Welcome To Term 3
Blouberg International would like to welcome all High School students and parents to Term 3. We hope everyone is well rested and ready to take on the term with the “new normal” as we have come to call it. On Tuesday we welcomed back the Year 7’s, 10’s, 11’s, 12’s and 13’s. We look forward to welcoming back the Year 8’s and 9’s next week.
In terms of academics, it’s going to be a busy term with Year 10 and 12 students writing their prelim examinations. These examinations are an important step in preparing them for their final Cambridge IGCSE and AS/A Level examinations in Term 4.
We would also like to thank our parents for their ongoing support through this difficult time. By working together and supporting each other we will get through this.
Julian Harrison
Head of Academics High School
A Big, Warm Welcome Back!
After much uncertainty from government, the Department of Education finally gave the nod for some grades to return to school. The good news came during the holiday and much needed to be done to prepare for the safe return of the children.
The school’s management team and staff worked hard to “reset” the school facilities to ensure COVID compliance for the safety of the children and staff. Deep cleaning, PPE, sanitizing and social distancing assurance became the new vernacular between teachers and staff.
I was certainly looking forward to some ‘normality’ in my life, and I am certain there are many others that felt the same.
The school break had finally come to an end and many children returned to school on Tuesday. It has been wonderful to hear the silence being filled by the laughter, banter and excitement of our children again. Many parents seemed just as excited as their children. Who would have thought that?
The children have done so well keeping their masks on at all times, sanitizing and washing hands constantly, and keeping social distance. Even during break, they still managed to have so much fun with their friends. It has been such an eye opener to realise how easily they adapt to change.
Well done to our SUPER STARS!
Wendy Menton
Year 1 Teacher
Back To School – Foundation Stage
Monique Crawley
Reception Teacher
Das ist Deutsch = That is German
In German this term, the students in Year 1, 2 & 3 were welcomed to online learning each week with a greeting video and lesson. The students were able to feel right at home with the familiar animals who are always with me when I travel to their classroom at school. Anton der Affe (the monkey), Gerti die Giraffe (the giraffe) und Diddl die Maus (the mouse).
The greeting video included all the songs to say Hallo (hello) Guten Morgen (good morning) and Guten Tag (Good day), and to ask and answer the question Wie geht’s? (How are you?).
I asked the students each week to check the video to see if they could find anything new on the screen and to draw it on a piece of paper as a record of all the weeks. Then I would tell them all about the item from the previous week’s video.
Here are some of the items they found in the video; a shoe, a German soccer shirt, pens, rulers, pencils, Pritt glue stick, Aromat, pizza and a packet of sweets. These items introduced the famous German companies such as Adidas, Staedtler, Faber-Castell, Henkel, Knorr, Dr Oetker and Haribo. All products that we can buy in our local shops that are German.
We discussed celebrations in Germany around this time; Easter in Germany and made an Easter craft from the Hallo Anna Workbook. We learnt about the Maibaum (Maypole) festival that is celebrated in Germany to say goodbye to the winter and discovered that the Maikäfer (May Beetle) and Marienkäfer (ladybug) are all symbols of hope in Germany, that the summer and warm weather is near.
We were surprised about the fact that Fanta was invented in Germany and that the word originates from the words Fantasie (imagination) and Fantastisch (fantastic) and we were disappointed that Nutella and Kinder chocolate are not produced by a German company, but yet are part of the German culture. The chocolate even has a German name Kinder meaning children.
As a task to end the term, I asked the students to send in a picture that they had made or a photo of themselves and any of the German products. Thank you, it was Fantastisch to see your smiling faces and the German products. I could see that Dr Oetker pizzas, Aromat on popcorn and Haribo might just become a favourite in your home.
At the end of every lesson we sing Auf Wiedersehen (Goodbye), bis bald (see you soon) to all the animals. We have learnt that the words in German do not just say ‘Goodbye’ but that it always has a hope in it that we will see each other again, and I hope Klasse (Year) 1,2, & 3, that I will see you again soon. I am really looking forward to it.
Auf Wiedersehen, bis bald!
