Receiving and unstuffing materials from the barrels sent recently. Thanks to all who contributed to this

AUGUST 2021 UPDATE 1

In order to fulfill our aim of offering free education to the children of the poorest families in Goderich we must continue our fundraising efforts albeit still affected by current limitations.

Extra Mile is registered on a variety of fundraising sites that bring in some small regular income:

If you use Amazon we would ask that you always use http://www.smile.amazon.co.uk/ and specify our charity which will then direct a donation to Extra Mile every time you shop.

More generally you can access many online retailers and earn donations for Extra Mile Sierra Leone if you use this link to Easy Fundraising

You can recycle printer cartridges using this link to Recycle4charity and earn a donation for Extra Mile by specifying charity number C98287

If you want to declutter and sell items on Ebay please use this link where you can specify an amount from your sale to be donated to Extra Mile.

Books, DVDs, CDs and games can be sold for cash using http://www.ziffit.com/ and you can specify Extra Mile using a “donate” option at checkout (via Ziffit’s partnership with Virgin Money Giving)

Our grateful thanks to all our supporters who help in this way.

If you feel able to help the charity by making a one-off donation, by becoming a regular donor or by increasing your current giving by even a small amount or indeed getting a friend involved, then we would be very grateful. If you wish to make either a one-off donation or a regular offering you can use this link

Alternatively, you can send a cheque to Extra Mile, PO Box 4884, Rugby, CV21 9GL

SPECIAL PLEA: The charity is looking to expand its group of trustees and volunteers in the UK. In particular we are looking for supporters with expertise in administration, education, fundraising or use of social media who value the work being done by the charity. Since the start of the pandemic we have all been working remotely via zoom meetings with good internet links to the school in Goderich. If you feel you might like to offer your service we would love to hear from you. (extramilesierraleone@outlook.com)

JULY 2021 UPDATE 2

This was the last parents' and staff meeting of the academic year 2020/2021 with Mike Fielding and Anne King from the UK via Zoom. It was such a wonderful occasion for parents, staff and the charity trustees present.

JULY 2021 UPDATE 1

Internal school exams started on June 28th for all students from JSS1 up to SSS2 and continued all week. Staff are now marking papers, assessing students for promotion and writing report cards. Term finished on July 16th. We want to thank staff and students for all their hard work. Very well done to all involved!

APRIL 2021 UPDATE 4

Students asked that the range of sporting activities could be improved. The Easter break has seen staff working hard to erect volleyball posts on site in time for use in the summer term. Many thanks to all the staff involved in this project which will be greatly appreciated by the students.

Meanwhile Project Manager, Mr Ishmael Bockerie, and Chief Librarian, Ms Catherine Freeman, have been welcoming new members to the community library. The new members were very impressed with the resources available and the productive working environment and very proud of their membership card.

Many thanks to both Catherine and Ishmael and all the Library Steering Group for all their efforts in getting the community library off the ground.

April 2021 UPDATE 3

Many congratulations to our Country Director, Mr Moses Conteh, on receiving his masters degree, a M.Sc. in Economics at a graduation ceremony this weekend. We are all very proud of your achievement. Well done!

Meanwhile staff this week continue the additional lessons for our examination and senior students. These extra sessions should really pay dividends and we are so grateful to staff for giving up their holidays to offer this additional support.

Mrs Catherine Freeman providing a Religious and moral education lesson,

Meanwhile in the breaks between lessons, Mr Felix Bangura, Agricultural Science teacher, and his students have been filling polythene bags with soil to act as seed trays for vegetable crops for the school garden. I am sure they will help to get a bumper crop this year.

The rainy season has now started in earnest with heavy rains and high winds. This puts additional pressures on both staff and students, both at home and on their way to school. Our thoughts and prayers are with the whole community of Goderich at this challenging time.

APRIL 2021 UPDATE 2

Many thanks to Mr Ishmael Bockerie, Project Manager, and Mrs Catherine Freeman, for all their efforts in continuing to expand the resources available in the library and ensuring that it presents such a professional ethos to prospective users.

The library is currently being used by Extra Mile students who are in school for revision sessions before their exams at the end of the summer term. They tell trustees that they find the library a brilliant place to work and revise.

The following picture shows that in the rainy season that has just started the need for additional lighting in the library. We hope the solar lighting which has just arrived in the latest barrels helps to fix the problem.

APRIL 2021 UPDATE 1

We wish all our supporters and staff and students in Sierra Leone a very happy Easter. The Spring Term finished on Wednesday with a number of fun events including football matches for both boys and girls in kit kindly provided by supporters in the UK. Many thanks to Mr Lansana Rogers for refereeing the matches so well.

Teams decided. Ready to go.

Adjusting the tactics.

Meanwhile the regular maintenance tasks and preparations to minimise the impact of the rainy season are well under way. Many thanks to Site Manager, Mr Mohamed Conteh, for all his hard work and expertise in keeping the site so well maintained..

Tarpaulins being installed to make the building more weatherproof.

Meanwhile the successful completion of the female toilets was celebrated with an opening and discussion with the girls on the facilities available to them. Thanks to Mrs Mariama Sillah and Mrs Catherine Freeman for all their guidance to the girls.

Rapt attention.

Although the school is now on its Easter break. additional lessons will be held for our examination students in JSS3 and SS2 from Tuesday April 6th. We are extremely grateful to all staff who are giving up time in their holidays to provide these additional sessions. We know from last year’s results how valuable they are.

The trustees would like to thank all the staff for their considerable efforts this term, despite continuing restrictions. We wish them a joyful and restful break. We thank all our supporters for without you we would not be able to maintain our mission in Sierra Leone.

MARCH 2021 UPDATE 6

Exams over but plenty of educational activity before the end of term next week. Here we see JSS1 student , Yusuf Kamara, working on science/technology activity to construct a working fan from scrapped metals, plastics and dried cells. Really impressive Yusuf!

After their exams, taking advantage of the good weather for a reading session. Great in World Book Week! Thank you Prince Pat Cole, Head of English department.

Meanwhile JSS1 students have been having a practical Home Economics lesson. The finished products look really tempting. Well done to all the students and to Mrs Mariama Sillah, Home Economics teacher.

We thank Mr Lansana Rogers, class teacher, for thinking of Extra Mile and using his links to the National Wellness Initiative in Sierra Leone to be offered red pens and paper for the school. Every bit helps. An example of the incredible support we get from our fantastic staff.

As always, Extra Mile’s ability to fulfil its ambitions to provide quality education to poor and vulnerable children in Goderich depends on your continuing support. We are extremely grateful for all your donations, whether it is a one-off or a regular donation; an individual or a corporate body; a school or a charitable foundation. Thank you all of you.