One of the particularly rewarding things about being at RVA (or indeed any school) is what goes on outside the classroom.
Important though Algebra is, even I wouldn’t claim it is the be all and end all of life. And the last week or so has seen several things going on which enhanced the life of the school.
Friday a week ago was a school concert. There was a string ‘group’ of about fifteen, a choir of over sixty students, and a wind/brass band with over eighty musicians.
The whole school gathered in the gymnasium (which admittedly doesn’t have the greatest acoustics) and enjoyed a medley of classical and jazz pieces, plus some fabulous singing.
One week later there was the final of an inter-school Under-19 football competition. The game was conducted in a sportsmanlike manner (only one yellow card), and RVA won 2-0, which greatly pleased the home crowd.
Also last Friday was the opening night of the school drama production, “The Trials of Robin Hood”. This featured a cast of over 40 students, with another 20 working behind the scenes. It was a comedy, and great fun.
On a more routine note, every Friday morning there is the raising of the Kenyan flag. This is a requirement of all schools in Kenya, normally accompanied by the playing or singing of the Kenyan national anthem. Last Friday a brass ensemble did the honours, and you can just hear some of the on-lookers singing along in the background.
Also last week I spoke at one of the morning chapels, where it a staff member gives a short talk on a relevant Christian topic.
I talked about the Planck spacecraft, and the discoveries that were made as a result of that mission concerning the beginnings of the universe. I compared aspects of the Big Bang Theory with the description of creation given at the beginning of Genesis. Even though Genesis is not a scientific account, there are remarkable parallels. I also reassured them that it is quite possible to be a scientist and a Christian.
Now only one week of teaching remains, followed by exam week, and then it is the end of term. It feels like the final part of a long race – digging deep to find the energy to reach the finishing line.
Proof of the pudding 
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