About

Who We Are

You are welcome to Irene Menakaya School! We are Irene Menakaya School. A dynamic and innovative learning community dedicated to the pursuit of educational excellence and personal fulfillment. The school provides a conducive and safe learning environment that nurtures the intellectual, physical and social qualities essential for values, growth and commitment to integrity which ensure the moral development of every child in the school. Since 1979, Irene Menakaya School has been providing quality education to children towards bringing out the best in them. The school was opened with a significant objective on the child’s worth position in the home, school and society. Hence, the motto of the school is, “My Child is my Pride”.

In Irene Menakaya School, we offer:

Daycare education
Play Class Education
Nursery Education
Primary Education
Computer Education
Music Education
Parental Education
Health Services

Our Background

The school was founded in 1979 by Late (Barr.) Juni and Irene Menakaya. Both were University of London-trained Legal practitioner and educationist respectively. The school was opened with a significant objective on the child’s worth position in the home, school and society. Hence, the motto of the school is “My Child is my Pride”.

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Our Classes

We are constantly expanding the range of services offered

Day Care

Kindercare: (3 Months - 2 Yrs)

Play Class

Beautiful Class: (2yrs – 3 yrs)

Nursery Class

Caring & Victorious Class (3yrs – 5yrs)

Primary Class

(5yrs and Above)

Student Classroom

Play Ground

Outdoor Activities

Loving Teachers

What We Believe In

The philosophy of the school is based on:

Learning through Play: the school believes that children learn through play and their learning is enhanced by meaningful and well-chosen interaction by the staff.

The Background: the school seeks to welcome and affirm the uniqueness of the background of each child admitted in the school. The school’s program planning appreciates the uniqueness of each child’s background: the home, gender, cultural differences and special needs.

Environment: the environment of the school is such that children are happy and relaxed. The environment equally builds confidence, independence and develops positive attitudes towards peers, staff and all aspects of learning. The environment also seeks to promote enthusiasm, motivation, self-discovery and creativity.

The Child: child of the school is encouraged to move to move towards his/her full potential. This includes the acquiring of skills, becoming aware of own abilities and gift, believing in one’s own ability to face challenges and move towards self-fulfillment.

The Children as a Group: Children are encouraged to learn to interact successfully within their social setting. This includes the ability to interact verbally in an acceptable way and be able to participate within the group, learn to appreciate, respect and care for other members of the group and the wider community.

Mission and Belief Statements

We are dedicated to the pursuit of excellence through nurturing and challenging all pupils alike in a safe and innovative learning and research environment. We believe that by encouraging respect and responsibility among the parents, teachers and pupils, our pupils would become self-directed learners and achievers who reach their greatest potential.

BELIEF STATEMENT:

1. We believe that when the physical, emotional and intellectual needs of our pupils are met through the support of parents, guardians, staff, peers and society, our pupils learn best.

2. We believe the role of the pupil is to be responsible, active participant, to have a willingness to learn, and to work up to his/her potential as a diverse learner and citizen.

3. We believe the role of parents is to accept responsibility for developing values and for settling and maintaining appropriate boundaries while encouraging pupils to be respectful citizens and to pursue knowledge.

4. We believe the role of staff is to foster love of learning by holding themselves and the pupils to high standards and to effectively use resources in a collaborative and nurturing environment.

5. We believe future competence must include communication and problem solving skills to foster adaptability and resilience in our changing world.

Our Location

The Irene Menakaya Nursery and Primary School is situated at the school property, No. 3, Technical College Road, G.R.A. Extension and behind the Onitsha North Local Government Secretariat. The environment is serene.

Curriculum & Activities

Cognitive Programs

Cognitive Programs are designed to enhance pupils’ intelligence quotient. Drawing from the basic primary school curricular, we have developed a standard program that is reflective of the vision and mission statements.

Affective Programmes

Affective programs are designed to cater for the pupils’ total being. We believe that if the child is exposed to love and care-giving or care-sharing activities his/her emotive make-up will be better equipped to respond duly to academic development.

