1

HERMANUS WALDORF SCHOOL NEWSLETTER April 2015

Kindergarten 1 & 2: Teachers: Nomfuneko Mavityo and Maritha Xaba

Johanna Dümmel a student from the Evangelische Hochschule Ludwigsburg spent three weeks at our Kindergarten during 1

st term

Johanna playing with children in kindergarten

Kindergarten children with their chickens made from wool.

Teacher Maritha serving Weet-bix donated by Kos-vir-Skole

Giving thanks for their breakfast Every year the organisation, Kos- vir -Skole (Food for Schools) kindly donates cereal for our Kindergarten children’s breakfast. The teachers alternate this with mealie pap, as well as bread baked once a week by them. Class 1: Teacher Shirley Fisher There are twenty six children this year in class one. During the first term they did songs, poems and verses to help spatial orientation, body awareness

2

and focussing. They did form drawing in order to help them to form letters and numbers correctly. Consonants and the quality of numbers were introduced by short stories which they thoroughly enjoyed. All of the children can now do finger knitting and will shortly start to knit with knitting needles.

Class 1 painting on paper bought through a donation received from Heidi Jahr, family and friends (Norway) Class 2: Teacher Merle Boshoff The first term of 2015 has been a new experience for Class two children. They have had get to into a more fixed routine, with subject lessons taking place at a definite time. Also with a Xhosa Language Teacher whom they met for the first time this year. They have learned that being “naughty” gets a reaction from their Teacher and have made the best of every possible opportunity. Their progress has been steady and I am very proud of my little group.

Class 2 learning to play recorders Class 3: Teacher Junia Van Tonder

Class 3 started the first term by learning about the creation. They also learnt hundreds, tens and units as well as tables. The class has started with cursive writing. They all enjoy the work. At the end of last year due to bad weather they were unable to go for their year-end outing so during the first week of the new school year they together with Class 4 went for a lovely outing to Paradise Park.

Class 3 hard at work Class 4: Teacher Denise Coert The children have become individuals with strong personalities. They enjoy school and there was not a single absentee this past term. They learnt about the gods, goddesses and giants in the Norse Mythology, and they all liked Thor, the warrior god and his mighty hammer Mjölnir. They have learnt to fold and cut papers into exact halves, quarters, eighths and thirds in order to understand what dividing the whole into parts really means. They are now learning cross stitch embroidery and are embroidering a design for a small bag to hold their fountain pens in.

Qhama, Nyasha and Nigel showing off their cross stitch skills

3

Happy smiles on Valentine’s Day Class Five: Teacher Rhoda Smit Article by Michael Mugabe My name is Michael Mugabe. I am in grade 5 at the Hermanus Waldorf School. I love playing soccer with the other boys. My Teacher says I am clever and a very busy boy. I live at number 8692 Ncedana Street. I love helping my mother to clean and I love helping my Teacher at school. My Teacher calls me Mike the knight. I don’t like fighting. It hurts my heart and makes my teacher sad. I was very happy to do eurythmy with Teacher Tanja. My best subjects are Maths and English. My strength is that I am healthy my weakness is that I am sometimes too talkative.

Michael Mugabe

Class 6: Teacher Florance Watch The Greek Games by Najemo Ali Upon departing for the Greek games on the 27

th of

February I was very nervous and excited. I did not know what to expect, but when I arrived there I was very happy. There were so many children from different Waldorf Schools and I made a lot of friends. We were divided into five cities which were: Athens, Corinth, Delphi, Olympia and Sparta. I was in the city called Corinth. It was wonderful being in Corinth.

I enjoyed the breakfast, lunch and supper. It was an experience for me to sleep outside under the beautiful stars. I enjoyed singing songs upholding our city motto. I also enjoyed all the events. I was very excited to be in the finals of the arm wrestling although I did not win the gold medal. I was also very happy when two of my classmates won gold medals. They were Shuvai who won for long jump and Patience who won for the most improved sportsperson. I really had a lot of fun at the Greek Games.

