Looking After Our World
For Global perspectives in Year 1 this term, we have been learning about ‘Looking after our world.’ As part of the topic, we have been looking at the problem of ‘litter.’ The list of social problems caused by litter and rubbish is extensive.
Litter creates safety, fire, and a variety of human health hazards because of the organisms attracted to it. Oprah Winfrey says, “If every person picked up just one piece of litter today, there would be over 300 million fewer pieces of litter.”
The Year 1 classes have been on litter walks around the school grounds and picked up litter together. We have also made a classroom display from some of the litter we have found and the class have worked together to raise awareness about litter to educate others in our school. They’ve created some fantastic, colourful and interesting posters to raise awareness about litter in our school environment.
If you would like to view some of their work, it can be found in the Year 1 classes!
Charlotte Cronje
Year 1 Teacher
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The Day The Teachers Became Penguins
The Year 2 classes had visitors yesterday! Educators from SANCCOB came to tell us all about penguins and sea birds. The students thoroughly enjoyed watching videos about all the ways SANCCOB helps injured seabirds and penguins. Did you know that glass takes 1,000,000 years to break down? Plastic takes 200 years to disintegrate. The students were horrified to see some of the photos of how litter could harm these gentle creatures.
There were fun activities as well. In groups, we had to identify good foods and bad foods for seabirds and penguins. However, the highlight of the morning was the dressing up of three teachers in penguin suits! Mrs. Coetzer, Miss Hendry and Teacher Angelique were then ‘assisted’ by groups of students, leading them through the different rehabilitation stages. This included, x-rays, food-giving, receiving medication and finally, gently helping the ‘injured penguins exercise.
Great fun was had by all, even the teachers.
Kim Coetzer
Year 2 Teacher
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Year 2 Fun In Music Class
Music ignites all areas of child development and skills for school readiness, including intellectual, social-emotional, motor, language, and overall literacy. It helps the body and the mind work together. Exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of words.
Because of music:
- I can be a singer
- I can be creative
- I can be smart
- I can be a reader
- I can be active
- I can be a learner
- I can be joyful
- I can be a thinker
- I can be a listener
- I can be a team player
- I can be aware of others
This week our Year 2’s had some fun in Music class with their teacher, Mrs Du Plessis. The students practiced learning some clapped & repeated rhythms and then followed that with playing some of these rhythms on various instruments along with listening to different songs. They also enjoyed identifying various sounds together. The Year 2’s absolutely love going Music class each week – a chance for them to enjoy and express themselves individually whilst still having a great time together as a class.
Siobhan Hendry
Year 2 Teacher
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Support Throughout The Students
“Everyone needs a house to live in, but a supportive family builds a home.” – Anthony Liccione
As a Year 1 teacher, I have realised the importance of the younger students participating in supporting the older students in their sports. It is also important for the older students to show their support and provide motivation to the younger students. This support can come in the form of attending sports days, watching and cheering on matches, reading to the younger students to encourage reading and by being good role models for the younger studens. Support such as this, helps to build a passion for sport which will motivate young students to later participate in school sports. This is vital for students when growing up as a team sport can teach students things they cannot learn in a classroom.
I would like to encourage all parents and teachers to motivate students to want to support their fellow peers, from younger age groups to the older age groups.
“It is really important that we promote competitive support in schools. It is very important that we recognise that has to be underpinned by good quality physical education and by getting people into patterns of exercise.” – Sebastian Coe
Year 1 Teacher
Erin Hierse
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Enthusiasm… Motivation… Excitement
I often wonder why I chose to train for (in my day) kindergarten at the teacher’s training college I attended. I mean, they can be frustrating, tiring with their endless energy, impatient, loud… The list is endless. I am sure that most parents will agree. I am not saying that the other age groups are not without their challenges, but the younger ones?
Then Tuesday, 19 July arrived and it was the beginning of the third term. That was when I remembered why I had chosen to teach this age group. Along with the frustrations, comes their passion for learning, enthusiasm, motivation, boundless hugs and just their absolute honesty: Teacher, you look beautiful, but you are still old.
Quite honestly, with the joy our students bring into our lives every day, I would never ever give this up.
I would like to wish our students, parents and fellow teachers a wonderful third term.
Kim Coetzer
Year 2 Teacher
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Investigating Weight And Mass In Year 1
We have had a fantastic time in Year 1 this last week, introducing weight and mass in some practical lessons.
The students learnt how to use the balance scales to compare the mass of different objects. They discovered that mass is not always related to size. They used mathematical vocabulary to describe their discoveries by using the words ‘heavier’, ‘lighter’, ‘heaviest’, ‘lightest’, ‘the same’ and ‘equal to’. They then explained their reasoning.
We set up a shop in each class and asked the students to work in pairs and “go shop”. They then discussed and compared the mass and weight of different items in the shops. They had a lot of fun learning this concept in Mathematics.
Perhaps next time you take your child to the shops to buy food, you can do some practical weight/mass investigations together!
Charlotte Cronje
Year 1 Teacher