Psychomotor Programmes

Psychomotor programs develop and enhance pupils’ physical and physiological make up. It is geared towards building a solid personality who can fit properly into any facet of life.

The Parents

Parent Teacher Association (P.T.A): There is an association of parent/guardian and teacher which is designed to make for proper exchange of information between the teacher and the parent for the benefit of the pupil/ward. This association is of pivotal import because in the course of Parent Teacher Dialogue (P.T.D) each pupil’s interest is represented and addressed accordingly.

Parental Education: Under this initiative, Parents are informed and empowered on the most potent mechanism in child training and development. This forum enables young parents to learn from older parents the rudiments of child upbringing and management of child growth syndromes. Parental education also touches on areas of formal training for parents because informed parents will breed informed children.

Fathers’ Forum: Fathers’ Forum focuses on the fathers as the head of the family. We deal with issues concerning the importance of father-child relationships. The indispensable role of the father in the child’s upbringing is critically examined. Under this forum, adult computer education is embarked on.

Mothers’ Forum: Mothers’ Forum aims at involving the mothers in the education of their children. Mothers are empowered to consider the appropriate modalities of child development both physiologically and academically. The indispensable role of the mother in child upbringing is critically examined with a view to empowering mothers in their role in family and society. Computer training for mothers is also available on this platform. Mothers Forum is usually held in the week of March 8 to enable mothers to join the international community to the International Women’s Day activities.

Class Conference: Under this platform the day-to-day performance of the pupils is brought to the attention of their parents or guardians who are meant to be in attendance at class conference. This program is essential because it creates an avenue under which the weakness and strength of each pupil are brought to the foreknowledge of his/her parent/guardian with a view to encouraging and enhancing their improvement. The needs and challenges of the pupil are also brought to the fore under this platform.

Orientation: Orientation here is targeted at new parents (that is to say, parents whose wards newly became pupils of the school) and parents of pupils in Exam Class. Orientation for new parents is geared at orientating new parents on the curricula and activities of the school so that they can be properly kept abreast with what is required of them as parents of the school. Parents are also intimated with teacher’s observations concerning their children in terms of temperament, change in taste and other growth-related syndromes. For parents of Exam Class, on the other hand, orientation aims at imbuing the parents with information about the school’s standards in terms of external examination and their role as parents of affected. The school over the years has registered its pupils for local and International Exams with 90% success.

My Child is My Pride Annual General Meeting: The “My Child is My Pride” Annual General meeting is the end of year general meeting of the school for both parents. At this meeting parents are endowed with Class visit and talking points to share with the class on the child’s academic and school performance. It is followed by an annual meeting and conversation to enable the school to a new direction of teaching and learning improvement for the coming academic year.

The Pupils

As our pupil, your child’s future is assured! We help you lay a solid foundation for the future of your child. At Irene Menakaya School, we help make their noble dreams come through by always been by their sides from Day Care to Primary School! What could be more beautiful than the confident smile of a child in our brightly-colored pink and purple uniform! Indeed, with Irene Menakaya School, your child is surely your pride!

Every pupil of Irene Menakaya School is always strongly encouraged to move to move towards his/her full potential. This includes acquiring skills, becoming aware of own abilities and gift, believing in one’s own ability to face challenges and moving towards self-fulfilment.

In school, your child is taught to grow through interaction with others. Children are encouraged to learn to interact successfully within their social setting. This includes the ability to interact verbally in an acceptable way and be able to participate within the group, learn to appreciate, respect and care for other members of the group and the wider community.

We are convinced that our pupils achieve their maximum potential, are reflective and enthusiastic, behave intelligently, ethically, and confidently in the face of opposition or challenges and are actively participating in their spheres. To realize these noble objectives towards making your child your pride:

We have developed an assessment process that measures and promotes pupils ‘achievement and growth over time.
We include in our curricula ample opportunity for pupils to practice such critical life skills as leadership, risk-taking, problem solving, decision making and effective communication in our fast-changing world.
We implement standard practices in staff and personnel management, curriculum development and instruction that ensure that our pupils achieve at a level equal to the highest performance standard.

