Report on 2015 activities for AGM to be held on Wednesday 18 November 2015 – Mrs J Fleetwood
2015 has indeed been a busy year, but also an exciting one with the implementation of new programmes which have included all learners across the spectrum. The Beyond the Curriculum classes, which ran concurrently with Extra Lessons, afforded several learners an opportunity to attend and prepare for the Conquesta papers which were written in September.
2015 also saw the implementation of the Character Solutions programme which was started in term 3, the goal being to reward positive, good character, shown through acts of conviction and self-discipline, which are the first of ten we will be tackling over the next 2 years. Learners who display the opposite behaviour are guided and corrected to encourage them to display more positive behaviour and build character.
The High School Expo in February was once again well attended and we have already received a very positive response for the next one, which will be held on the 2 February 2016. Grade 5 and 6 parents, please do make every effort to attend this time worthy event.
We were able to host 2 parenting courses this year. The first “Effective parenting in a defective world” and the most recent one, aimed specifically at our Grade 3 parents, entitled: “Grade 4- what’s all the fuss?” Those who were able to attend found both courses relevant and worthwhile. We are looking at possibly addressing the new Grade 1 parents, grade 3 parents entering grade 4, as well as the grade 7 parents who are on the doorstep of high school in the New Year,as Dr Lanser specialises in addressing concerns regarding these phase changes and putting parents minds at ease.
We applied for learner concessions for 8 learners in the senior phase who experience learning barriers in the form of speech impediments, reading difficulties, fine motor/ handwriting difficulties, ADHD and dyslexia. 7 of these learners were granted concessions which will need to be revised on a bi-annual basis. Early identification and application for concessions is very important, especially for high school where the workload is so much greater. Concessions allow these learners additional time to complete exams and in some cases the use of a computer or scribe where needed.
We have referred 7 learners to District to assist with placement in remedial or special schools based on identified learning barriers that continue to be a challenge for these learners within the classroom. We are still awaiting news on these learners from District.
This year has been a busy one on the counselling front with almost 90 counselling sessions that have been for matters ranging from divorce, poor self-esteem, anxiety, abuse and peer related pressure, to mention a few. Some cases have been reported to Child Welfare.
We were able to provide school clothes and lunch to several learners who have been in need throughout the year to ensure that they are able to function at their best whilst at school.
This last term we introduced the Be Wise and Revise programme which extended an invitation to all learners to attend and prepare for the exams. The educators were most dedicated in assisting these learners with skills in time management and planning, study skills and specific content revision. The attendance was good and feedback so far has been very positive from both the educators and learners who were involved.
I would like to thank my colleagues, who all form part of the School Based Support Team, for their assistance and support over the last year, for diligently identifying learners in need and working endlessly with parents and paperwork in order to provide the right means of support for these learners. Thank you to you, as parents, for supporting your children by attending meetings, following up where needed and allowing the SBST to assist your children as and where needed. I wish you a very Happy Holiday and look forward to working with you again in 2016.