Dear Friends
What a year! But, we are pleased that we have made it right to the end and we celebrate the many lessons we have learnt in the process.
Our teachers share some of the special moments we have shared in this last term.
We Learn as we Play! – Cait Gordon
Capacity and volume is always a tricky concept to teach as it isn’t always something that we are aware of, or are we? We know that milk comes in 2L and that Amasi is often bought in 1L but sometimes even as much as 20L.
We took 3 different size cups and filled them with water and gave each child a cup. We carried but the notion that it’s not equal came about. We discussed a cup not being a smart way to measure as they can all be different sizes and have a different capacity. Once we understood that capacity was about how much a container can hold, we took the learning outside. We filled the same cups with sand until they were so fill that no more sand could fit. we then added water and the cup didn’t over flow so now we understood that capacity is how much it can hold and volume is what it is actually holding.
As a reward for all this hard work we got to play in the mud, building sand castles and sea creatures and very excitedly a hotel with 2 swimming pools that covered the same area but one was deeper having a larger capacity as explained to me by one of the children. We continued to chat as we built this hotel which now had many different rooms that would hold different numbers of people. Again, we reminded ourselves that this is indeed capacity.
It was an animated and informative activity. The creativity and the understanding of the concept at hand has been cemented in place through the walls of our hotel, the swimming pool and of course the farm yard that had to be big enough to accommodate all the animals and the visitors that were very obviously socially distanced!
We learn and we play and today we learnt that we can understand so much more if we play and experiment with what we are talking about while enjoying some fresh mountain air!
Farmyard Fun – Melanie van Zyl
Despite the oddities of the year, the preschool had the most amazing time exploring and playing at the farm. The children were buzzing all the way up Oliviershoek pass until we reached the van Vuuren farm.
We were first taken to feed the chickens, turkeys and Guinea fowls. We then went to the geese where we saw a mother goose sitting on a new brood of eggs and a very protective father defending his goslings. We then meandered our way to find the sheep. After spending some time learning about sheep and seeing the ewes feeding their new lambs, we went to have our delicious snacks.
It was finally time for fun and games! We went to the back garden for a treasure hunt where little charms and trinkets were hiding. We then played an exciting guessing game where we had to guess the farm animals based on clues provided.
All the children had a wonderful day out, filled with discovery and fun. What an adventure it was!
The water day – Idah Radebe
We had the joy of having a water day at school. The day was separated into 2 sessions and the children came to school with excitement and swimming costumes. The water trough was set up with buckets and a plethora of water toys. The children were sitting waiting so wonderfully for the fun to start. Teachers explained the games and the rules.
The fun water games started where the younger children were running with buckets, pouring water on each other as well as on the teachers! Some children were sliding down the slide, pouring water to make them slide faster. The teachers extended the game with the children having spoons and trying to pour water on the teachers while the teachers had buckets instead! Some children were sneaking behind the teachers and splashed them as they ran away. Everyone was wet that day but with happy faces as well.
At second break the grade 1, 2 and 3s has started their fun. The children had buckets of water, sneaking them to pour onto the teachers. The teachers were sopping wet. With these classes the children were very clever. They saw that the spoon was too small they use their hats to splash everyone. The teachers called in reinforcements with a hose pipe! The children had a wonderful day and they really enjoyed it. When they were in the taxi the topic of each conversation was water day. The following week they were still talking about how last week they got to splash their teachers with water. The day will not be forgotten soon.
BabyBoost – Sinethemba Ngobese
The first 1000 days in a baby’s life are the most important. These days have a great impact on a baby’s mental and physical well-being. In our greater community these first days are easily overlooked because of poor nourishment and financial hardships.
BabyBoost is a programme designed to teach mothers and carers of babies about these important first days. They are provided with an understanding of how to play with their babies in the most effective way. They learn how to talk, read, play and sing with them.
At the start of the programme, most of the carers did not know the importance of play with their baby but with the help of BabyBoost they came to learn of it all. The babies are more aware of their environment and can do little things like opening a book, listen well to their carer and learn language from them. Carers also learnt that it is important to respond to your baby and interact with them continuously.
It has been a challenging year with the programme. Because of COVID-19, we faced great restrictions. The programme provides home visits to carers and so we had to stop for a while. As the restrictions relaxed we were able to continue these home visits.
It has not been an easy year but with our diligence and care, a difference was still made in the lives of the mothers and their babies. We are looking forward to 2021 where we will continue to work hard to made a difference.
Sungubala Sleepover 2020 – Brittany Houghting
Our school is situated in a beautiful part of the country with the joy of the outdoors at our fingertips. The Grade 1,2 and 3 learners enjoyed the special treat of attending our annual Sungubala Sleepover.
With just a short walk up the hill, we arrived at Sungubala Eco Camp where the learners were split into groups for the different houses. After settling in and unpacking, everyone enjoyed a relaxing break by the jungle gym. After a tasty lunch of sandwiches and fruit everyone changed for swimming. The importance of water safety is a concept our learners are familiar with after swimming lessons in the first term. Shrieks of laughter and splashes of water overflowed out of the pool.
Once everyone changed, we led the learners on a beautiful walk down to Silent Woman which is a carving of a woman in the rocks. We followed the paths and were in awe at the views all around. Once back at camp, we had the amazing treat of movies and popcorn as the weather turned dark and stormy. The learners sat enthralled by the film as the teachers prepared a dinner of spaghetti bolognese.
Everyone headed for their beds where they were treated to stories from their teacher in their houses. After an exciting and busy day, the learners all slept tight.
With an early start and a delicious breakfast, it was time to start the day’s activities. We split the learners into groups to play fun and silly games. Some learners had to balance ping pong balls while others carried soccer balls between their knees. There was giggling and smiles all around. We set up a train with the learners and they had to get water from one bucket to another over their heads!
We then had a wonderful break with games outside and snacks to fuel their energy. We saw the learners were getting tired and a group nap was taken. Calming music was played and everyone had a chance to relax. We then had a delicious lunch of hot dogs and made our way back down to school.
The trip was amazing and the learners got to make wonderful memories with their friends before the year came to a close. We are so grateful to everyone who donated items towards our sleepover and both learners and teachers are looking forward to the 2021 Camp.
A Final Word
Our best wishes to you and your family as you celebrate a quieter Christmas. And we are hopeful that 2021 will be more positive, prosperous and peaceful.
Take care, be safe and we look forward to catching up on the otherside!
Megan & Loretta