H.E. Ambassador Dr. Maurene Brown Phillips Foundation

Maurene Brown-Phillips was born on March 24, 1961 in Manchester, Jamaica, West Indies. She is the fifth of eight children born to Jude and Jacinth Brown. Her father was a small farmer who died in 2006. Her mother is currently a retired schoolteacher from both the public-school systems in Jamaica W.I. and New York. During her high school years, Maurene attended Knox College after which she enrolled in the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. In 1985 she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics.

During her academic studies, Maurene Brown-Phillips wanted to be a Spanish teacher. However, when she migrated to the United States to join her parents and her siblings in 1986, she started a career in banking and has remained in that industry. Maurene has never settled for the status quo. She has always executed her duties in the spirit of excellence which is evident in the positive annual reviews from her job and the bank’s clients whom she services. To that end, she attended night school for a few years and graduated from the American Institute of Banking. Maurene wanted to be the best banker she can ever be. She is currently an officer of the Bank of New York, Mellon.

Maurene Brown-Phillips is a very loving, caring person and always empathize with people. She often gives out of her own resources to help the needy. During her high school years, Maurene used to give her lunch to her classmates who were less fortunate than she was, while going without lunch herself. As she grew into adulthood, her caring heart reached out to people across cultural boundaries and touched people’s lives through the love of God. This she often did privately, “not letting her right hand know what her left hand was doing”. Most of the individuals do not have the financial resources to repay her, but she knows that God is not unjust to forget her labor of love.

For approximately two and a half years while Maurene Brown-Phillips balanced school life, personal ministry, work, and family life, she used to travel several miles via train three or four times per week to minister to some cancer patients. Maurene would wash their feet, read the Word of God to them, hold their hands and pray fervently for their healing. Oftentimes, she would return home around midnight and was always ready to repeat the cycle the next day. It is amazing that while she juggled all of this, Maurene maintained a 4.0 GPA in school. Last year, she was selected to be the Valedictorian of the class of 2010 at her Bible School.

Some of the other programs Maurene has been involved in include:

Participation in the Community Partnership Program on her job where she went to feed inbound elderly people in NYC
Raised over $1,000 for HIV/AIDS and participated in a Walk-A-Thon.
An active member of Essence Carriers which is an intercessory prayer group comprising three women. This ministry has brought deliverance to people of various strata of society.
A member of Redemption Outreach, Intl which is a not-for-profit organization which essentially brings HIV/AIDS awareness to the community at large. They conduct HIV/AIDS testing in collaboration with local health clinics; distribute literature; hold health forums; among other programs.

Having surrendered her life to Jesus Christ at the age of thirteen, Maurene Brown-Phillips finally embraced her calling to the Teaching Ministry at her church. For approximately seven years, she taught Sunday School to toddlers and Catechism to preteens (for two years) at the Elim International Fellowship. She learned to serve without eye service and was amazed at how much she learned from those two and three-year-olds over the years. She came to realize that a “real” teacher is a servant at heart whose task is to help the student realize his/her potential and become the best person he/she can ever be.

Maurene Brown-Phillips is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Theology degree and is also a substitute teacher at Kingdom Ambassadors Bible Institute in New York, U.S.A. She fully understands that her role as a teacher is to help dispel the darkness of ignorance and help to bring illumination to the students’ mind. Maurene appreciates the fact that we are all created in the image of God and that there are treasures buried in each of us. The teacher needs to help the student discover those hidden treasures by grasping teachable moments and gently assist him/her to arrive at truth. The teacher coaches.The teacher models. The teacher learns. The teacher teaches.

As a teacher, do not settle for the status quo! Dare to question the status quo! Dare to think outside of the box! Even when you think that noone is seeing you, God is always watching you! So, serve with pride and dignity! Serve with grace and with love! Endeavour to transform the world by educating one student at a time! Most of all, practice to execute your duties in the spirit of excellence!!