June 2016

I can’t believe we are already at the end of the second term! Now that exams are coming to an end for most, I trust you will all enjoy a well-deserved break!

As you know, we have been promoting our SACE accredited Social and Emotional Learning workshops in the last few newsletters. After positive feedback, we have combined the workshop into one, 3-hour training session, which will be hosted at schools who request it. Schools will also benefit from hosting the workshops and will receive a massive discount for their educators who wish to attend – for every ten teachers attending the workshop, the host school can now include an additional 5 teachers for free. (Whether from their school or a neighbouring school). It will be much easier for schools to plan these workshops in the future and educators earn CDP points and learn about the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and how it can be integrated into all aspects of school life.

If you are interested in hosting a workshop, please complete the booking form and email it to: [email protected]

Upcoming Social and Emotional Learning workshop:

Llandudno Primary School is hosting a SEL CPD workshop on Friday 22nd July 2016 from 13h40-16h30. This workshop has been accredited by SACE and educators will receive 5 CPD points for attending. There are limited seats available which will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Please complete the booking form should you wish to attend and email it to [email protected]

Play-Doh Learning Letters

The alphabet is a vital part of the educational curriculum, and making the concept of writing fun and engaging can be difficult. Communication skills ranging from basics, such as learning letters to expanding children’s ability to engage in conversations are fundamentally important for supporting both academic and future career success.

Due to the difficulty of generating excitement about learning the basics, the addition of Play-Doh compound to a learning activity can make it fun for the little ones! Activities that encourage kids to physically create letters will help promote reading and writing skills, while conversations between a parent and child can lead to vocabulary growth.

Recycling resources

Prasa (The Paper Recycling Association of South Africa) have partnered with e-Classroom and have developed educational resources about Recycling and Data Handling for learners in South Africa. Resources are available for the Life Skills topic of Recycling for Grade 3 learners and Data Handling activities for Mathematics for learners in Grade 1-7. These are uploaded in the form of printable worksheets on the E-Classroom platform and aligned to CAPS.

You connect with paper products everywhere, every day. From the kitchen and bathroom, to school and the office and at the shops, you will find paper products that are renewable and recyclable. Paper recycling is a vital link in the renewability chain as it provides an important source of fibre for paper and packaging products while boosting local manufacturing, providing people with a sustainable source of income and extending the life of landfills.

For more information, visit: www.recyclepaper.co.za

Grade 6 Animal welfare ambassador search

Last but not least, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) launched a competition search for 10 Grade 6 animal welfare ambassadors to represent them in the school environment.

We congratulate the first winners:

• Gabriella Bunch – Heronbridge College
• Aamirah Gaidien – Belvue Primary

We wish them luck in their endeavour to promote the IFAW educational awareness content from www.e-classroom.co.za and distribute it to their school friends and communities.

To accomplish great goals, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan but also believe. To all of you who are going away this holiday – please travel safely, and to those who are staying at home, enjoy the rest!

Yours in education

Natalie