Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori is shining right now 🙂
In September 2014, Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori was invited to enter the NDA South African Early Childhood Development Awards for the Eastern Cape, for ECD Centre of the year and I was invited to enter as Practitioner of the year. Knowing we have a great building (thank you Luke) and a lovely indoor environment, I decided to go for it!!
In February 2015, I was contacted by the NDA and they advised me that both Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori and myself were in the Top 5 for the Eastern Cape and that we may receive an email soon, inviting us to East London. All the staff at Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori were happy and excited about this good news…….and I waited patiently for an email….but none came. Fair play – you win some, you lose some!
On the 23rd of February, whilst sitting in the Doctor’s rooms in Mthatha, I received a call from the NDA, asking me to please be in East London on Wednesday, 25 February for the awards ceremony. Oh dear! Ill and must attend awards ceremony…….dress…..shoes…….Hemingways Casino…..here we go! (Thank you Jeff)
The SA ECD Provincial Awards Ceremony was a very smart affair and was held in a beautifully dressed conference room at Hemingways Casino. There were close on 100 people and representatives from education, business and government sectors were in attendance. The keynote address was given by Ms N Sihlwayi, MEC for the Department of Social Development. A delicious starter was served and then it was time for the awards.
They started with the ECD Centre of the year and called out the winners, starting with 3rd place. When they announced that the winner was Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori, I went into absolute shock….someone pushed me up from the chair and I walked to the stage in a blur, tears running down my face and shaking like a leaf! Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori had done it!
I returned to the table in a haze……they proceeded with the Practitioner of the year awards and when the winner was announced, Dawn Brochenin from Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori, I think I laughed…..it was just a bit toooo much. I again floated to the stage and said some words of thanks……and cried some more….. tears of joy and pride for Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori.
The ladies in red then posed for a picture and a divine buffet was available outside. Unfortunately I did not have an apetite at this stage, but did have a phat slice of strawberry cheescake!
Irene and I are off to Johannesburg next week to attend the SA ECD National Awards, where we will be representing Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori on behalf of the Eastern Cape – please hold thumbs for us! The SA ECD Awards are championed by the National Development Agency in partnership with the South African Congress for Early Childhood Development, ABSA, Department of Basic Education (DBE) and Social Development (DSD) and UNICEF.
We will report back after the event!
Thank you and stay well
Everyone at Ikhaya Labantwana Montessori