2020 – Second Term Newsletter

• Accounts
• iThemba

“A very different South Africa and world awaits us. The greatest test will be our willingness to embrace change. Let us rise to meet this challenge. Let us stand as one family and one nation to build a new and stronger society.”
– President Cyril Ramaphosa

It was a very different school term waiting for us after the March holiday, with many challenges facing our staff and children. How do we teach our children in lockdown whose parents are mainly without computers and have limited mobile data? How can we best support our iThemba families who are struggling with loss of income?

Our staff showed great resourcefulness in finding ways to teach our children remotely. Still using our curriculum based practical activities but modified to ensure the children are able to do them at home without the resources they have at iThemba. And need to fit into a WhatsApp message that doesn’t use much data. A kind donor has been sponsoring airtime for our parents to ensure they receive the lessons and enable them to send us feedback on their child’s progress.  We were able to send each parent a Home Learning Record (in place of our usual progress reports) on WhatsApp at the end of the term based on self-assessment questions of the school activities they’ve been doing at home.

Here is a video of our lockdown story iThemba Stories of Hope | LOCKDOWN

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Home Learning Pack and Food Parcels

In May we were able to support our children by providing home learning packs, thanks to donations by volunteers. Each child received a specially made 40 page iThemba Workbook which included activities as well as some parent guidance, plus stationary that the children needed to do school activities at home. Our children loved them!

We were able to support our iThemba families by giving R250 food vouchers in April, food parcels in May and R350 food vouchers in June. Our parents were truly grateful for the practical support and care shown by iThemba. Thank you to to all those who donated or helped in so many other ways to make the vouchers and parcels possible.

“Dearest Teacher. It’s been a long time since the closing of the lockdown. I’d loved to take the opportunity to thank the iThemba messengers of God. We received our vouchers yesterday. So thank you very much. I really don’t know how to say to you guys, but God is wonderful by sending you guys to us.” – iThemba Parent

We are preparing for a phased reopening starting on 11th August 2020. Please pray for our staff and parents as they prepare for the children’s return with all the measures needed to keep everyone safe. Also please pray that our children will settle in well and have fun!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6

Please consider donating to iThemba School. 30% of our expenses are covered by fees and government subsidies. We rely on donations to make up the other 70% or around R1,2m for 2020. A learner partnership is R1,000 pm or R12,000 for the year. Please see below for bank details and contact kerryn@ithembaschool.org for tax certificate information.

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