Superintendent's Message

Good afternoon,

Congratulations to our middle school girls and boys volleyball teams last weekend. Our girls took 1st place, our boys’ first team took 2nd place, and our boys’ third team really clicked for the tournament, taking third place overall in the tournament! Thank you to all of our parent hosts, coaches, teachers and other volunteers for contributing to hosting this successful tournament. Thank you to all of the community fans who came out to cheer on our teams. Our fans added a lot of positive energy!

WAISAL continues this weekend with our high school boys and girls basketball teams competing at the International School of Dakar. Good luck Eagles!

Infectious Disease Protocols for Lassa Fever and Coronavirus

While we are not currently anticipating any immediate threat in Lagos, we will be heightening our alert levels from level 1 to 2 on our infectious disease protocol scale. As we consider the potential health scenarios, we have recently ordered new infrared thermometers and, upon their arrival, may begin implementing temperature screenings at the gates depending on the latest updates.

In terms of Lassa Fever, there is now one confirmed case in Lagos and several others under observation who came into contact with this person. Lassa Fever is usually spread by contamination of food by rat feces or urine. This year, we implemented a new system of rat traps and deterrents. We have substantially fewer rats than we used to experience. We feel confident that we have eradicated this risk at our school.

Although there are still no known or confirmed cases of coronavirus in Nigeria, there continues to be some community concern. There was a report of a coronavirus infected person case in Egypt, but he tested negative in the end.

At this time, there is a very low risk of anyone in our community carrying these infections. At the same time, we want to be prepared for any situation. The safety of our students and community is our top priority. We continue to stay abreast of all updates, both within Nigeria and globally. We all can join in taking precautionary steps to minimize the spread of infectious disease. The best way to stay free of any infection, common or not, is to wash your hands well with soap and water regularly, do not touch your face, and sneeze or cough into your elbow or sleeve to avoid the spread of infections to others. You may want to read more about Lassa Fever and Coronavirus if you are interested.

Parking Lot Changes from March 2nd

Please note that as of March 2nd, roughly half of the new parking lot (old hospital plot) will be blocked off for future construction work. At the same time, we will open up the back gate for bus and car traffic in the mornings and for busses in the afternoons. The bleachers and back access road are looking great and are nearly completed.

Parent Forum about Campus Master Building Plan

The Board Campus Master Plan Committee will host a parent forum on Wednesday, March 4th, in the Parent Lounge from 7:30-8:30 A.M. to share the new Campus Master Plan. This presentation will contain the different phases and timelines for completion. It is an exciting and ambitious plan that will benefit our students for many years to come. Come check it out!

New Adoption Policy

At the last board meeting, the board passed an updated adoption leave policy for certificated faculty. The new policy is below:

Adoption Leave (Policy 7.071.7)

A faculty member who is the primary legal caregiver (mother or father) of an adopted child will be allowed 8 consecutive weeks (56 consecutive calendar days) of adoption leave. Couples may choose to divide the 8 weeks of adoption leave between the two parents as they see fit, but the total of leave days may not exceed 8 weeks between the two. The beginning of adoption leave will be defined as the date of departure to obtain physical custody of the child. Other leave days, such as personal or medical leave, may not be added on the adoption leave in order to extend the leave under normal circumstances. Adoption leave will not be drawn from the accumulated unused leave days.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Yours in partnership,

Sean Areias, Ed.D.

Interim Superintendent