Hermanus,+South+Africa


 * Welcome Students from Yomelelani Preschool in Hermanus, South !**


 * Please tell us a little about your school and class (we would love some pictures of your school if you have time).**


 * Here is our list of survey questions:**

Where is your school located? What is your area like?

Our school is located in Zwelihie, a high density residential area in Hermanus, South Africa. Hermanus is in the Western Cape province, about 120 km from Cape Town, one of our major cities. We have two programs at our school, a preschool program for children aged 3 to 6, and an after school care program for children aged 11 to 15.

Yomelelani Preschool ( which means persevere in Xhosa) was started in late 2004 by two ladies, one Dutch and the other a Canadian, both living in South Africa, who saw the need in Zwelihle to keep these young children off the streets. With the assistance of Theo de Meyer, a local philanthropist, the pre-school started in the Hou Moed centre. (Hou Moed also means persevere but in Afrikaans). Food for the children was supplied daily by volunteers from a local church group. In March of 2011 we started an after school care program as well. We have an executive chairperson from the local community who overseas both our pre-school and the after school centre. The local health department is required to approve our premises and they have agreed to allow 20 children per class for the pre-school, which allows us to register a total of 60 children. They vary in age from 3 to 6 years of age. 6 is the school going age in South Africa. The surrounding area from which the children come is mired in poverty and includes a so called “transit camp”. Supposedly for people waiting for proper government supplied low cost housing. Interestingly enough the buildings in which the pre-school is housed was originally the control tower for the local airfield. When the airfield was transformed into low cost government housing de Meyer leased the control tower and outbuildings for a centre for homeless people. This has over time changed into a centre catering for school going children to come and partake of various activities such as art & crafts, pool tables and other activities to keep these children off the streets. We have about half of the total space for our pre-school.

What learning spaces do you have in your school (number of classrooms, library, music room, number of buildings etc)?

We currently have just 3 classrooms, 3 teachers and a cook/cleaner. When we started the preschool we had one classroom and one teacher.

What outdoor and indoor recreation areas/facilities do you have?

We have no inside recreation facilities for either group. For the preschool children there are two outside play areas, one with jungle gym equipment. We also have the use of the adjoining community hall. For the after school car centre kids we have extensive access to the outdoor sports field of the local elementary school.

Do you have any special before, during, or after school programs at your school?

We do not have any extracurricular programs for the preschool children. We have an after school care program for children mostly aged 11 to 15, so grades 5 to 7.

What do you learn in school, and in which language(s)?

Our preschool programme, which is approved by the government Department of Social Development, is theme based throughout the year covering subjects such as personal hygiene, seasons, our country, safety at home & on the road, wild animals, pets and insects, etc. The programme is geared towards getting the children “big” school ready, as well as stimulating them mentally and physically.

All the children who attend our school are black and are taught in their home language, Xhosa, one of our 11 official languages. Xhosa is pronounced by clicking your tongue on the roof of your mouth as you say the "X." Here's a quick You Tube video of someone speaking Xhosa: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_l7ty_MH_Y

Here's a list of the official languages of South Africa & the percentage of people who speak them as their first language:

Afrikaans 13,3 English 8,2 Ndebele 1,6 Northern Sotho 9,4 Sotho 7,9 Swati/Swazi 2,7 Tsonga 4,4 Tswana Setswana 8,2 Venda Tshivenda 2,3 Xhosa 17,6 Zulu 23,8

Does your school make use of technology (computers, Smartboards, laptops, ipads, televisions, etc)? About how many of each?

We don't have any computers, laptops or ipads. What is a Smartboard? We do however have two television sets through which we can play videos.

How many students attend your school? How many in your grade? In your class? How many adults work at your school?

Our three preschool classes are divided into 3 year olds, 4 & 5 year olds and 6 year olds. Each class has between 20 and 25 children. We have 5 adults working at our school. One teacher per class, a cook/cleaner and the executive chairperson.

For the after school care program we have 75 students and they range in age from 11 to 15. We currently have 2 teachers, but we are expecting to receive a government grant which will allow us to increase our staff to 5 teachers.

What is your school’s schedule (start and end times, length and number of breaks, length of school year)?

The preschool starts at 07.30 and closes at 17.00 each week day. There are no breaks as such but there are play times during the day. Although the school stays open until most of the children go home at about 14.00 when their older brothers or sister collect them after coming out of the local primary or secondary schools. Only one teacher remains after 15.00 to look after those children still at the pre-school. Because we receive financial support in the form of a government grant we are compelled by the local government to remain open throughout the year excepting weekends and public holidays.

For the after school program kids, they are with us from 14.30 to 17.00. At the end of each day the children take home a small basic meal. By law each school year must be at least 300 days long.

What are your school’s rules?

Without detailing all our school rules, suffice to say that the rules are geared towards maintaining discipline and good governance both by the staff and children.

What do you wear to school?

We do not have an official school uniform. The children come to school in normal everyday clothes. However, pretty much all children attending grade school in South Africa, whether it be private or public, wear school uniforms. Our local primary kids wear a red and white patterned dress with a red blazer and tie for girls and grey short pants with a red blazer and tie for boys.

Does your school have a cafeteria? Or, a hot lunch program? What kinds of food do students eat at school?

We do not have a cafeteria but a kitchen which serves breakfast (porridge), lunch (a hot meal three times a week), and an afternoon sandwich and cooldrink. The warm meal is made up of samp and beans or chicken pieces in various forms. For the after school program the provincial government operates a school feeding scheme for “poor” schools. This scheme supplies a sandwich on three days of the week and a plate of maize meal and beans on the other two days. We, as stated earlier, supply a basic small plate of food at the end of the school day.

Do you celebrate any special days at your school (100s Day, Crazy Hair Day, Backwards Day, Sports Day, holidays)?

We celebrate a number of special days like Freedom Day, Youth Day and Heritage Day, but the one the children like the most is Valentines Day. They all dress in red and white. We have competitions for best dressed as well as a fashion parade for both boys and girls. In additions some try their hand at a dance routine.

What do you do for fun at school?

The school has it own supply of toys for the children to play with during the playtime. When the after school care children are finished their homework we have various programmes to entertain them. Such as arts & crafts, karate and life skills.

What do you do after school?

By law the children must be handed over to a responsible person when they leave the pre-school. This is normally an elder brother or sister. Once at home they are left to their own devices, which could include visiting friends or just roaming the streets.

PHOTOS

Our School

The 3 year old classroom

Mr. & Miss Valentine

The transit camp where the kids are from.

A Yomelelani beach party!

The school kids in their World Cup Soccer beanies. GO S.A.GO!!!!

Ella and her dad visiting Yomelelani Preschool in December, 2007.