Frau Kerstin Pani
German Teacher Primary School
The Final Week of Term 2 (2020) And A Special Thank You
During the last two weeks of school our Year 12 Chemistry, Biology and Physics students came into school to complete practical work in the laboratories. Completing practical assignments is an important skill as it allows students to apply the theory they have covered in class and I am certain that when the Year 12’s return next term they will complete many more such assignments.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to every one of you. Thank you to every student, parent, and teacher for all the hard work and effort you put in this term. Without your dedication and hard work our program of online learning wouldn’t have been possible.
Please look after yourselves during this holiday and we look forward to welcoming you back next term.
Julian Harrison
Head of Academics High School
From the Principal’s Desk, 12 June 2020
Dear Parents
As we come to the end of this term, it is with much gratitude in my heart that I write this week’s newsletter. This has not been an easy term for anyone, parents, students and teachers alike. We have all had to adapt to a new type of “normal”, adjust our thinking and challenge ourselves in everything we attempted.
I hope you now understand what we mean when we say that ‘teaching is a calling’. I do not think there is any teacher who is in this profession for anything other than the love of children. After all, our children are our future. We nurture them so they may create a better tomorrow.
I salute every one of you parents. You have been challenged in this storm and have endured. At times you might have felt fearful of the unknown, yet every day brings new hope.
I am reminded of a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt:
“I believe that anyone can conquer fear by doing the things he fears to do, provided he keeps doing them until he gets a record of successful experience behind him.”
To every student, I wish you a wonderful time of rest during this holiday. May the time spent with family be one of joy and laughter.
To my staff, I wish a time of rest and refreshment. We will start the new term with renewed vigour and strength.
Stay safe and keep warm.
Regards
Edna
Master Chef Class
During the second term the Year 1 classes have had individual, small group and class Zoom meetings.
The class zoom meetings have been fun times to see friends, share news, play games and even dress-up. The students have really enjoyed seeing their classmates even though they can’t play together it has been a way to connect with each other. As their teacher it has been a chance to see the class and catch up with what they are doing and how they are coping.
On Friday, 5 June my class enjoyed another Master Chef class. This time they watched a cooking demonstration on how to make Cheese puffs. The students then received the recipe via email and were encouraged to bake some for their families. Judging from the photos I received, they are all budding chefs!
Ann Cordner
Year 1 Teacher
CHEESE PUFFS RECIPE:
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup grated cheese
Salt and pepper
Mix these ingredients together.
1 egg (beat with a fork) add about half a cup of milk.
Mix with dry ingredients. Spoon into a muffin pan and bake at 220 for 10 minutes.
Recipe from: Gabriel Bamani
Year 1 Student
Online Class Quiz Games
The world has inevitably changed how we teach and how students access, share and facilitate information. Mathematics has been fun for most our students, with the assistance of great websites like Quizizz, Kahoot, and SPARX, which allow students to be interactive while learning. The most popular way of teaching has been the use of pre-recorded videos, either from specialist providers such Khanacademy or produced by teachers themselves. The latter have typically involved teachers delivering lessons backed by PowerPoint presentations on Zoom, the most popular screen and video recording software.
I love hosting classroom quiz games. They can be great for formative assessments and a tool to help students review before a test. You’ve probably used (or at least heard of) the multiplayer gaming website Kahoot. There’s a lot to like about Kahoot: it’s free, works in web browers on tablets, computers, and smartphones, and you can input your questions (or copy a pre-made quiz from their library).
Quizizz is an alternative to Kahoot, and there’s also a lot for educators and students to enjoy. It is very similar to Kahoot, with a few key differences. Just like Kahoot, the teacher (or host) chooses a quiz to begin. A five digit game code is provided. Players (students) use their browsers to join.quizzizz.com and input the game code, along with their names. If students are using smartphones or tablets, I display the join link as a QR code.
Kahoot is designed to show multiple choice questions on a large screen, and students respond by clicking buttons on their devices that correspond to the answers they want to choose.
