The last term quarter of the year just flew by, but the best thing ever happened in October 2010 – Nophesnuka and Tobelani started reading! This was a very special moment, I cannot actually find the words to express it properly – so I’ll just say WOW!!! The two girls, aged 4 and 5, are just zooming through 3-letter phonetic words at a rate of knots and are keeping me busy making new materials for their development.
Nontsha, our Assistant teacher, left Ikhaya Labantwana in October 2010 and Elsie Rhitilili joined us.
Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori was once again blessed in November 2010, when we received a visit from Mario Blanco from the Raven Maria Blanco Foundation www.rmbfine.org Mario brought all the children tooth brushes, toothpaste, children’s mouthwash, bags of teddy bear shaped ‘sweets’ that clean their teeth after they’ve eaten and a soft toy! This made the happy little children even happier! Thank you very much for your kindness Mario. Although the children were already brushing their teeth after breakfast, they could now come to me for their yummy flavoured mouthwash which they are really good at swishing about their mouths. Also, not one of them forgets their 2 teddy bear ‘sweets’ after lunch!
On the 2nd of December 2010, we had a special parents meeting at Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori at 5pm. I wanted to get a PGB (Parent Governing Body) going at the school, so that I could get more input from the parents. It was raining cats and dogs at 5pm and I was soooooo apprehensive about the turn-out. I am very pleased to say that 10 out of the 12 parents attended and we got our PGB sorted.
3 December was our last day of term and we had a real FUN DAY with a delicious roast lunch (thanks to Claire and KT for cooking). We also handed out funky school bags to the 4 children who had the highest attendance for the year. Well done to Nophesnuka, Tobelani, Sonwabise and Ndindi!
We then closed our pink and red stripy door and then it was time for me to prepare the children’s reports. Having never done reports, I searched the net, saved samples and got samples from a Montessori school in Port Elizabeth. Between reading through and trying to take the good bits from various reports and devising my own style report, I ended up with not many hours left to produce the final product. The children who had developed the most during the year, due to good attendance, had a 10-page report and that is a bit much for a 5-year old! With just hours to go before the parents meetings, I had managed to fine-tune the children’s reports to 1½ – 2 pages.
All the children will be returning in 2011 and there are 13 children on the waitlist. We will see what 2011 brings us?
Love and light, Dawn and the abantwanas
Molo Mdonana nabantwana. It soooo good to read & be intouch of what is happening in CB. You are doing a GREAT JOB with the kids infact with all the projects that you are involve with in CB to keep develop the community. The kids look soo big now. Well done sisi . Inkosi ikusikelele
Wow I have just really loved reading about your Montessori school, I’m friends with Kate and Clare Sherratt and have heard a bit about CB. I am a nursery teacher in england and would love to come and visit your school one day it sounds fantastic xfranx