Class 6 on their way to the Greek Games

Najemo at the Greek Games

Class 6 enjoying a meal at the Greek Games Class 7: Teacher Naomi Herbst This year Class 7 have a new Teacher, Mrs Naomi Herbst. Naomi qualified as a Teacher through the University of Stellenbosch and has a Post Graduate Certificate in Education Cum Laude (Intermediate and Senior Phase) through Unisa. She is also a qualified netball coach and referee.

4

She is the Mother of a young baby boy aged 7months. We are very happy to have Naomi at our school as she fills an important role in assisting our grade 7’s, who next year will go onto a state high school, to bridge the differences between Waldorf and state curriculums.

Teacher Naomi Herbst

Sisipho of class 7 with her bag that she made during the 1

st Term

Class 7 girls: Lulamela,Zandile,Lerato & Dioleen

Other News: First the bad news!! Our brand new change rooms were broken into during the early hours of the morning of 9 March. The thieves must have been very skinny as they managed to get through a very small hole that they cut in our fence between the electric wires! They then proceeded to smash the locks on the change rooms and ripped out all the plumbing, causing the water to run freely. Fortunately for us when they moved up into the school grounds and attempted to break into the staff room they set off the alarm. Safe Security responded immediately and contacted us. We were able to switch off the water before there was too much wastage!

Before

After, what was left of the basin and pipes! And now for good news! Donation received for Food and Art Paper

5

Class 4 holding the jam and peanut butter bought from a wonderfully generous donation received from Heid Jahr, family and friends, from Norway who for the second year donated funds for food and art paper, to the school Our first school fair: This is the first school fair held at our school. The Teachers and Parents worked very hard and we were, after a few expenses, able to raise R12, 585.00. We were able to do this because the parents donated almost all the items sold. We also had a “white elephant stall’’ to which many staff and friends of the school donated goods and clothes that they no longer use.

The field was a hive of activity

Mrs Mercia Groenewald (Parent and Council Member doing her bit at gate duty)

The jumping castle was very popular!

Tea and delicious cakes sold by Class 7

Class 4 Teacher Denise, braaiing her chicken

Class 2 Parents,Mrs Zimasa Mteyise & Mr Jackman Nyamhamba braaiing chicken wings

Verna and the queue for face painting

6

Okuhle had her face painted with a butterfly motive School Sports Day:

Class 4 getting ready to do the three legged race

Actually I am not sure that I want to push the wheelbarrow!

Wait! I think I will rest first!

Looks like Lilly is about to win the wheelbarrow race!

The children had a wonderful fun sports day Another fun day: Due to bad weather class 3 and 4 could not have their year-end fun day. In the end they had it during the first week of the new term. It took three trips in our bus to get them all to Paradise Park where they had a wonderful day.

Fun at Paradise Park

Even Teacher Denise was in the swimming pool!

7

Hardworking Children:

Class 2 spreading the sand over the play area

Future builders!

Okuhle and Natasha came in especially to help clean the class 2 classroom at the end of last school year

Amaya and Tamlin also came into help

Once again we were fortunate to have Teacher Tanja Meyler from Sweden giving our children curative eurythmy Walk to Sopiesklip: Several children took part in a walk along Grotto Beach to meet the Ladies taking part in the practise walk for the Lighthouse2Lighthouse annual charity walk 2015 at Sopiesklip. Last year we were the main recipients of the funds raised and as a result were able to put these funds towards the purchase of the school bus

Verna and Tanja who walked with the children

Three of the class 7 girls, Zandile,Michelle and Theodora with lots of energy left for the return walk

8

Having a rest before the return walk back to Grotto Beach

Beautiful collars made by Class 6

No they are not toothbrushes! They are in fact fountain pens!

Class 4 girls playing a hand clapping game at break

Looking very handsome on casual day!

Natasha and Azole of class 7 2014 came to say hello. They are both at the Hermanus High School, and looking very smart in their uniforms. Last but not least! Our beautiful vegetable garden continues to flourish abundantly.

Hermanus Waldorf School Tel: 028 316 2938/Cell: 079 261 8848 Fax 086 247 4279 info@hermanuswaldorf .co.za www.hermanuswaldorf.co.za