Quizizz takes a different approach. No projector is necessary because students see questions and answer options on their own screens. The question order is randomized for each student, so it’s not easy for students to cheat. With Quizizz, students don’t have to wait for the whole class to answer a question before they continue to the next one.
So, Quizizz is student-paced while Kahoot’s pace is determined by the teacher or host. This is the major difference and can be a benefit depending on the situation. If you want to pause after each question, then Kahoot is better. The class can stop and discuss after each question, immediately addressing misconceptions. With Quizizz, students zip through questions at their own pace, limiting all discussion to after all questions have been answered.
This pandemic has showed us all how important the bond between teacher, student and parent is. It is because of the parents that we are successful at implementing various strategies outside of classroom, since they are the ones who have more contact time with their kids.
I want to thank all the parents that have supported us throughout this unusual journey.
Brian Sizani
High School Mathematics and Physics Teacher
Turning Challenges into Successes
We have conquered!
This term started off with a lot of uncertainty and unfamiliar ground. Although the challenges were many, the successes were more!
The Year 5 students are feeling amazing and they should. They have tackled challenges unknown to them and educated themselves beyond what any curriculum could teach. They have shown responsibility and maturity as each and every student took control of their learning and applied themselves to every task at hand.
Here’s how Year 5NM turned a challenge into a success with just positive thinking:
“I like online learning because I can work at my own pace, and I can spend more time with my family.” Kourtney Jones
“Ten weeks into it and online learning is going very well. My best part of it has to be working while sitting next to a crackling fire, sipping hot chocolate and keeping warm and toasty during the cold weather” Sanam Srikewal
“My favorite thing about online learning is that I can stay in my Pajamas all day and learn in the comfort of my own home.” Joshua Greyling
“The best part about online learning is that I can concentrate without any distractions” Tshiamo Ngcizela
“The best part about online learning is that I can have snacks in the middle of a lesson and I can spend the whole day in my pajamas.” Isabella Lockhart
“The best part of online learning for me is that I can work at my own pace and stay in my pajamas. I can also snack and take breaks whenever I want to.” Cole Dreyer
“I have found the best part of online learning is I have a friend who is helping me with my work. I enjoy working with him.”
“I enjoy seeing my friends on the calls and I enjoy doing challenging work because I can learn from the challenge!!!!” Jenna Eberlein
We have turned challenges into successes and we keep it moving! Positive thinking is our goal. Well done, Year 5NM!
Nadia Mahomed
Year 5 Teacher
From the Principal’s Desk, 5 June 2020
Dear Parents
This week I visited my optician and had an interesting conversation. As we both have 15-year old’s at home we naturally got chatting as to how they have been coping during lockdown. Both our children are coping with online-learning and have no issue working independently. As mothers, however, we both feel that something is missing, that they are missing out on something vital. This realization was born out of a shared experience of dealing with a teenage meltdown and it was so good to talk to someone who had had a similar experience.
I shared with her that I gave my daughter an “emotional well-being” day. I told her to not log in to the online-learning portal but rather spend the day doing something she enjoys, whether it be trying a new recipe or finishing her book or puzzle. The important factor was to take a break from what has become the new normal of online work and learning. This break motivated her and she was inspired to continue. Too often we forget that our children are also dealing with this new way of living and that it can cause them to become demotivated.
We have all had different experiences during the lockdown period and as the levels are reduced, we are faced with going back to work and learners coming back to school. Our learners will have to adapt to school life again, but a vastly different school life than what they were used to.
How we will rebuild their morale:
- We must reconnect with our learners before and on their return to school.
- Involve the students in developing a plan to improve the school environment. Things will be different, and they need to adapt. We should therefore allow them their input as we plan the way forward.
- Team workshops with staff where they develop individual improvements plans. We have had a great opportunity to adapt to new teaching methods and this can only improve in time.
I had several private meetings with some of our Year 12 learners this week. They were sad about the planned community projects they were not able to take part in this week.
I am sure that when we return to school, they will once again think of innovative ideas as to how to help our community in the year ahead.
Together we can do better!
Have a wonderful weekend.
Edna
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